arctos

Nearly forty years ago my first touring bike was 700c with clearance for a 28mm tire. This was good for most touring but I longed to take more off pavement routes. In the early 1980's I started touring on a mountain bike with 26 inch rims and 2.0 tires. Off pavement routes opened completely to me in Alaska,Western Canada, Mexico, Norway and South America. Great except I felt that I was missing something. On smoother fire roads and on pavement I felt like a slug. Changing tires did not help nor did a custom Ritchey team Comp with steeper road like angles.

In 1989 I ordered a Bruce Gordon RNR with 700x45 wheels. I had regained what had been missing- the ability to roll over obstacles and accelerate yet have protective air volume.

This 28er tire volume provided the suspension and float that I needed off pavement at Crested Butte, Moab, Baja, BC and on the Divide Ride despite intense skepticism and criticism from traditionalists on either the 26 inch or 700c road sides of the debate. I was told repeatedly that the wheels were not strong enough and the tires were too narrow or too wide for single track with or without my touring load. Only by dropping these critics on their own turf on a ride or tour would they begrudgingly accept this new idea of a 28er capable of going almost anywhere my skills would allow.

I am a clydesdale and yet I used my normal 700c wheelset for the Divide Ride and they did not even need truing afterward and I am still using them. Maybe I am just lucky! So when I hear disaster predictions for 700c wheels I remember that the legions of round the world bike tourists in the 20th century used 700c wheels and managed quite well considering their tire width limitations. 28ers and 29ers offer some useful touring tools that should be carefully considered as an option. I am very glad that I did not follow the herd 20 years ago. I found what I was looking for in the RNR.