Originally Posted by
FlatTop
I'm a little surprised that 27 is a popular tire size with these bicycles. It has been abandoned on all other recent bikes as far as I know.
The Japanese are pretty sensible people. That is why they stick to the 26" and 27" wheelbases. I never understood the switch to 700 cm(?) in the USA except change for change sake to generate something new in the bicycle market in the USA. The Japanese don't have to go through all the gyrations of stocking a new size tire, spokes, rims, wheels, etc.
In other words, the Japanese didn't switch to 700 because it didn't provide any advantage to the overall industry.