Why did we move from 27" to 700c?
#51
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Consider,
a liter is slightly more than a quart, you think the dairy, and beverage folks want to change
a meter is slightly more than a yard, great for the carpet folks,
a kilo, slightly more than 2 pounds, etc.
In a world where a pound of coffee has been downsized to 11.5 oz, and one ice cream maker now sells 14oz "pints" does anyone doubt that we'd be 100% metric if the relative sizes were reversed?
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I don't want to fuel the conspiracy theories, but has anyone considered that part of the reason it takes so long might be related to parity.
Consider,
a liter is slightly more than a quart, you think the dairy, and beverage folks want to change
a meter is slightly more than a yard, great for the carpet folks,
a kilo, slightly more than 2 pounds, etc.
In a world where a pound of coffee has been downsized to 11.5 oz, and one ice cream maker now sells 14oz "pints" does anyone doubt that we'd be 100% metric if the relative sizes were reversed?
Consider,
a liter is slightly more than a quart, you think the dairy, and beverage folks want to change
a meter is slightly more than a yard, great for the carpet folks,
a kilo, slightly more than 2 pounds, etc.
In a world where a pound of coffee has been downsized to 11.5 oz, and one ice cream maker now sells 14oz "pints" does anyone doubt that we'd be 100% metric if the relative sizes were reversed?
Interesting thoughts about metric, pains me every day to still see us using the English system when most of the world doesn't....as I deal in int'l logistics and pounds are pretty much just US stuff in the freight world. Didn't really change pricing except for maybe fleecing dumb Amurricans that couldn't convert...
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Yeah, the short ice creams have been out for quite a while. I've only noticed the 1 gal. and half gal. downgrades, but they're practically industry wide, now.
Just a couple of weeks ago I noticed Tropicana is slinging 59oz "half gallons" of juice! You gotta watch those sneaky bastidges.
They don't call 'em half gallons of course, but you just kinda think they are when you see a carton that size.
Just a couple of weeks ago I noticed Tropicana is slinging 59oz "half gallons" of juice! You gotta watch those sneaky bastidges.
They don't call 'em half gallons of course, but you just kinda think they are when you see a carton that size.
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Oh, and of course there's an even greater abomination. Short pints of beer! Just say no.
https://honestpintproject.org/
https://honestpintproject.org/
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Oh, and of course there's an even greater abomination. Short pints of beer! Just say no.
https://honestpintproject.org/
https://honestpintproject.org/
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I believe the market came to view 700c as having a higher "cool" factor, because that was the size the racers used. It became slightly unfashionable to have 27" tires.
Since so many cyclists are gear-junkies, 700c wheels became part of an "essential components" group.
I have examples of both, and find more difference as a result of tire WIDTH than from the 8mm difference in diameter.
Since so many cyclists are gear-junkies, 700c wheels became part of an "essential components" group.
I have examples of both, and find more difference as a result of tire WIDTH than from the 8mm difference in diameter.
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You buy pounds of coffee that only weigh 11.5 oz? Francis, WTF? Haven't seen that 14oz pint, either (but ice cream isn't really about volume except from a marketing viewpoint...weigh your ice cream, the less overrun the better).
Interesting thoughts about metric, pains me every day to still see us using the English system when most of the world doesn't....as I deal in int'l logistics and pounds are pretty much just US stuff in the freight world. Didn't really change pricing except for maybe fleecing dumb Amurricans that couldn't convert...
Interesting thoughts about metric, pains me every day to still see us using the English system when most of the world doesn't....as I deal in int'l logistics and pounds are pretty much just US stuff in the freight world. Didn't really change pricing except for maybe fleecing dumb Amurricans that couldn't convert...
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Food for thought: if you aren't dead by 2050, you and your entire family will be within a few years from starvation. Now that is a cruel gift to leave for your offspring. ;)
https://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/arti...ger-photos.htm
Food for thought: if you aren't dead by 2050, you and your entire family will be within a few years from starvation. Now that is a cruel gift to leave for your offspring. ;)
https://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/arti...ger-photos.htm
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If you've noticed, 650B is entusiastically promoted in the USA by a few places (Pacenti, Rivendell, BQ) that own special 650B tire molds and retail/wholesale tires in that relatively rare size - NTTAWWT.
Interestly, Grant Petersen of Rivendell did propose creating a new tire/wheel size a few years ago: ISO603. I think some of the faithful organized an intervention.
Interestly, Grant Petersen of Rivendell did propose creating a new tire/wheel size a few years ago: ISO603. I think some of the faithful organized an intervention.
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If you've noticed, 650B is entusiastically promoted in the USA by a few places (Pacenti, Rivendell, BQ) that own special 650B tire molds and retail/wholesale tires in that relatively rare size - NTTAWWT.
Interestly, Grant Petersen of Rivendell did propose creating a new tire/wheel size a few years ago: ISO603. I think some of the faithful organized an intervention.
Interestly, Grant Petersen of Rivendell did propose creating a new tire/wheel size a few years ago: ISO603. I think some of the faithful organized an intervention.
glad it never materialized.
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Food for thought: if you aren't dead by 2050, you and your entire family will be within a few years from starvation. Now that is a cruel gift to leave for your offspring. ;)
https://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/arti...ger-photos.htm
Food for thought: if you aren't dead by 2050, you and your entire family will be within a few years from starvation. Now that is a cruel gift to leave for your offspring. ;)
https://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/arti...ger-photos.htm
#64
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Competition makes it difficult to raise prices, so manufacturers find it easier to lower size or quality, and hope no one notices, or cares enough to try another brand. It's interesting that the liquor industry was quick to adopt, but that's product shipped globally, though 750ml, is smaller than the old US standard of 4/5 quart.
BTW- I agree that lots of wheel size changes are introduced mainly to creating something for marketing to talk about, but the move to 700s wasn't an introduction of a new size, it was the elimination of an old redundant size. It isn't reasonable to support the diversity of product we enjoy in the bike world, duplicated in 2 standards only 1.3% different in diameter.
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An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
#65
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Does Ireland count as strange? On my tour earlier this month in western Ireland, riding a Bike Friday New World Tourist, I had tire problems and had a hard time finding an appropriate 406 tire. Plenty of BMX tires but not many that were narrow enough to fit without rubbing the chainstays. In fact I had to take a knife to some of the knobs.
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It was a bit of trickle down from the high end bikes. 27" was a USA standard, but better bikes from Europe were all 700c, which has the virtue of being the same diameter as a tubular (sewup) tire's rim.
So for top end bikes where builders wanted interchangeability between wired on and tubulars going 700c made sense. Also there was a larger market for high end 700c tires supporting a bigger selection. In the end, starting at the top, and working all the way down to the low end, we simply went with the flow.
There was also a benefit to the major USA OEMs like Trek who were now selling their Taiwan made bikes in Europe. Using the same size rims in both markets made too much sense to pass up.
Interestingly enough when I brought 2 bikes to Mexico, I was very confident that I'd have no problems getting 700c tires. Not so, they're still using our cast off 27" standard. (go figure)
So for top end bikes where builders wanted interchangeability between wired on and tubulars going 700c made sense. Also there was a larger market for high end 700c tires supporting a bigger selection. In the end, starting at the top, and working all the way down to the low end, we simply went with the flow.
There was also a benefit to the major USA OEMs like Trek who were now selling their Taiwan made bikes in Europe. Using the same size rims in both markets made too much sense to pass up.
Interestingly enough when I brought 2 bikes to Mexico, I was very confident that I'd have no problems getting 700c tires. Not so, they're still using our cast off 27" standard. (go figure)
OK, we have some pretty good answers for how 700c became popular, but explaining why 27" has almost completely gone extinct requires a little more.
The high end roadies wanted 700c because of the tubular/Euro bike connection, but the low end buyers didn't really care. Then MOUNTAIN BIKES became the standard low-end purchase and there essentially WERE no low end road bikes in the shops and no 27" wheels. The only people buying road bikes were the high end folks.
Then road biking became popular again and people started buying entry level road bikes and the makers saw no reason to spec 27" wheels.
The high end roadies wanted 700c because of the tubular/Euro bike connection, but the low end buyers didn't really care. Then MOUNTAIN BIKES became the standard low-end purchase and there essentially WERE no low end road bikes in the shops and no 27" wheels. The only people buying road bikes were the high end folks.
Then road biking became popular again and people started buying entry level road bikes and the makers saw no reason to spec 27" wheels.
As for Mexico still having 27" wheels, I don't know if this is still true, but it could also have a production side reasoning. Due to its cheap, yet highly trainable labor market, and convenient location near major raw supplies, Mexico has long been a bicycle producer. It was ramping up bicycle production when the US was ramping down. They could have been among the producers that bought the 27" production line equipment. So, old Chicago Schwinn production line stuff might still be alive and well in Matamoros. That Mexico is still a bicycle producer for their own market also means they don't have the producer motivation to change to 700c. And, on the demand side, their internal market is not as strong as that in the US. Their populace doesn't have the spending power to buy a fancy bike just 'cause they want to improve their tri-time at this fall's local tri-meet. Small high-end market, and like an earlier poster said - the low end demand doesn't care about wheel size.
As for why 27" happened in the first place (which is another excellent question!), didn't we get that size from the English bicycle imports? I need to go check what Sheldon has to say about that. Or there might be an old post in the rec.bicycles.misc archives.
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Yeah, the short ice creams have been out for quite a while. I've only noticed the 1 gal. and half gal. downgrades, but they're practically industry wide, now.
Just a couple of weeks ago I noticed Tropicana is slinging 59oz "half gallons" of juice! You gotta watch those sneaky bastidges.
They don't call 'em half gallons of course, but you just kinda think they are when you see a carton that size.
Just a couple of weeks ago I noticed Tropicana is slinging 59oz "half gallons" of juice! You gotta watch those sneaky bastidges.
They don't call 'em half gallons of course, but you just kinda think they are when you see a carton that size.
#69
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Because a 700c and 27" are both road tires and therefore, not that different, while a 26" is a MTB tire and usually knobbed. ;-)
Last edited by nycphotography; 08-31-10 at 02:55 PM.
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700c, ISO622, can also be 29'er, and this size has a tire selection from 19mm to 62mm wide.
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Food for thought: if you aren't dead by 2050, you and your entire family will be within a few years from starvation. Now that is a cruel gift to leave for your offspring. ;)
https://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/arti...ger-photos.htm
Food for thought: if you aren't dead by 2050, you and your entire family will be within a few years from starvation. Now that is a cruel gift to leave for your offspring. ;)
https://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/arti...ger-photos.htm
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I was burned recently by all these tire size differences. My daughters road bike tires were labelled 24" diameter. "easy" i figured, so I went down to walmart to buy a replacement 24" tire. Tried to mount it and it didnt fit - too small for the rim. I checked Sheldons site and found out that apparently there is a juvenile size wheel diameter that is 540 iso. However, the tires are marked 24". It so happens that this old french / juvenile size is the same rim that is used in some wheelchair applications. The "common" 24" walmart tire is 507 iso.
This bike / wheelset is only 3 years old (GMC brand sold on Amazon), but when it comes time to change the tires, Ill be surfing wheelchair sites for tires. I never new there was a juvenile size for road bikes. At least Ill be able to fit wheelchair tires. I think it would be impossible to find this tire anywhere else.
This bike / wheelset is only 3 years old (GMC brand sold on Amazon), but when it comes time to change the tires, Ill be surfing wheelchair sites for tires. I never new there was a juvenile size for road bikes. At least Ill be able to fit wheelchair tires. I think it would be impossible to find this tire anywhere else.
Last edited by tj90; 08-31-10 at 03:50 PM.
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there's actually 3 different 24" sizes.
507, 520 and 540.
507, 520 and 540.
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Food for thought: if you aren't dead by 2050, you and your entire family will be within a few years from starvation. Now that is a cruel gift to leave for your offspring. ;)
https://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/arti...ger-photos.htm
Food for thought: if you aren't dead by 2050, you and your entire family will be within a few years from starvation. Now that is a cruel gift to leave for your offspring. ;)
https://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/arti...ger-photos.htm
#73
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The 26"/559 tires I've bought in the last 2-3 years for a tandem and two recumbents have all been 'road' tires, more or less - most definitely not MTB tires.
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#74
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It's possible that you're asking the wrong question. It may not be about why 27" went away, but why it ever existed in the first place.
Europeans were riding on tires based on the 700c platforms for decades while Americans were mainly still riding 26x1.75 coaster brake bikes, and calling 3-speed 26 x 1-3/8" British bikes "English Racers" Of course there was always a small race and sport community but it was very small. Up until the mid sixties, there were also small numbers of French and Italian (700c) derailleur bikes coming in, but you'd only see them in certain markets.
I don't know if they created the size, or not, (I'd love to hear from some Brit old timers about the tire sizes of their Carltons, Dawes, and Raleigh Clubmans of the fifties and early sixties) but you didn't see 27" bikes in any numbers in the USA until the mid sixties when the folks at Schwinn, saw the growing niche and jumped in with 27" Schwinn Continentals. I remember touring in New England in the sixties on an Italian bike - 28x1-5/8 (700c) - and needing to carry lots of spare parts including tires, because parts for "dem skinny furrin bikes" weren't available except in the bigger cities.
Eventually, because of the strength of their dealer network, Schwinn legitimized derailleur bikes, and importers Americanized their bikes moving from 700c to 27" in the late sixties, where things stayed until the markets got more global, and it no longer made sense to support a USA only size.
There's no rational argument about quality, or better ride. It's simply a matter of globalization, and the economics of supporting 2 platforms vs. one, kinda like what happened to the Beta format in video.
E
Europeans were riding on tires based on the 700c platforms for decades while Americans were mainly still riding 26x1.75 coaster brake bikes, and calling 3-speed 26 x 1-3/8" British bikes "English Racers" Of course there was always a small race and sport community but it was very small. Up until the mid sixties, there were also small numbers of French and Italian (700c) derailleur bikes coming in, but you'd only see them in certain markets.
I don't know if they created the size, or not, (I'd love to hear from some Brit old timers about the tire sizes of their Carltons, Dawes, and Raleigh Clubmans of the fifties and early sixties) but you didn't see 27" bikes in any numbers in the USA until the mid sixties when the folks at Schwinn, saw the growing niche and jumped in with 27" Schwinn Continentals. I remember touring in New England in the sixties on an Italian bike - 28x1-5/8 (700c) - and needing to carry lots of spare parts including tires, because parts for "dem skinny furrin bikes" weren't available except in the bigger cities.
Eventually, because of the strength of their dealer network, Schwinn legitimized derailleur bikes, and importers Americanized their bikes moving from 700c to 27" in the late sixties, where things stayed until the markets got more global, and it no longer made sense to support a USA only size.
There's no rational argument about quality, or better ride. It's simply a matter of globalization, and the economics of supporting 2 platforms vs. one, kinda like what happened to the Beta format in video.
E
In the early fifties you could buy some English bikes with 27inch wheels although the 26 by 1 1/4 was the most popular and by 1956 - 57 the 27 inch wheel had replaced the 26 by 1 1/4 wheel as standard.
The British also used the 28 inch over sized rim and tyre which has a 635mm rim and is marked as being a 28 by 1 1/2 while the European and Canadian 28 inch is really a very wide and deep 622, which is the same rim size used on 29'r mountain bikes.
The modern Pashley Guvnor uses the 635 wheel and oversized tyre.
The now common 559 / 26 inch mtb rim and tyre was taken from Schwinn.
Smaller riders can have issues with larger wheel sizes as this can cause serious toe overlap so many very small race bikes are fitted with smaller 650c / 571 or high performance 26 / 559 wheels.