Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Electric Bikes
Reload this Page >

Why are 27.5in wheels popular for e-bikes?

Notices
Electric Bikes Here's a place to discuss ebikes, from home grown to high-tech.
 Magic Cycle

Why are 27.5in wheels popular for e-bikes?

Old 11-14-22, 01:19 PM
  #1  
Fandomii
Newbie
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 46
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 19 Post(s)
Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts
Why are 27.5in wheels popular for e-bikes?

Hey all, I keep seeing 27.5in (650b) wheels on most high end e-bikes I’m looking at.

Are smaller wheels better for commuting than larger 29 (700c) ones?
Fandomii is offline  
Old 11-14-22, 02:21 PM
  #2  
LeeG
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 5,092
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 112 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 48 Times in 39 Posts
It’s fashion. Doesn’t mean anything on the ground. 20” to 29” all work depending on intended use.
LeeG is offline  
Old 11-14-22, 02:25 PM
  #3  
tyrion
Senior Member
 
tyrion's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: San Diego, California
Posts: 3,890

Bikes: Velo Orange Piolet

Mentioned: 27 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2111 Post(s)
Liked 1,753 Times in 854 Posts
Commuter e-bikes tend towards fatter tires, and those fatter tires in 700c might cause toe overlap problems in smaller frame sizes.

IMO the ideal solution would be 26" rims for small sizes, 650b for medium sizes, and 700c for large sizes, but it's less expensive to just go with the medium size rim for all frame sizes.
tyrion is offline  
Likes For tyrion:
Old 11-14-22, 03:03 PM
  #4  
veganbikes
Clark W. Griswold
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: ,location, location
Posts: 11,470

Bikes: Foundry Chilkoot Ti W/Ultegra Di2, Salsa Timberjack Ti, Cinelli Mash Work RandoCross Fun Time Machine, 1x9 XT Parts Hybrid, Co-Motion Cascadia, Specialized Langster, Phil Wood Apple VeloXS Frame (w/DA 7400), R+M Supercharger2 Rohloff, Habanero Ti 26

Mentioned: 48 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3555 Post(s)
Liked 2,883 Times in 1,929 Posts
There is a currently some good 650B tires out there and it is a popular size again.It is what it is in the end. I like the idea of a slightly smaller tire and being able to run something wider but if you build the frame around the smaller tire then it doesn't really matter.

tyrion Riese and Müller does that for their Nevo which is their step through bike, they have a smaller size that uses 26" wheels and it is a nice option for shorter riders or folks needing an easier entry bike.
veganbikes is offline  
Likes For veganbikes:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -

Copyright © 2023 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.