http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: The death of the 26" wheel en Wed, 13 May 2026 02:57:07 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-337275 Thu, 10 Sep 2020 18:38:32 +0000 AS 337275@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>26" (559) is largely considered to be obsolete for 'proper' mtbs etc - but so are (eg) 7 speed freewheels. Neither finds their way onto higher end bicycles, but remain in very common use.<br /> ..26" stuff will be around for a good bit yet, even if the only users are folk with commuter hybrids. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-337009 Sat, 05 Sep 2020 15:33:11 +0000 Cyclingmollie 337009@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@iwrats Good point. I kept a Fiat 127 on the road for years using parts from all the other 127s in the scrappy's in Kirkcaldy. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-337005 Sat, 05 Sep 2020 13:53:19 +0000 Arellcat 337005@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>My Surly disc trucker has 26" wheels (two frame sizes up and it's into 700cc) </em></p> <p>700cc? Ah, you must be thinking of the surly, motor trucker. Goes around in open shirt and flares and is the cousin of Long Distance Clara. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-336989 Sat, 05 Sep 2020 08:37:57 +0000 chdot 336989@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>For anyone worried about ‘endangered’ tyre sizes -</p> <p><a href="https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/tyres-17-369" rel="nofollow">https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/tyres-17-369</a></p> <p>(Rumour has it there may be a second choice coming.) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-336988 Sat, 05 Sep 2020 08:35:02 +0000 I were right about that saddle 336988@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@unhurt</p> <p>Buy the best 26" rims you can and a stash of spokes and hubs? Good rims will last forever barring crashes. And there will be second hand 26" wheels for the rest of our lives. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-336987 Sat, 05 Sep 2020 08:34:08 +0000 chdot 336987@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>You’ll ‘always’ be able to get 26” tyres. </p> <p>Less choice, but that might be a good thing... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-336985 Sat, 05 Sep 2020 08:23:17 +0000 wingpig 336985@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>If you're not having to rely on the rims being at a particular distance from the hub to be in the right place to act as a braking surface then you could still use the bike with smaller wheels if 26" become unavailable, as long as they're still big enough to keep the pedals off the ground at their lowest point. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-336978 Sat, 05 Sep 2020 00:25:03 +0000 unhurt 336978@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Don't stress me out like this. My Surly disc trucker has 26" wheels (two frame sizes up and it's into 700cc) and she should last pretty much forever (I hope). </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-336938 Thu, 03 Sep 2020 20:20:21 +0000 LaidBack 336938@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>29'ers rock as they say. Don't fit in ScotRail hanging bike storage on Highland Line IC trains though!</p> <p>26" wheels used on rear of most cargo bikes. Trying to get lightweight Mavic XC rims now tricky. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-336781 Tue, 01 Sep 2020 11:58:36 +0000 gembo 336781@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>that's cause you a roadie now bruv </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-336778 Tue, 01 Sep 2020 11:50:26 +0000 I were right about that saddle 336778@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I keep banging the pedals of Madame's 26er on the deck. Just too wee. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-336765 Tue, 01 Sep 2020 10:08:37 +0000 steveo 336765@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Having now owned a 29er for a few months I can see the advantages, it just rolls over stuff that my old 26" would have required manipulation to get over and when its upto speed it is faster/less effort. However it is enormous, probably too cumbersome for a fast ride at Glentress whilst my little mtb just snapped round stuff. </p> <p>I had a ride of a 650 ebike last year but the whole thing was so different I couldn't proffer an oppinion.</p> <p>Though I must admit to being tempted by some 27x3+ sized tyres for the pentlands in winter! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-336763 Tue, 01 Sep 2020 09:57:23 +0000 Arellcat 336763@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>I suspect that all it took was an outfit like Specialized's skunkworks to build a frame designed for a pair of 700c knobblies that they found on the internet. "Hey man, this bike is cool, we should build these!" And before you know it, 29 is the new 26, and inevitably marketed to kingdom come because now your competitor has got a new product that you don't. "Oh, but 29ers look…kinda dorky, we should make something in between."</em></p> <p><a href="http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16218#post-215432" rel="nofollow">http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16218#post-215432</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-336761 Tue, 01 Sep 2020 09:54:33 +0000 nobrakes 336761@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@IWRATS looks sweet. </p> <p>Glad the forks are still seeing use! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-336756 Tue, 01 Sep 2020 08:15:12 +0000 Cyclingmollie 336756@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@crowriver yes, the experience was a bit like that. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-336755 Tue, 01 Sep 2020 08:01:00 +0000 I were right about that saddle 336755@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>I place my faith in Schwalbe</em></p> <p>The CCE Profession of Faith.</p> <p>Also, @nobrakes, the rack retaining bracket on <a href="http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20312&amp;page=3#post-336735">this bike</a> is made from a strip of stainless off that MTB frame with the welded-in forks you gave me. Madame rides those forks to this day. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-336753 Tue, 01 Sep 2020 07:25:21 +0000 nobrakes 336753@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>3 of my 4 recumbents use some combination of 26 inch and 20 inch wheels. I place my faith in Schwalbe to keep me in tyres. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-336752 Tue, 01 Sep 2020 06:07:11 +0000 jss 336752@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Lots of recumbents ,trikes and velomobiles use 26 inch<br /> Schwalbe continues to have a good range including high end tubeless Pro ones in 26(presumably for the laid back market mainly)<br /> But annoyingly not most of their gravel tyres but I think all their Marathon range is available<br /> 26 inch also still dominant in third world -seems a lot of world tourers use 26 inch due to availability of tyres in far flung corners of the globe<br /> Sadly for bike shops , tyre are so much cheaper online and a much wider range<br /> SJS always good for weird sizes </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-336733 Mon, 31 Aug 2020 19:24:23 +0000 chdot 336733@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“Obsolete? No.<br /> Out of fashion? Quite possibly.“</p> <p>That sums it up quite well. </p> <p>Don’t forget, ironically, 650B really was ‘obsolete’ until relatively recently. </p> <p>Only found on retro French bikes (and a few modern imitators) plus niche American tourers.</p> <p><em>Very</em> limited selection of tyres (and rims). </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-336732 Mon, 31 Aug 2020 19:23:35 +0000 crowriver 336732@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Reminded me of this somehow:</p> <p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvswW6M7bMo" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvswW6M7bMo</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-336731 Mon, 31 Aug 2020 18:55:38 +0000 acsimpson 336731@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><blockquote>26" wheels are now only put on children's or beginners' bikes...the salesperson explained, they are obsolete</blockquote></p> <p>That doesn't seem like a sustainable business model. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-336727 Mon, 31 Aug 2020 18:25:16 +0000 crowriver 336727@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Obsolete? No.<br /> Out of fashion? Quite possibly. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-336726 Mon, 31 Aug 2020 18:06:08 +0000 steveo 336726@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Decathlon usually have decent stock of 26" tyres. I don't think they're going anywhere but I suspect getting high end ones are going to be uncommon. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-336721 Mon, 31 Aug 2020 17:52:40 +0000 gembo 336721@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>You know me so old school I am back in fashion though this post is not sticking, rather going in a slowdown you move to fast loop </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-336717 Mon, 31 Aug 2020 17:46:21 +0000 chdot 336717@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>You stick to 27 x 1 1/4 </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-336716 Mon, 31 Aug 2020 17:39:29 +0000 gembo 336716@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I never liked them </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-336715 Mon, 31 Aug 2020 17:15:35 +0000 chdot 336715@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“obsolete and tyres won't be available for them five years from now”</p> <p>I guarantee that’s not true, though likely less choice. </p> <p>Schwalbe still lists 135 26” (including wheelchair ones)!! </p> <p><a href="https://www.schwalbe.com/en/reifensuche" rel="nofollow">https://www.schwalbe.com/en/reifensuche</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-336713 Mon, 31 Aug 2020 17:06:09 +0000 Murun Buchstansangur 336713@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm sure you'll be able to both tyres and wheels for years to come, in fact probably indefinitely. Probably not from your local (or indeed non-local) physical bike shop though. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-336709 Mon, 31 Aug 2020 16:09:22 +0000 amir 336709@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The cycling industry is nuts sometimes.</p> <p>I have 26 inch wheels on my toure (as well as my aged snow bike). I had thought that 26inch wheels were good for touring because of the ease of replacing parts due to the ubiquity of 26 inch wheels. Plus that they are stronger than larger wheels. But .... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=20335#post-336708 Mon, 31 Aug 2020 16:03:17 +0000 Cyclingmollie 336708@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The bike shop in St Andrews had no 26" tyres in stock. I assumed this was a supply issue caused by the lockdown. However I was told by the bike shop person at Dobbies that 26" wheels are now only put on children's or beginners' bikes. They had none and hadn't sold a 26" bike for over five years. So I tried the Bike Co-op today and got one. They hadn't many. Yes, the salesperson explained, they are obsolete and tyres won't be available for them five years from now. </p> <p>Is my ten year old bike obsolete, along with millions of others? Or am I missing something? Has anyone questioned the sustainability of this within the industry? Am I a Luddite fool for keeping a bike more than three years? </p>