Small Frame Bike With 700c Looks Funny
700C and 650B have established themselves as the two gravel bike wheel sizes to cull from. What exactly are the differences and which size is right for you? Our article addresses wheel size myths, prejudices and the advantages and disadvantages of both.
Before taking a closer wait at the advantages and disadvantages of 700C and 650B wheels, we should clarify the diverse terms and standards. In the past, with the growth and the accompanying professionalisation of cycling, many countries defined their own wheel size standards. As is so often the case, today the event is a confusing mess of various size and type designations, some of which accept been adopted without question despite the continuous evolution of the sport. It'south not surprising that we're nevertheless relying on completely outdated standards that take little to do with electric current reality, leaving the unsuspecting cyclist struggling to make sense of it all.
In contrast to a mountain bike with thousands of settings and adjustments, everything on a gravel bike comes down to the right tire option and the differences between options tin exist extreme! Ultimately, in this article we're not discussing the differences betwixt wheel sizes just the differences betwixt wheel-tire combinations, that'due south to say a comparison of the common 700 10 40C and 650 x 47B gravel configurations.
Tire measurement systems explained
Let's start with the classic system of measurement which refers to the tire's outer diameter. This is where the confusion starts: the most commonly used French system consists of a metric number and a letter, such equally 700C. The number, in this case 700, indicates the tire'southward outer bore in millimetres and the letter represents the nominal rim bore. In this case, the nominal rim diameter refers to the bead seat, where the tire sits on the rim. As well 700C from the route bike sector, 650B is the most common bicycle bicycle size – no incertitude very familiar to mountain bikers and gravel fans. To specify the tire width, another two-digit number tin can be specified in front of the letter, giving you all the important parameters. Every bit such, a 700 x 25C tire should have a width of 25 mm when fitted and inflated. Along with the French standard explained above, the other common standard relies on inches. For example, a 28 x ane.4″ tire has an outer tire bore of 28″, nearly 711 mm, and a width of one.4″, which corresponds to just under 36 mm.
In contrast to a mountain cycle with thousands of settings and adjustments, everything on a gravel wheel comes down to the right tire option and the differences between options can be extreme! Ultimately, in this article nosotros're not discussing the differences between wheel sizes simply the differences between bicycle-tire combinations, that's to say a comparison of the common 700 x 40C and 650 x 47B gravel configurations. Strictly speaking, the 700C and 650B size designations are technically incorrect, though we'll explicate why in further detail below. In the concurrently, we will go on using, similar the rest of the industry, throughout this commodity!
A lack of agreements between tire and rim manufacturers has meant that the outer rim diameter and the width of the rim base of operations accept never really been standardised. At some signal, we started seeing 700 x 25C tires that measured only 24 or even 23 mm wide when inflated on the rim. To put a end to this and to introduce an upwards-to-appointment organisation, the industry introduced the ETRTO* annotation standard. It contains two pieces of information about the tire width and the inner diameter of the tire, the latter being identical to the nominal rim diameter. Contrary to pop conventionalities, the nominal rim bore isn't the outer rim bore, but the diameter of the dewdrop seat on which the tire sits. Therefore, a tire with a size of 45-622 is 45 mm broad and has an inner bore of 622 mm, which corresponds to 700 x 45C in the French system. Since the "700" refers to the outer bore of the tire, every bit we learned higher up, it becomes articulate why this designation is technically wrong. Considering the immense differences in tire volume, a tire with a width of 25 mm (i.due east., 700 x 25C) will never have the aforementioned outer diameter as a tire with a width of 45 mm (i.e., 700 x 45C). The actual difference between these 2 bike-tire combinations is a whopping 29 mm, though this likewise depends on the specific rim and tire used.
*European Tyre and Rim Technical System
Similarly, a tire specified as 50-584 in the ETRTO system is equivalent to 650 x 50B in the French arrangement. To add to the complications, tire manufacturers even so haven't agreed on how to reconcile these dissimilar systems. While Schwalbe traditionally assign forty-622 to 700 x 38C, Pirelli stick to 700 x 40C. As you tin encounter, the manufacture is yet to find a solution.
You tin can spend a lot of money on lighter or stiffer components to melody your gravel bike. However, if you've got the wrong tires, it's a wasted effort and you're bound to exist disappointed with the consequence. Ultimately, the bike and rider are connected to the ground by ii patches of rubber about the size of a 10 cent coin and the importance of this should never be underestimated. Every bit such, we would exist remiss if we didn't wholeheartedly recommend reading our current gravel tire group test.
Rim and tire widths in detail
ETRTO have created a table that relates a given inner rim width to the recommended tire size for information technology.
| Inner rim width [mm] | tire width recommended by ETRTO [mm] |
|---|---|
| 13 | 18–25 |
| fifteen | 23–32 |
| 17 | 25–l |
| 19 | 28–57 |
| 21 | 35–62 |
| 23 | 37–64 |
| 25 | 44–64 |
| 27 | 47–64 |
| 29 | 54–64 |
Admittedly, ETRTO recommendations are relatively conservative. For example, in the 700C route world, several manufacturers now offer rims with an internal width of 23–25 mm intended to exist used with 28–32C tires. Nonetheless, the table provides a useful guide, but information technology's also important to notation that mounting the same size tire on rims with different internal widths will also affect the "real-world" tire size. For example, co-ordinate to ETRTO, you can mount a 57 mm broad tire on whatever choice of rim with internal widths ranging from 19 to 29 mm. As a rule of thumb, every iii mm of additional rim width translates to 1 mm of additional tire width, meaning that the same tire will measure differently wide depending on what rim you put it on. In add-on, different tire constructions permit the tire to aggrandize more or less with increasing air pressure. As such, the tire volume tin vary depending on the model, even if the specified size is the aforementioned. Depending on the rim, you may or may not be able to fit a tire on your bike fifty-fifty if the claimed tire size is within the tire clearance specified past the frame manufacturer. Regarding tire clearance, information technology should also be noted that your wheels twist and deform when braking, accelerating and cornering, which can be very useful for cornering traction and comfort. Nonetheless, if you have minimal clearance between your tires and frame when the wheel is stationary, the tires will almost certainly rub against and potentially impairment your frame while riding.
As yous may have noticed, it doesn't make sense to compare just 700C and 650B wheels. The consequence wouldn't mean much without also taking width into account an equally as important parameter. That's why we will compare the ii most common wheel and tire combinations: 700 x 40C and 650 x 47B, looking at the advantages and disadvantages of each and which is best suited to which type of rider. For this article, we'll be comparing a 650 x 47B MAXXIS Receptor on an Acros gravel carbon wheelset with a 700 10 40C MAXXIS Receptor on an Acros allroad disc carbon wheelset. Equally you can see below, the difference in the outer bore of the tires is 30 mm. A pressure increase of i bar, or approximately fifteen psi, increases the width by 0.v to 1.0 mm, depending on the tire.
| Bicycle size | 700C | 650B |
|---|---|---|
| Wheelset | Acros allroad-disc-carbon-laufradsatz | Acros gravel-carbon-laufradsatz |
| Inner rim width | 21 mm | 24 mm |
| Wheelset weight | 1,352 g | 1,443 thousand |
| Tires | MAXXIS Receptor 700 ten 40C | MAXXIS Receptor 650 ten 47B |
| Rim diameter | 622 mm | 584 mm |
| Puter tire diameter | 708 mm | 678 mm |
| tire width at 3 bar or 44 psi | 42 mm | 48 mm |
| tire width at 2 bar or 29 psi | 41.five mm | 47 mm |
| tire width at 1 bar or xv psi | 41 mm | 46 mm |
700C – A false declaration?
With a few exceptions, 700C has long established itself as the standard size for road, gravel and cyclocross bikes. As a result, a 700C wheelset is more likely to exist uniform with the other road or drop-bar bikes you might have in the basement, allowing you lot to bandy out wheelsets. For our wheel size comparison, we mounted a prepare of 700 x 40C MAXXIS Receptors on Acros' allroad disc carbon wheelset. The rims have an internal width of 21 mm, which is representative of modern gravel rims. Upon measuring the wheels, it soon became apparent that the only 700 we would find would exist printed on the tire sidewall. With a bore of 708 mm, the tire is a whole lot larger, and that is by no means due to this specific combination. All the gravel bicycle wheels in our editorial office have diameters over the specified 700 mm. You will rarely find a 700C wheel with an outer bore of 700 mm. The only consequent value across the board is 622 mm, which is the inner diameter of the tire (aka nominal rim diameter) specified by ETRTO.
650B – On the rise
Together with large 29ers, 650B has mixed up the mountain wheel scene in recent years, pushing the longstanding 26″ standard to the fringes. But 650B wheels didn't cease there, also taking concur in the earth of drop bars and increasingly featuring on the latest gravel bikes. The most hit aspect is the width of the tires: y'all will rarely find models that are narrower than 650 x 45B, typically ranging from 47 to fifty mm. As such, information technology doesn't come up as a surprise so that the 650B wheelset from Acros, their gravel-specific carbon wheelset, has an internal width of 24 mm to provide sufficient support for the wider tires. To continue the atmospheric condition similar and produce repeatable results, we fitted the same MAXXIS tire model hither, though a 47 mm model. When you lot await at the measured outer diameter of 678 mm, you can come across that the deviation from nominal size (650 mm) is even more than pronounced than with the large 700C version. Here too, the only size that you tin can rely on with every 650B tire is the inner bore of 584 mm. That left the states request, how big is the divergence between these two wheel combinations really? Detect out below.
700C vs 650B – How much does it affect frame geometry?
Using the system based on inches, the difference in diameter betwixt 700C/28" and 650B/27.5" is just 0.v", which is equivalent to 12.7 mm. In reality, the difference between the 650 x 47B and 700 x 40C bike and tire philharmonic used for our comparing is xxx mm in diameter and 95 mm in circumference. In other words, the 40C tire will roll 95 mm further than the 47B tire to complete one full rotation, not considering external factors and different tire pressures. That'south not actually a huge divergence, which just seems all the smaller when y'all consider the bore or radius and the variation in where the bike-tire system sits betwixt the seat- and chainstays. Then how come you're able to fit 650B wheels and tires in the aforementioned frame if they're that much wider? You'll find the answer by taking a closer wait at the chainstays. On near bikes, they spread as they move away from the lesser bracket and are therefore able to adapt a significantly wider tire simply 15 mm further towards the axle, the difference in radius between our 2 tires.
Of form, a smaller bore wheelset also impacts the bicycle's geometry. If the diameter differs past thirty mm, the same bike is 15 mm lower to the ground with the 650B wheelset than with the 700C wheelset. With a smaller radius, the axles are lower. This doesn't have into account the fact that wide 650B tires can exist run at a lower pressure level than their skinny 700C counterparts, which means they deform more, dropping the cycle even farther – approximately ii mm according to our measurements. One advantage of a lower bike is a lower centre of gravity, which has a positive effect on handling through corners. However, if you spend a lot of time off-road, you're much more likely to clip your pedals on the ground or get them caught on obstacles when riding with 650B wheels. Corners that you lot tin can pedal through with 700C wheels will run into you hitting the ground with a 650B setup. That said, gravel riding is about and then much more than riding crude mountain bike trails at the limit on a drib bar bike and a lack of ground clearance is unlikely to be a mutual complaint for about of us. Gravel riders spend most of their time on gravel, forest and meadow paths, as well equally paved roads. The 650 x 47B concept can offering many advantages, as we volition hash out in more detail below.
Other important considerations when it comes to geometry are the fork get-go and trail. The fork offset describes the perpendicular altitude between the front cycle beam and the steering axis. The steering axis is the imaginary line that runs through the middle of your head tube. The trail value indicates the horizontal distance betwixt the point where the tire contacts the ground and the steering axis intersects. The greater the offset, the shorter the trail, and conversely, the longer the trail, the shorter the offset. For the purposes of this commodity and to understand both bike concepts, information technology is important to notation that cycle size also influences the trail. The larger the wheel and the higher the front bicycle axle, the larger the trail. As such, switching from 700C to 650B wheels results in a shorter trail. Shorter trail makes the bike's handling more agile and playful, which can also exist interpreted as nervous and difficult to control when pushed to the extreme. A longer trail leads to increased composure and stability, or, in extreme cases, sluggish steering.
What are the pros and cons of wide tires?
Our examination configuration with MAXXIS Receptor tires is an authentic representation of the current gravel tire tendency: a narrow 700 10 40C tire is shrunk to 650B and increased in width from forty to 47 mm. This not only results in a wider tire simply too in higher volume. It isn't surprising that the 650B tire weighs almost 60 thou more than than its big brother, requiring more condom to comprehend the bigger surface area. We've illustrated the differences between each of the cycle and tire combos in the post-obit table:
| 700 x 40C | 650 ten 47B | |
|---|---|---|
| Tire weight | Lower 412 1000 – tire outer bore only iv.4% larger | Higher 471 g – tire is 17.v% wider and more material is used |
| Tire force per unit area | Higher to avoid punctures | Lower for more condolement and traction, punctures are less likely because of the tire's increased "travel" |
| Tire profile | Lower requires a higher tire pressure to avoid punctures, resulting in less condolement and control | Taller with more "travel" letting the tire deform around obstacles resulting in more comfort, traction and stupor absorption |
| Puncture protection | Less more likely to hit the rim | More less run a risk due to college book and more "travel" |
| Contact patch | Smaller tire is significantly narrower and the contact patch is but marginally longer | Bigger therefore, more than traction and meliorate braking performance |
| Rolling resistance | Less …on compacted surfaces equally the tire deforms less due to the higher pressure level | Less …on rough surfaces as it deforms to roll "through" rather than over obstacles |
You might be wondering why we didn't include a row for vibration damping. Here, bicycle size and tire width are less important than the casing of the tire, which should be stable and well-damped so that it absorbs small vibrations and bumps instead of bouncing over them. If you lot're currently looking for a new gravel tire for your wheel, nosotros strongly recommend reading our gravel tire grouping exam.
With that introduction, we've laid the foundations to delve deeper into the subject and go on with our bike size comparing. Beneath, nosotros will talk over the nearly prevalent gravel tire hypotheses, abnegate myths and have a closer look at existing prejudices.
Hypothesis: 650B tires can accelerate faster and are more agile when sprinting
650B wheels are smaller in diameter than 700C wheels with an inner tire diameter exactly 38 mm less (622 mm vs 584 mm, encounter table above). Common sense or rudimentary physics tells united states of america that information technology is easier to advance a very small wheel than a very large one, so this hypothesis should agree true. Delve a petty deeper into the globe of physics and the laws of nature, and you will quickly come up across the moment of inertia concept. The inertia of the larger 700C cycle and tire must exist higher because the tire and rim are further abroad from the axle and also weigh more. Only what is the reality? Are 700C wheels really that much harder to bring upward to speed?
As you saw in the tables in a higher place, the 650B wheel and tire philharmonic is by no means lighter than its 700C counterpart. Due to the wider tires, the rim also has to be wider to support the tire. This not only results in a heavier tire, only also a insufficiently heavier rim and can consequence in a heavier bike overall. The weight saving due to the shorter spokes is negligible. Certain, a 650B wheel with an identical hub, identical spokes and identical rim and tire width would be lighter compared to the 700C model but this wouldn't give you much of a existent-globe advantage, rendering it pointless. In improver, the 650B tire isn't only wider but too taller. This farther reduces the difference between the two diameters, decreasing the difference in inertia betwixt the 2 wheel setups. Giving this hypothesis the terminal knockout blow, the more voluminous 650B tire requires more than sealant for the aforementioned level of puncture protection, which adds more weight still and farther reduces the deviation betwixt the respective rotating masses.
When you consider all of the above factors, it'south non surprising that we've never found a 650B wheel to accelerate faster in our existent-world tests. Ultimately, the difference is marginal and who can claim with any seriousness that they're able to feel a one.04168113% difference? Depending on where you ride with either of the wheelsets, the amount of mud stuck to your tires will exist more pregnant, with the deviation in acceleration between 700 ten 40C and 650 x 47B negligible.
However, 650B is at a large reward when you lot require maximum grip and traction, which may indeed aid you lot advance quicker. Due to the design, 650B tires require less pressure, which, in combination with their increased width, gives them a larger contact patch. The larger the contact patch, the more than traction the tire can generate and the amend the power manual on rough, damp or otherwise challenging terrain.
Hypothesis: a large 700C tire rolls over obstacles more than hands and is therefore the better tire for off-road utilize
In the earth of mountain bikes, 29″ wheels have dominated the market while 26″ wheels have largely vanished from the scene. That tin't be a coincidence, tin can it? The big wheels are claimed to roll over small obstacles such as rocks and roots more hands and lose less momentum in the process. When a bicycle meets an obstruction, it forms a virtual ramp. Yous tin picture it equally a triangle, the three sides of which are formed past drawing lines betwixt the top of the obstruction where it meets the tire, the contact point of the wheel on the footing and the bottom of the obstacle. To get over the obstruction, the wheel has to motility upwardly and over the obstruction at the angle between the contact patch and the summit of the obstacle. The steeper this bending, the more than difficult information technology is for the wheel to ringlet over it. A larger wheel moves the contact patch on the footing away from the obstruction, reducing the angle and thus making it easier for the wheel to get over. Even if a 28″ (700C) wheel only increases this altitude by a few millimetres compared to a 27.5″ (650B) wheel, depending on the height of the obstacle, this makes a meaning difference when multiplied by thousands of little obstacles, resulting in less rolling resistance and less exhaustion. The higher axle of a 700C wheel also ensures that the rider and the bicycle'due south middle of gravity are lower relative to the axles compared to a bike with 650B wheels, which stabilises handling.
That's the physics simply what are the differences in reality, when you've all of a sudden got a whole lot of other factors to have into consideration? We're non using solid prophylactic tires and, instead, they're able to deform to offer a form of pause. A larger 700C tire has less volume, so information technology doesn't have as much "travel" as a higher volume 650B tire, which is why it requires a college pressure to avoid damaging the rim or tire. While a 700C tire smacks into an obstacle, the 650B tire is better able to deform around it and conserve frontward momentum. The rougher the surface, the more important the tire'due south width and book. As such, it is vital to consider the type of terrain you lot'll be riding on to work out which wheel and tire size is the best choice for you. To claim that 700C tires generally curlicue faster is fake! On a perfectly polish surface, the following applies: the higher the tire pressure, the less deformation and thus lower rolling resistance. Just if you by and large ride off-road, 650B wheels and tires might exist the all-time alternative for you lot. The industry has come up to the realisation that smoother is faster, and a wider, lower force per unit area tire is better able to absorb vibrations and thus keep the rider relaxed and fresh for longer. The 650 x 47B system offers more "travel" and therefore more comfort. And when riding off-road, the lower the tire pressure level, the lower the rolling resistance. This applies to gravel roads as well every bit loamy forest floors and meadows. Why is that? As mentioned in a higher place, a tire with less pressure is better at conforming to the terrain. It floats over obstacles and doesn't sink into soft ground, thereby creating less resistance for the bicycle and rider compared to a difficult tire that gets slowed downwards by having to movement over and around obstacles. The best balance between rolling resistance and condolement depends on your preferences and you'll have to figure it out for yourself.
Hypothesis: 650B wheels with wider and more voluminous tires are the aforementioned size as 700C wheels
A big advantage of 650B wheels compared to 700C wheels is that yous can fit wider tires in the same frame. Yet, a mutual claim is that high-volume 650B tires have the same outer diameter every bit 700C tires, negating any problems regarding the height of the bottom bracket and ground clearance. While a wider, college book tire is taller, you lot can't necessarily equate the 38 mm height difference in nominal rim diameter (622 vs 584 mm) with the outer diameter of the tire, every bit this depends heavily on its volume. On newspaper, a 700 ten 23C tire has the same outer diameter as a 650 10 42B model and 700 ten 28C has the same diameter every bit 650 x 48B but this compares a 700C road tire to a 650B gravel tire. Compare a 700 10 40C and 650 x 47B setup and the former is larger. In addition, the latter, wider tire normally gets ridden at a lower pressure and therefore has more sag* than its skinnier counterpart, pregnant it gets compressed more than when you lot sit on it, too reducing its constructive height by a few millimetres.
When deciding between different bike sizes and their respective pros and cons, in that location are other factors to consider. A higher-volume 650B tire will be more comfy on bumpy terrain. However, a softer tire will too deform and squirm more hands when riding through a corner, which can result in vague and undefined handling, an absolute no-go for competitive riders who need precision. As a result, wide tires may not be the best option for your gravel race bike. A skilful instance here is the Fern Chuck Explorer (read review hither). The bike's big and wide tires are super comfy just they squirm when cornering difficult, leaving the rider with mixed feelings.
*Sag is typically used to refer to the amount of travel used as the weight of the bike and passenger compresses the suspension when stationary.
In the by, pocket-sized riders could be left frustrated considering the geometry of the smallest gravel bikes didn't work or the proportions of the frame and wheels looked incorrect. Several manufacturers have recognised the requirements of smaller riders and now equip their smallest frame sizes with 650B wheels, ane example of which is the Canyon Grail (read review here). In this case, doing so is not about fitting wider tires for more comfort, merely keeping the same as on bigger-wheeled sizes. Every bit such, the 650B tires have to take the same volume as the 700C models for the standover peak to decrease.
At that place are no applied advantages to smaller diameter 650B wheels per se, only big advantages to be gained from wider tires! Whether yous're a weekend warrior, adventurer, leisure rider or commuter, everyone benefits from sufficiently wide tires. For usa, the sweet spot of comfort, precision and handling on varying terrain is in the range from 700 ten 42C to 700 ten 45C. We don't have to win medals to earn a living. Instead, nosotros use gravel bikes as vehicles to escape everyday life and have fun! At that place is a wide range of tires to cull from betwixt 42 and 45C and modern gravel wheel frames offer big enough clearances to accommodate them. All the same, you have to make sure that your rims are besides wide enough to back up them properly. We recommend an internal width of 24 mm or more than to adequately back up 45C tires, thus creating more of a U shape than an O shape. Many older gravel frames offer limited clearances with a maximum tire size of 700 x 40C or less. Hither, 650B wheels will allow y'all to enjoy the advantages of wider tires despite this, the frames oft all-around models equally big as 650 10 45B or even 650 10 47B.
The right wheel size for the intended use
Choosing the best wheel size ultimately depends on the intended use of your gravel bicycle – there are advantages and disadvantages to each size. As you may have noticed, in that location is no definitive answer once you lot await at all the details. With all the factors taken into business relationship, it's simply too complex to give a clear-cut reply. Individual preferences differ and the intended uses are often worlds apart. To give yous a rough guideline, nosotros've compiled our suggestions below, detailing which choice is most suitable for which use. We divided them according to the types of gravel that we divers in our large gravel wheel buyers' guide.
Looking for speed or a spot on the podium:
Is speed everything to yous and you don't shy away from long passages on smooth asphalt? In that case, 700C wheels are the merely option, offering minimal rolling resistance on perfect, compacted surfaces. Even so, nosotros wouldn't recommend skinny tires, since, as we learned above, wide tires tin can also be fast.
Flow trails – riding mountain bike trails on your gravel wheel:
650B is the wheel size for you. High-book 650B tires offer condolement and traction likewise every bit active handling, making them perfect for rough terrain.
Bikepacking, commuting or all-round gravel riding:
If your cycle volition accommodate them, wide 700 x 42C tires are the perfect platform for you. They offering a good balance between comfort, handling and speed, maximising fun.
Our determination on the differences betwixt 700C and 650B
Ultimately, it's non nearly wheel size but well-nigh the difference in volume between wheel and tire combinations. 700 x 42C to 45C are a good standard for the boilerplate passenger, offering the best compromise between comfort, handling and speed. If these don't fit your gravel bike, 650B wheels should permit you to enjoy the advantages of high-book tires. Small riders will also find happiness with the smaller frame sizes enabled by 650B wheels of the same volume as their 700C counterparts.
More than informationen about ACROS' wheelsets and components: acros-components.com.
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Words: Philipp Schwab Photos: Benjamin Topf
Source: https://granfondo-cycling.com/650b-vs-700c/
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