Input from those that ride or have ridden both 650c and 700 wheels

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2006-06-13 7:15 AM

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Subject: Input from those that ride or have ridden both 650c and 700 wheels
Ok so I am 5'5" with a 29.5" inseam, thus putting me on a 50cm frame. Last year I rode a 700c road bike with great success. This year I have been riding a 650c tri bike with disappointing results. It could be me, my training, not used to a higher cadence, and so on, or 700c wheels could just be better for me. What I am looking for is what other people have experienced going between these two wheels. I know it has been asked before and I search and read those posts, just looking for additional input.

2006-06-13 7:23 AM
in reply to: #452279

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Subject: RE: Input from those that ride or have ridden both 650c and 700 wheels

Other than faster acceleration due to lower rotational mass on the 650s, I'm not sure why you would get different, much less "disappointing results" from 700c wheels. Do you have appropriate gearing? Maybe calculate and compare the gear ratios on this set-up versus those on your 700c bike?

 



Edited by the bear 2006-06-13 7:25 AM
2006-06-13 7:55 AM
in reply to: #452279

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Subject: RE: Input from those that ride or have ridden both 650c and 700 wheels
I am almost 6' 1'' and I ride on 650cc wheels on a 56-57cm custom carbon bike. My racing bike is over 10 years old and at that time everyone was on 650cc. Now it is generally recommended for bikes 54cm and less. I personally love them, and they certainly are faster, but at my size I probably should not ride them, geometry gets hinky. On a 50cm bike, 650cc will be faster. If you results are suffering look for other reasons - fitness, fit, gearing, etc.
2006-06-13 8:10 AM
in reply to: #452279

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Subject: RE: Input from those that ride or have ridden both 650c and 700 wheels
I think I am stuck at a certain cadence and need to train differently. I trained to a 75-85cadence on the 700's and still run that on the 650's. I think I need to adjust my cadence to 85-95 and maybe change out my gearings. Hopefully I am just suffering from muscle memory and too many cookouts!
2006-06-13 8:25 AM
in reply to: #452327

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Subject: RE: Input from those that ride or have ridden both 650c and 700 wheels
Your wheels have absolutely nothing to do with your cadence. The only possible corrolary is that you're trying to do the same sections of road in the same gear that you used to ride when you were on 700's. If that was the case, there are a couple of possibilities:

- you pedal a higher cadence, use the same power, and go the same speed
- you pedal the same cadence, use less power (it feels easier), and you go slower
- you pedal a lower cadence, use MUCH less power, and you go even slower

One more time: your wheel size has nothing to do with what cadence you should be riding.
2006-06-13 8:39 AM
in reply to: #452279

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Subject: RE: Input from those that ride or have ridden both 650c and 700 wheels
Thanks, I like what I am hearing.

Sounds like it is things that I can fix without spending $ (ie position, training). I did notice a significant change in how my legs felt when I moved from 73degrees to 78degrees. Yesterday I rebuilt the road bike to the triform I had last year and started to measure cockpit length and all and there was a large dif. I think I will host my own timetrials and play with the geometry I am using as well as get MORE TRAINING in!

2006-06-13 9:14 AM
in reply to: #452279

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Champion
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Subject: RE: Input from those that ride or have ridden both 650c and 700 wheels
My guess is one of two things (if not both):

* As Dennis suggested, you're trying to use the same gear with a smaller wheel, resulting in a higher cadence, which you stated you're not used to, which is resulting in you not being able to sustain the same speed in the same gear.

* The bike puts you in a position you're not used to, and may not be able to generate as much power from.
2006-06-13 9:54 AM
in reply to: #452426

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Subject: RE: Input from those that ride or have ridden both 650c and 700 wheels

I'm 6'1" and have a road bike with 700's and a tri bike with 650's, at this point both bikes are pretty much equal, except that the tri bike is about 4-5 lbs lighter.  I did have issues with the 650's until I changed out some of the gears, it originally was from a southern fellow who rode flat stuff, in order to make the hills around here I had to adjust them.

As said before, check the gear rations on both bikes and see if they're far off.  In addition you might want to check the fit on the bikes to ensure that you're comfortable on both.

Chris.

2006-06-13 12:17 PM
in reply to: #452279

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Subject: RE: Input from those that ride or have ridden both 650c and 700 wheels
It seems as if you have already received the answer you wanted, but I ride both. My winter bike has 700c wheels and my summer bike has 650c wheels. I don't know if I am faster on either bike because of the wheel size. I'm faster on the summer bike becasue it fits me better and is lighter, but not because of the wheel size. Unless you include the wheel size in the fit.

Anyway as others have said, I can maintain the same speed at the same cadence on each bike, but just with different gearing on each.

Jen
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