Which wheels ??

[voogan]

I realise this has probably been asked a million times however here goes.
I'm interested in a frame listed for sale that is set up for 700cc wheels. Would this be ok for touring in Australia
or should i look for something set up for 26"
Many thanks
Vaughn

[Cheesewheel]

I realise this has probably been asked a million times however here goes.
I'm interested in a frame listed for sale that is set up for 700cc wheels. Would this be ok for touring in Australia
or should i look for something set up for 26"
Many thanks
Vaughn

The only thing I can think of that matters is if you are planning on mouting very large pannier bags on your front rack (700 wheels will give slightly more clearance) . Spare parts etc are easily available for both types of wheels

I custom built a tourer with 26 wheels and spent quite a bit of time going through various web sites that talked about the physics and pros and cons and I believe the ultimate answer is - "It doesn't really matter"

If you are looking at wheel size I think its more important to consider them in relation to gear ratios and tyre types ... which are answered by looking at the questions of where you are planning on cycling.

In general :

West, North, South west and Central Australia - not many moutains so high/moderate gear ratio

East Australia and South east Australia - many mountains so low gear ratio

and as for tyre type, make it wider and more knobby the more you are planning on moving off sealed roads (more central australia = less sealed roads)

[RonK]

For touring in Australia. both 26" and 700c tyres are quite readily available. This choice only becomes a issue if you plan to tour in Asia or South America, where 700c tyres suitable for touring may be difficult to source.

As already mentioned there are more importance considerations, such as gearing, tyre frame clearance, wheel durability, frame geometry, brakes, rack fixing points etc. Post the details of the bike you are considering for more feedback.