Bravo. I literally came here to post your second paragraph and saw you beat me to it.

Real reason: more money. Publically stated reason: more AERO!

People who don't know better would buy into it, naturally. The real tragedy is people who do know better will too, just so they don't feel left behind or they aren't called out for riding an "old" bike.

I'm still riding 650c wheels, with a 10 speed cassette, and rim brakes none the less. On an aluminum bike. Crap... I should be shot just for showing up to race. :)

How about an oval wheel that's 650/800? It works for chainrings. Small one way for better small bike geometry, and big the other way for less rotational drag. It's the best of both worlds!

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Travis Rassat
Vector Cycle Works
Noblesville, IN
BikeFit Instructor | FMS | F.I.S.T. | IBFI
Toughman Triathlon Series Ambassador

I do not get how the rotational drag will be any less. For one, you will be rotating more stuff. But most importantly, the linear velocity at the outer edge of the wheel will equal that of a smaller diameter wheel for any given speed and will trend down more slowly for every inch you get away from the outer edge than it would for a small diameter. Am I missing something? Also, for those that like to accelerate, the rotational momentum will be harder to overcome with bigger diameter wheels (plus tires would weigh more).

Except for the fact that the rim will be spinning at the exact same speed. Yes, it will be making less revolutions per minute, but the rim velocity will always be constant if you're moving at a constant speed.

Hello stomponafrog and All,

Nope ..... but you will need to buy the new more aero 550 wheels .... more aero (less frontal area) .... easy to fit into your luggage and the overhead bin on aircraft .... bike fits smaller people and womens better ... lighter by design .... wheels/tires will be cheaper since they are smaller ..... fewer flats since there is less air to leak out ...... less endo probability since the smaller front wheel will be a more difficult target for squirrels and sticks ...... and because they are smaller .... your wife or significant other will understand why you need more of them.

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Cheers, Neal

+1 mph Faster

I was thinking of Moser and his funny bike

Power loss from drag is cubic so the slower rotating 800c wheel will experience a lot less rotational power loss. You spin more material but at a lower speed which because of the cubic relationship means aero savings.

You are wrong about the velocity of the wheels. It is v at the hub and 2v at the top of the wheel but a smaller wheel has to spin at a much higher RPM to match the speed of a larger wheel. This creates lots of turbulence.

Nice try, but Crr is the winner with larger diameters.

I can see a return of 650s or smaller but only with suspension. I must keep an eye out for an AM Speed...

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Developing aero, fit and other fun stuff at Red is Faster

Or it will move up to 29er wheels for a few years, then move back down to 27.5 for better handling.

650c wheels are dead. Bigger is better.

After 800c wheels, the bike industry will move towards magnetic levitation instead of wheels. An even greater aero savings with nothing spinning. All you will need to do is power the electromagnets with your legs.

Have you completed your modeling and analysis for microaccelerations yet?
When you do, also answer how will the larger wheel affect those microaccelerations?

<checks calendar>
Nope, not April yet...

In case you're actually serious and not taking the piss, can you describe what "rotational drag" is?

I'm in. I'm tall and need a great reason my wife can't argue against when I want to upgrade bikes. Since nobody can logically prove or disprove if it's any faster, she'll have no wheels to stand on.

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