Standard Mountain Bike Wheel Size

And right behind those big 29ers are wheels of yet another size.

Standard mountain bike wheel size. The new wheel size is also much older standard originally known as 650b and according to sheldon brown has also been used on french utility bikes and tandems. Whether you re mountain biking on dry trails in utah or through the waterfalls of iceland having the right tires is crucial for the best riding experience. 27 5 also know as 650b or 29 called 29ers with traditional 26 wheels reserved for dirt jump freeride and kids bikes. As the saying goes the great thing about standards is that there are so many to.

Mountain bike sizing can be affected by suspension and your tire choices. Mountain bike size chart. There are multiple tires to consider and it s important to understand tire size. 26 wheels iso 559 mm 26 wheels have a long history in the bike industry.

27 5 inch wheels largely address the issues riders were having with 29 er wheels while still offering most of the benefits of the larger size. This means the hub flanges can be set wider apart to increase the lateral stiffness of the wheel. Year on year we ve seen huge developments to both geometry sizing and layout to 29ers and now when equipped with a suitably short stem not often standard issue on production bikes these comments are. Standard full size wheels.

Sometimes referred to as 650b the 27 5 inch wheel fits right in between the 26 and 29 inch offerings. 15x100mm was the most common thru axle standard for. This was and still is an issue for many who feel that this wheel size simply looks ungainly and think this will translate into how the bike rides especially for a shorter rider. The original 26 wheel size is all but dead surviving only on fat bikes entry level bikes and a handful of trials dh dj bikes.

While 26 inch wheels are still considered the standard for mountain bikes 29 inch wheels are fast on their heels. In terms of mountain bike wheels 650b is a standard 27 5 wheel and 700c is a standard 29 wheel. What started as the standard for american made cruisers almost 100 years ago later became the most popular mountain bike wheel size and remained on top for decades. For standard hardtails our mountain bike size chart should be a god send.

Most mountain bikes today are offered in one of two wheel sizes. These size labels come from an old french sizing standard which we ll cover in more detail in the french sizing section. 29 x 2 0 27 5 x 2 4 29 x 2 8. So make sure you look at a tire size chart and try a full suspension mountain bike for size before buying.

A visual comparison of 26 27 5 and 29er wheels with tires. A guide to mountain bike axle.