20" versus 26" wheels

[Charles.Plager]

Hi,

My personal preference would be to lean towards 26" wheels as I expect them to be faster and smoother. The 20" are certainly more convenient as far as packing the bike. How much of a performance "hit" are the 20" wheels?

Thanks,
Charles

 

[John Tolhurst]

a little slower

The small wheels are 451s which are a hit around the tight streets of Japan. They are easy to turn, and a little slower. I suppose they have 559/451 more rolling resistance than a 559. (Just a thought, no science behind it.)

 

[Cyclebum]

Lower effective gear inchs

Seems to me a 20" wheel would lower the effective gear inches vs a 26" wheel. Would also bring the pedaler closer to the road, 3 inches I was told. Important to a klutz like me.

Jerry

 

[John Tolhurst]

That 3" closer tothe road is

That 3" closer tothe road is important on a normal bike, where pedal clearance to the road is an issue. On the Quest that 3" just means you can get your foot to the road a little faster, which can be a good thing.

There is ample gearing in both directions (higher/lower)on the Quest with its SRAM dual drive internally geared hub, no need to worry about that.

 

[Siesta Tim]

Quest 2.0 with 451 Wheels...Big compromise?

I like the idea the Quest 2.0 with 451s will fit into the 31" Samsonite. I am reluctant to commit, however, because 26" wheels look like a better route...What are the ride compromises with going with the 20-inch wheels?

 

[Charles.Plager]

Hi Tim,
 In my case, I ended

Hi Tim,

In my case, I ended up buying a Sofrider (26"). As far as the tire size, one advantage in my mind of the 451 Quest is the gearing. I found the standard Sofrider gearning didn't go low enough for my tastes (the 559 Quest's low end isn't quite a low as the standard Sofrider I believe). With the 451, you get a better low end and still do pretty well on the high end (somewhere between 90 and 95% of the Sofrider's highest gear inch).

It seems obvious, but it isn't necessarily true that bigger wheels let you go faster. They probably do ride more smoothly as bumps are (relative to the radius of the wheel) are smaller. (I'd be very interested to hear from people who have ridden both size Quests!)

At this point, if I were to buy a Quest, I'd get the 451. (One disadvanage that I can think of is there is less tire choices in the 451 size than the 559 size).

Cheers and good luck!
Charles

 

[John Tolhurst]

Yes, but the 26 Quest has

Yes, but the 26 Quest has lower gearing than the 26 sofrider due to the dual drive hub. And yes the 451 has lower gearing again. Depends on your needs.