26 inch wheels - advantages?

[Blue Hills]

We've been told for a fair old while now that they are on the way out/already history - doomed.

In fact the noise on this increased just after I bought my 26 inch wheel Ridgeback Expedition, which I love.

Barring my two folders, all my bikes are 700 wheels, which I also like, but anyone care to point out the particular plus points of 26inch, in the hope that those upstairs might listen and they can live on?

Some from me - folk feel free to correct me/tell me if my O level physics has betrayed me:

Strong wheels - good for piling lots of crap on top of the bike
General ability to fit wider tyres for certain usage
Easier to push when you get off, particularly when loaded over difficult terrain
(edit on above point as might seem odd in view of me saying below that I always have a gear - am really speaking about pushing when, for instance, wheeling the bike through a wood/maybe over a field/up a track or whatever for a furtive free/wild camp)
Since the wheels go round more for any given distance, more effective charging of powerbanks from hub dynamos
If you get an appropriate frame size, more chance of getting a big bottle on the underside of the bike without clashing with the front mudguard - I can get a 1 litre Trangia fuel bottle on the underside of my Ridgeback Expedition but not on any of my other bikes - they have to make do with the smaller Trangia bottle.

Over to you wise and experienced folk ....

 

[Drago]

Off road in the UK climate the 26" hoop has one almighty advantage over it's larger brethren.

There is less surface area to clag with mud, and they shed mud more quickly when back on the harder surfaces. When fully clagged up the bigger wheels can be a couple of kg heavier each wheel than the 26", and that makes a tremendous difference to control, performance and energy expenditure.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Makes for a more sensible sized bike for shorter people.

 

[Blue Hills]

Knew I'd forgotten something:

Gearing for loaded.

The Expedition has 48/36/26 on the front and 12-36 on the back - 9 speed.

With that I can get up pretty much anything fully loaded and also zip along as fast as I ever need to. Have never yet felt that I've run out of gears at either end.

 

[Low Gear Guy]

A shorter bike is easier to get around obstacles and into mini sized hotel lifts.

 

[Blue Hills]

A shorter bike is easier to get around obstacles and into mini sized hotel lifts.

Good point - at least once have had to tip the bike upwards onto its back wheel to get it into a particularly small station lift.
Ditto some stupid barrier I have managed to route myself to.

 

[oldwheels]

Good point - at least once have had to tip the bike upwards onto its back wheel to get it into a particularly small station lift.
Ditto some stupid barrier I have managed to route myself to.

I have also had to do that with "kissing gates".

 

[Cycleops]

If you need to travel to the far flung corners of the world 26" wheels, tyres and inner tubes are almost always available.
Very strong too with double wall rims.

 

[Chislenko]

The main advantage is they are in inches whilst the others are in some foreign measurement 😃😃

 

[Andy in Germany]

A shorter bike is easier to get around obstacles and into mini sized hotel lifts.

Also more convenient on trains because of is smaller size.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Makes for a more sensible sized bike for shorter people.

This is an important one for our family.

 

[Andy in Germany]

If you need to travel to the far flung corners of the world 26" wheels, tyres and inner tubes are almost always available.
Very strong too with double wall rims.

I've noticed this too, I suspect that because of the sheer numbers of these bikes already in circulation it will be a while before they disappear.

 

[Blue Hills]

I've noticed this too, I suspect that because of the seer numbers of these bikes already in circulation it will be a while before they disappear.

Isn't @HobbesOnTour 's mighty traveller 26 inch?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Smaller boxed package when flying.

 

[MontyVeda]

I can get my 26" wheeled bike up the stairs and round onto the landing with no problems whatsoever... it just wouldn't work with a 29er, and there'd be tyre marks all over the wallpaper from trying.