24" wheels (was:Re: [CR]Peugeot Mini Racer Ebay

(Example: Bike Shops:R.E.W. Reynolds)

From: <ABikie@aol.com>
Date: Sat, 9 Jun 2001 09:00:00 EDT
Subject: 24" wheels (was:Re: [CR]Peugeot Mini Racer Ebay
To: merckxslx@hotmail.com, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org


Midget racers were very interesting. In the days of the $6. ABLA license when I started as a young senior, there was a midget category 8-10, and an intermediate category, 11-14. Eith the midget only or the midget and early (11-12) intermediates had to ride 14" wheels. There were some tall intermediates that had custome frames up to 60cm with 24" wheels because of this crazy rule.

Later, another crazy rule, banning tubulars, came in. The idea was to eliminate 'expensive' and high end equipment that put others who couldn't afford it at a disadvantage. This was true for full size wheels for intermediates and possibly younger juniors as well.

Customers came in for wheel rebuilds - and super trick clinchers with low spoke count, aero rims and spokes , and way light tires came out. The resulting wheels were in many cases lighter, faster, and way costlier than their predecessors of the stick-on variety

We have a warehouse with over a dozen track and road midget racers - 16,20, 22, and 24" wheeled machines for the road and track - as well as an assortment of the 'sports/recreational' category like the auctioned Peugeot. The more popular ones have frames from 35-40cm, while the ones that don't get used are the ones whose sizes can be easily attained with 559, 650, and 700 wheels. While the look of the 24" bike with a frame from 40-45 is vary square and proportioned, the practicality is more limited. The sought bikes are the 559 and 650's with frames below 50 and the 700's with 46-52cm for the kids.

Larry Black
former sponsor 'Velokid' program