If I recall the text correctly, "The Custom Bicycle" quotes Cino Cinelli as opining that the larger 700c/27 inch wheels were used in the old days to allow the wheel to better traverse pot holes and other large pavement imperfections endemic in the "early years", on the dirt and primitive paved roads.
Presumably, smaller wheels would fall more deeply into the holes, and were more likely to cause a crash. And I suppose racers used the bigger tires as compared to touriste types because the racers went faster and had less opportunity to dodge the holes.
As roads got better, Cinelli felt that the "big" wheels were obsolete, and advocated smaller wheels for better aerodynamics. He had some special sized rims, hubs and tires made up for testing, but I don't think the items ever went into production. Does anyone recall what size Cino went with? He also advocated narrower hubs.
Tom Adams, Shrewsbury NJ
>From: TheMaaslands@comcast.net
>To: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org (Classic Rendezvous)
>Subject: Re: [CR]650B the perfect wheel size? (fwd)
>Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2003 17:25:29 +0000
>
>622 has long been the 'standard' size for all tubular tires. It therefore was the default size for all framebuilders of 'racing' bikes where tubulars would be chosen. All of continental Europe used this as the 'racing' standard. For city bikes, there were both larger and smaller sizes used.
>
>The 27" (630) size was mainly a British standard, and therefore by default, in many other countries where the British bike industry held sway. I believe it was the arrival of the high quality clincher tires and rims that brought about the decline of the 630 size as more and more 'racers' decided to go with clinchers on their high-end frames built around the tubular standard.
>
>--
>Steven Maasland
>Moorestown, NJ
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