The Character Assassination of 650c…

Emma Snowsill ’08 Olympic Gold Medalist in triathlon
Emma Pooley ’10 UCI World Champion Women’s TT
Mirinda Carfrae ’10 Ironman World Champion

What do these riders have in common?
They all won riding major events riding 650c wheels.

“after riding 650's in Kona this year I wouldn't go back to 700c”  - Mirinda Carfrae

     Bikes equiped with 650c wheels are tougher to sell than they should be...Why?  More often than not, it's due to bad advice & blantant ignorance.
    It drives me nuts when I hear constant misinformation regarding this much maligned wheel size.  Unfortunately many times the source of this misinformation originates from retailers…along with (I’m sure…best intentioned) friends & colleagues.

    650c wheels started to appear on the scene back in the late 80’s.  Much, if not all, the credit would belong to Dan Empfield (Founder of Quintana Roo).  He identified a need to proportion the wheel size to the frame size in smaller bikes.   700c wheels which are the industry standard for road bikes did not meet that bill when it came to small frames… Thus his adoption of 650c for smaller bikes.   This development came about during the same timeframe that aerobars appeared on the scene,  Emphfield also used the 650c wheels as the platform for his new frame design, The first aerobar specific design (the QR Superform) ... A new market segment was born.

     As typical, when it comes to equipment in triathlon… a lot of breath has been expended debating the pro’s vs con’s (performance wise) between the 2 wheel sizes… None of which is very important when it comes down to the basic fact: If your bike fits & is proportioned optimally, you will perform better.

     .
     Some of the stigma 650c bears emanated from the early tri bike designs of the 90’s,  when nearly every tri bike in the industry was built on 650c wheels… regardless of size.
A 6’3” rider’s perspective & opinion of 650c has little relationship to a rider who is 5’3”, since 650c would not be the optimal wheel size for that 6'3" rider
(albeit, this was not always the mindset)
In retrospect didn’t make sense to have a 60cm frame with 650c wheels…but it happened.
(then again... So did Acid Wash demin, and rainbow suspenders...live and learn.)

Reams of data were generated dictating the potential benefits of the smaller wheels,  but those benefits in many (if not most) cases were negated on bigger bikes… Thus the circle of misinformation and blanket opinions were born, and are still in effect today.

In fact if you are not particularly vertically challenged, 700c is probably the better choice (if not your only choice).  But, for those who are south of 5’5”, 650c should be at least a serious consideration when it comes to a triathlon bike.

To dispel a few points of misinformation which are tossed about as gospel amongst detractors of the smaller wheels.

Fact or Myth?...
-          You don’t want to be the odd person out (riding 650c) in a group
-          The 650c rider will be walking if they flat & don’t have a spare tube…
Myth:
As a long time 650c rider I can attest that a 700c tube will work in a 650c tire (just exercise care when putting on the tire).  I have in past lent out a 650c tube to a person riding 700c…(it also works…Tubes are very accommodating).
Shall I also mention the obvious option of patching a tube if need be.
This is about as weak an argument as they come, and only highlight the lack of experience and knowledge of the person doling out the argument.

-          650c robs you of your high end gearing.
Myth:
Firstly, rarely does anyone come in claiming that they don’t have enough top end gearing (it's usually it’s the opposite...need more low end).
650c has the residual benefit of adding a little extra low end compared to an equivalent 700c drivetrain setup.  Also, regardless, cassettes and chainring combinations can be changed to tailor any setup required.  Again, this is a complete non issue.
-          650c Wheels are slower:
Myth:
Once again reams of data have been generated on the topic…I won’t bore you with the details but the end result seems to be a non issue.  The results seem to speak for themselves…Jurgen Zack (uber biker of the ‘90s) consistently set bike course records on 650c, Natasha Badmann has won all 6 of her IM Hawaii titles on 650c, Vertically Challenged IM Champ (’94) Greg Welch also won on 650c.  And as noted, the 2010 World Timetrial Champion, Emma Pooley,  obviously had no problem with them…
The list of 650c riders is extensive… So I won't bother listing them all.
      -    Tires and Tubes are hard to get. No selection of tires
Myth & Fact
Not all shops will stock 650c tubes and tires.  But any good shop will stock both.    Unfortunately the industry has not fully supported 650c with extensive selection (citing supply & demand),  but a rider using 650c still has high end racing tires($$$), mid level training/racing tires($$) , and low end training tires($) available.  In nearly 15 years of owning & riding 650c, Tire selection and availability has never  been an issue…only a concept.
My best advice (which goes for anyone) is have some spare tubes at home, plus a patch kit, and a spare tire or two.
This is always a good idea, regardless of your wheel size.
-           I can’t get all the cool (carbon) race wheels.      
Fact (Partially)
Again, a supply and demand issue.  (but…) There are still good 650c race wheel options but the selection certainly pales in comparision to 700c.    And I’m sorry to report that won’t change anytime soon, but there are choices in all the key types of race wheels.
      -          Composite Spoke: [Corima 4 spoke, Hed H3]
-          Disc: [Zipp, Corima, FFWD]
-          Deep Rim options [Zipp404, Oval Concepts 765 & 745, CorimaAero, HED Jet]
      to name some.
 This is frustrating for some riders, and wasn’t always the case.   But in many ways the situation has become a self fulfilling prophecy … If shops won’t support 650c bikes, companies won’t offer them,  the wheel companies won’t build the race category wheels (or even worse stop building them)…hell, the tire companies won’t offer the cool colors in 650c…so it can be a vicious circle.
-      A 650c wheeled bike will be hard to sell down the road.
Myth (With a pinch of Fact):
Yeah, if you have a 1994 era 58cm 650c bike, good luck.   This would also reflect a bike that is well past it's prime to begin with, and would have negligible resale value.    Since nearly all 650c bikes of recent vintage have been smaller than 52cm, we’ve seen no recent issues in resale.   Remember the fastest growing segment of the triathlon market is women.  Small bikes are king in the used bike market at the moment, regardless of wheel size.
So again the argument has been trumped up beyond credibility.

I hope this helps to dispel some of the myths out there.   So if you are a shorter rider, don’t let misinformation dictate your decision on a new bike.   If the bike fits correctly and serves your purpose, wheel size shouldn’t be an issue… No matter what your 6’3” friend thinks ;)