Old bike 650c, New bike 700c?

[Eden]

I'm with the others. I would guess it just takes some getting used to. I've always ridden very small frames with 700 wheels. I've just aquired a second hand TT bike with 650's. I rode it today for the first time in a race and I thought it felt a little more squirrley than my 700 bikes - so I'm guessing its all in what you are used to.

[bluerider]

Thanks again ladies for your feedback. I took her out again today and felt more confident. One aspect that I am noticing is that she does not climb as well as my 650cs. I also noticed a drop in my cadence. These are things I need to work on as a rider but thought it was interesting to see the differences.

On the flats, she is faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaast though.

[Eden]

You are probably noticing the difference in the actual gear inches caused by the difference in the wheel sizes. Often you'll see 650 bikes equipped with the same gearing as 700's, but the wheel size has an effect too. The same front/rear chainring combo was easier to turn on the smaller bike than it is now with your bigger wheels - but with the bigger wheels you travel further. This gets a little technical - but I've run it through a calculator. Lets say that all other things are equal - same front and rear gearing (I've assumed 53/39 front 12/25 rear), same crank length, just the wheel size is different.
on the 650 bike the smallest gear would be 39.94 inches
on the 700 bike the smallest gear would be 43.06 inches
(the smaller the number the easier the gear)
this means if you have the same gearing the 650 bike would actually have a "lower" gear and be easier to spin up that steep hill - but in that lowest gear for each pedal rotation the bike travels 10 feet 5 inches on the 650's and 11 feet 3 inches on the 700's.
the same things go for the bigger gears.
So in the real world this means on the 650 bike and it probably will be easier to spin up those hills, but on the flats where you are less likely to notice the difference in the gearing even though your cadence may have dropped a bit (as you are using "bigger" gears now) your speed may be up. In time you'll get used to it and you'll probably find you adapt which gears you are using to get the fast cadence back. You can also check out a gear inch calculator and see if you can change your rear cluster to get back some of the same ratios if you miss them.
I hope I've stated all of this correctly and it wasn't too confusing

[bluerider]

You are probably noticing the difference in the actual gear inches caused by the difference in the wheel sizes. Often you'll see 650 bikes equipped with the same gearing as 700's, but the wheel size has an effect too. The same front/rear chainring combo was easier to turn on the smaller bike than it is now with your bigger wheels - but with the bigger wheels you travel further. This gets a little technical - but I've run it through a calculator. Lets say that all other things are equal - same front and rear gearing (I've assumed 53/39 front 12/25 rear), same crank length, just the wheel size is different.
on the 650 bike the smallest gear would be 39.94 inches
on the 700 bike the smallest gear would be 43.06 inches
(the smaller the number the easier the gear)
this means if you have the same gearing the 650 bike would actually have a "lower" gear and be easier to spin up that steep hill - but in that lowest gear for each pedal rotation the bike travels 10 feet 5 inches on the 650's and 11 feet 3 inches on the 700's.
the same things go for the bigger gears.
So in the real world this means on the 650 bike and it probably will be easier to spin up those hills, but on the flats where you are less likely to notice the difference in the gearing even though your cadence may have dropped a bit (as you are using "bigger" gears now) your speed may be up. In time you'll get used to it and you'll probably find you adapt which gears you are using to get the fast cadence back. You can also check out a gear inch calculator and see if you can change your rear cluster to get back some of the same ratios if you miss them.
I hope I've stated all of this correctly and it wasn't too confusing

Eden, you ROCK!!! Yes, I had to read that a few times. Okay QUITE a few times.

I should mention I converted the triple chainring into a compact. Not sure if that was smart or not but I had triple in my old bike and never used the baby ring.

I think you're right, it takes a while to get used to. It's so strange, no pains on the new bike but my quads are killing me. I know I'm using more effort to push the bigger wheel or I should state, I need to learn the new gear ratios a little better. I used to spin over 100rpm regardless of terrain and now I'm spinning at 70-100.

Not that this should matter but I did my first crit against women who all rode 650cs. Although I had no problems hanging onto their wheel, I think it would've been an advantage to have the bigger wheelset. Not sure.

[yogabear]

I rode a 49 cm Bianchi with 700's for 8 years in absolute pain and torture. I am super petite, 5'1 (110 pounds) but I have a very short torso and almost a 31 inch inseam. After many injuries and much suffering, I bought a 46 cm Guru (road not triathlon) with 650's. I love my new bike. I like the feeling of being able to control it. I like a bike with fast response. It's also immensely lighter. I like how the bike feels in corners, climbs, and descending. I feel more in control. It feels 'lower' to me than my other bike and I like this.

It's my second full season with my newer bike. It did take time to adapt to it. So, I say stick with the new bike for a while, especially if your only consideration is being 'higher.' If the new bike fits and is comfortable, I'm sure you'll be feeling better soon Let us know how it goes