State of Confusion

[sundial]

Other than the obvious diameter differences, what are the differences/advantage/disadvantage of 26" wheels and 650c or 700c wheels?

I'm curious, how tall are you? Many mtb'ers are embracing the 29'er movement. 26" wheels are the most common for mountain bikes although there are other sizes popping up, of course, such as the 27.5" for those who don't fit the 29'ers. 650c are more common in the smaller size bikes as well as bikes with 2 different wheel sizes, like the Terry Symmetry. 700's are the most common in road bikes and should you ride a supported ride, you will be able to find a replacement tube much easier than if you ride a bike with 650's.

[GraysonKelly]

I'm 5'6". I ride a 21" mountainbike right now (if i measured it right). Do they make shifters that look like they are part of the brake lever? what are those called?

[SouthernBelle]

Those are brifters (brakes + shifters, get it? ). Ususally found on bikes with drop bars.

[Blueberry]

Wheel Size: There is a heated debate on the issue. Some folks say smaller wheels are inherently slower. I don't think this is true. What I can tell you is that they accelerate more quickly going uphill and from a stop, but don't hold momentum as well (you'll slow down more quickly when coasting). I have a Bike Friday with 20" wheels, so I have a little experience

The main limitation I would see with those 3 wheel sizes is tire availability. 26" tires aren't available very narrow (I think 32c is about as narrow as it gets, and that's not very narrow). 650c wheels kind of have the opposite problem - there aren't very many wider tires available (most are 23c). I would add that 650c tires are probably not as readily available. It really depends on what you want the bike to do - but if you want to be able to do rail trails, you may have a problem getting tires for 650c wheels.

Drop outs are the place in the frame where your wheels go (where the frame sits on the hub).

Not sure about disk brake mounting, but I can see the advantage of having one only on the front as most of your stopping power is in the front anyway.

CA

[Blueberry]

Those are brifters (brakes + shifters, get it? ). Ususally found on bikes with drop bars.

Also referred to as STI (Shimano Total Integration, IIRC). I think there's a campy specific name as well. SRAM also makes a version.

CA

[Zen]

I can't believe no one has summoned the spirit of Sheldon Brown.

Ask Sheldon. He knows everything.

[maillotpois]

She's right. Start with Sheldon and then if there's still stuff you don't understand, bring it back to us.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Zen writes:

I can't believe no one has summoned the spirit of Sheldon Brown.

Um, I did summon Sheldon Brown already, right in post #2 above.

What is toe overlap?
Sometimes also called toe clip overlap (wearing clips make the problem worse), here's what Sheldon Brown had to say about it:.....