Are 650c and 24" wheels the same thing?

[zia]

I have a bike with 650c wheels. I'm looking for a second set, but I'm so confused. Are 650c and 24" wheels the same thing?

[Eden]

Nope - 24" wheels are smaller. 650's are closest to 26". Of course all 26" rims are not necessarily interchangeable with 650's either.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/rim-sizing.html

[zia]

Sorry -- meant 26". It has been an extraordinarily long week!

Still a bit confused, but it sounds like it would make the most sense for me to keep searching for 650c, rather than 26".

[Eden]

Indeed - most rims that you'll find listed as being 26" are probably mt bike rims and would be unlikely to fit a road bike made for 650's.

650's are not too hard to find - some shops even carry them in stock. I just went today to have new wheels built for my commuter and was pleasantly surprised to find they had rims there. I'm getting Mavics. I've had Sun Rims and Velocitys (which I do not recommend for anything more than easy duty/dry riding - they disintegrate under less than optimal conditions...)

If you don't mind ordering your wheels you'll find a wider selection.

[zia]

Ah yes -- I bought a used bike with Veolocitys. They are the first thing on the chopping block to be replaced...

[lunacycles]

Velocity rims/wheels are generally very nice. No reason to replace them if there aren't any problems.

650c is a larger wheel diameter than 26". Sometimes bikes can accept both rim sizes, but often not so much. It generally depends on the brake set up.

Many mountain bike rims, the lighter xc variety, do just fine with road set ups. It is about rim width and the ability to mate with brake shoes. There are a lot of good 26" rim options that will work with road brakes, including the Velocities.

One thing to note: 650c tire options are limited to 23c or narrow (i.e., a very narrow racing tire, usually). Terry sells one okay quality tire that is 27 or 28c, that is designed for more versatile usage, but that is IT as far as 650c offerings wider than 23c.

If you want a versatile tire selection, stick with 26". You can get a wheelset as light as 650c, and it will allow a lot more versatility in tires.

[Eden]

Velocity rims/wheels are generally very nice. No reason to replace them if there aren't any problems.

I'll agree that there's no reason to replace them if they aren't bad - *but* I won't ever buy them again... The braking surface is hmmmm fragile? They tend to gouge and wear very easily and they shed copious amount of metal shavings into the brake pads, which in turn wears the rims even more... (and this can happen in the span of a single ride)

I also bought a used bike with Deep V's on it. Before I'd ridden out a winter on it I'd purchased a back up set as I'd found a good deal on ebay. Well - neither pair lasted more than one winter season before the rims became so worn that they actually fractured. I'm not a heavy rider, I clean my rims/brake pad every time I've been out in the rain and I change my pads regularly. I was pretty seriously disappointed in these rims and will not ever get another set. They just aren't the right rims for the job I need them to do (rain/commuter bike).

[Triskeliongirl]

I know Deb W set her bike up to accept either 26" or 650C wheels, but it depends on what brakes you have if they can be adjusted (her bike was custom built with this idea in mind). Also, how much clearance is available on the brake bridge and fork also effects what tire sizes you can run regardless of wheel size.

I have a velocity uriel set that came on my terry isis that I think are fine, and also a 650c set of easton circuits that came on my cervelo RS that I really like. I like the circuits more cuz they are lighter, but never had any problems with the velocity set. I think the circuits have been replaced by the EA70. None of these are fancy shmancy wheels though, I've heard the eastona described as high value though, good light wheels that aren't too expensive.