What's the correct wheel size?

Question

I'm 5'10" and I'm looking to buy a used bike. I've found some cheap ones, but the wheel size is only 25". I want to know if I have to go bigger, or does 25" work?

Answer 1

there's no such thing as a 25" wheel. It's either 24" or 26" for MTB or 650c 0r 700c for road.

You won't find a comfortable bike with 24" wheels. You'll need the 26 0r 650/700c. Once you've gotten that far, you should be looking at frame size, not wheel size, For the average 5'10" person, a 19" MTB frame or 21/23" road frame is acceptable. There are alot more factors at play - seat height, handle bar height, stem reach - the trick is to find one that is comfortable. If a bike is uncomfortable, you won't ride it. Then it doesn't matter how cheap it was, it's still a waste of money. Spend a little more to get a bike that's comfortable.

Answer 2

It is not the wheel size that you should be looking at. If you look at motorcycles and mopeds, you will see that many mopeds have quite small wheels. Race bikes have smaller front wheels than tourers. This is because a smaller wheel, especially front, means that you are more manouverable and has the advantage of quicker accelleration. Your 25" wheel, therefore, will not have a good top end speed compared to a standard 29" road tyre, but will be better for trails etc.

What you should be looking at is your frame size. At 5'10" I would look at an 18" or 19" frame (Mountain bike). Basically medium sizing (Large for Scott).

Go to this site and use their size guestimator to help:

www.evanscycles.co.uk

Luck

Answer 3

If you're talking about a mountain bike, the normal wheel size is 26".

The frame size varies depending on your height. If you're 5'10" a 19" or 20" frame would be alright for you.

Answer 4

If you're talking about mountainbikes, get the 26" inchers. If doing BMX, 20",if you want an exotic single-speed,go for the 29"ers.