suburbanbeat

Hey all. So I'm getting ready to splurge on a new tourer. I've settled on the Disc Trucker as the most cost-effective option that checks off many of the biggest items on my wishlist (bar-end shifters, upright geometry, 10-speed cassette, and of course disc brakes). However, I just learned that to get a Disc Trucker in my size (54cm, I'm pretty sure), I am restricted to 26"wheel.

Up to this point, I've been pretty committed to the idea of a 700c wheel. I will use this bike to commute every day and I understand that 700c is generally better for this purpose (I realize there is some debate around this). In addition to daily commuting, I will be using this bike tours ranging from very short to very long.

So, the question I'm now asking myself is this - do I learn to love 26" wheels, which I've admittedly never tried, or do I go for the rim-braked Long Haul Trucker in a 54cm and sacrifice the benefits that come with having disc brakes?

I found rim cantilevers to be kind of a pain in the ass on my Novara Randonee. Lots of re-adjusting and poor performance in rainy conditions. So, I was looking forward to disc brakes.

I realize this probably comes down to a matter of personal choice. But if it were you, would you rather a 26" frame with discs, or a 700c frame with cantilevers?

ThermionicScott 

26" is a fine wheel size with more tire options than you might think. For smaller frame sizes, it just makes way more sense than 700C.

indyfabz

Um....The non-disc 54cm is not available in 700c either.


Long Haul Trucker | Bikes | Surly Bikes


I think you are reading the chart wrong. All sizes are available with 26" wheels. Only the 56cm and larger are available with 700c.

Wilfred Laurier

I would go with 26" if I were you. There may be a difference on paper, but I seriously doubt, all other things being equal, that I could tell a difference between the two when riding on the road.

suburbanbeat

Well, crap. You're right. I've been so focused on the Disc Trucker that I haven't even put much time into researching the LHT. So that effectively limits me to 26" wheels unless I can find some crazy way to make a 56cm frame work for me (I'm 5' 10" - I almost definitely couldn't).

The responses thus far are all in favor of the 26" wheel. Like I said, I've only ever ridden 700c, so my trepidation probably comes more from simple inexperience than anything else. I suppose if people generally believe that there is no noticeable difference, then it's all just as well to me!

Thanks for the feedback so far.

1Mule

26" is the way to go with 54cm and smaller frame, negates front wheel toe overlap issues, especially if you'll be running fenders. Plenty of tire options in 26". Don't be askeered, do it!!!

ThermionicScott 

You might well notice a difference, but it may not be bad. Completing my thought from the other post, the benefit of shorter wheels on smaller frames is that there is less risk of toe overlap, even if you put on fat tires.

KC8QVO

On a different twist to the question... I was asking the same thing before I got my bike. I would have been a better fit on a 54cm but I wanted the 700c wheel so went to the 56cm.

After having my bike so long I am used to it, however what I can tell you is the cross bar is high and I dont have a lot of seat post adjustment. It works for me. Depending on how set you are on a 54cm, I dont recall my measurements to compare but I am 5'10" tall, you may do as I did and step up to a 56.

I would have no problem with a 26" wheel either. Around the globe that is a more common wheel/tire size anyway so if your tours take you to other continents outside of NA you would be better off anyway.

If the cross bar height and seat adjustment are too much of a stretch for you on a 56cm dont push it for the 700c wheel - no where near close to worth it. You need a bike that fits well more than a specific wheel/tire size.

Also go with the disk brakes. They stop so much better - and work when wet. Lots of other benefits also - like no worries with a bent rim.

mstateglfr 

Ride a 26" wheel if you are set on a disc trucker.
Learn to set cantilever brakes...they are as close to a Ronco cooker as brakes get...set it and forget it.

Rob_E

I'm 5'10" and until last year I rode a 58cm LHT. It's entirely possible that you could be okay on a 56cm if you really want 700c wheels. However, I know there are several riders about my height who go 56 or 54. I just happen to like a larger bike, and I don't use drops, which I think helped in getting the reach set properly for me on the larger bike.

That said, last year I switched to a medium Troll, and I've been happily commuting on 26" tires for most of this year. I have no regrets about switching to a 26" bike. But one benefit of the Troll was that I was able to move over my 700c, LHT wheelset while I built up my 26" wheels. Once I had made the switch, the only real difference I noticed was the better grip I got from a wider tire. The "drop" in size didn't cause me any problems. Although there really wasn't a drop. 700 x 40 wheels changed to 26 x 2.0 (or 2.15, can't remember), and the diameter stayed almost the same. I even ran one of each for a few weeks.

So I say that 26" is fine. If I had to choose between 700 or disc brakes, I'd take disc brakes. But you can always just get a Troll and run whichever size wheel you want.

Tourist in MSN

LHT has a pretty long top tube, if you consider trying a 56cm instead of a 54, make sure you test ride it first so you can decide if the reach is too great.

I have two touring bikes, both 26 inch wheels, am quite happy with 26 inch wheels. And since the frame sizes are 59 and 61cm, I am obviously up in the larger frame sizes where I could have bought 700c touring bikes instead if I wanted to.

If you are mostly commuting and if your touring will be on pavement, look for tires in the 35 to 40mm width. For pavement touring I used Schwalbe 26 X 1.5 (559X40) Marathon (with Greenguard) tires. I also bought a Vittoria Randonee Pro of the same size to carry as a folding spare but have not used it, but others on this forum have spoken highly of the Vittoria. It is hard to find fast tires that are narrower than that, but 35 to 40mm ride ok so there is no need to go narrower.

robow

I'm 5'10" and owned a 56 LHT for a while, it just required a shorter stem on my part to make it work nicely. If you want the 700c and the disc brakes, don't give up on it just yet.

Tandem Tom

Also if you really don't like cantilever brakes you can change to Linear(V) Brakes. That is what we have on our LHT's both with 26" wheels.

gracehowler

26" rims are tougher, can handle more abuse, overloading, rough roads, etc and another advantage of a 26", in my experience, when you have a flat the tire generally stays on the rim, safer I believe.
R

manapua_man

All my mountain bikes are still running 26" wheels. I don't see why using them would really be an issue if everything else fits. And there's a lot of tire options for that size too.

Miele Man

I convert a lot of MTBs to touring bikes and they all have 26" wheels. Advantages are: wide selection of tires, in an emergency a 26" tire can be bought at any department store that sells bikes ditto for tubes, versatility of the wider MTB tires = you can ride deeper gravel or muddy dirt roads, cushioning of rough roads by the wider tires and possible lower pressures.

Cheers

KC8QVO

That is a good point. The LHT/DT are very good touring-duty bikes. They aren't the only game in town, though. If the OP is open to the idea of another frame set the Troll is a good candidate. I met a rider last summer on his way back from the Rocky Mountains (I believe he did the CDT route) to home in Vermont along one of my routes that was riding a Troll. It is a nice bike. If you have the option of building a bike that may be an even better route if you know abouts what you want in the bike.

The main benefit you get with a frame set like a Troll is the wider tire capabilities that won't fit on an LHT/DT. I've been researching another frame set for a while now and am more set on an ECR because I can go even wider on the tire. Depending on what kind of terrain you may find yourself on a Troll or ECR (in terms of the Surly offerings) are really great options.

My theory on this subject is with one frame set and some different wheel sets I can get a bike that will handle all season, all condition, all terrain riding. My DT is a great bike, and I won't get rid of it, but where I hit the wall with it is in the late fall/early winter and late winter/early spring where nights are below freezing and the sun the following day warms things up to thaw out. The vast majority of my miles are on unpaved trail. In fair weather the DT on stock tires (700c-37) work fine. I ran 700c-42 tires for almost 2 seasons and would still be riding on them but trashed the front wheel so I put the stock tires back on. The hard part is the in-between seasons because the unpaved trail, with any moisture, will freeze rock hard over night, then the top layer will thaw as it warms up creating a soft mush. I've had my speed drop close to 2/3 of the outbound speed on return rides because the tires don't have the flotation to keep from sinking. I am not talking about flotation to cross soft mud as I am not sure even a fat bike will keep you up on real soft stuff, but dropping the ground pressure with a wider footprint (same load, more sq inches to put it) means you will have less resistance on softer ground than a narrow tire cutting in to the ground pushing the ground away.

Sure, a bigger/wider tire is going to have more "rolling resistance" than a narrow tire, but when the ground underneath the tire can't take the pressure and allows the tire to sink there is a point of diminishing returns. To that point - if you never encounter soft ground another perspective is the worst weight (from an efficiency/power/endurance perspective) you can put on a bike is on the outside of the rim = tire = rotational weight. The bigger the tire the more weight you have to get rotating around the wheel.

Yan 

I'm 6' and ride a 56cm. You are two inches shorter than me. That size is too large for you. Get the 54cm with 26" wheels. There is no difference in ride quality whatsoever and you get more toe clearance.

suburbanbeat

Wow, thanks so much for the thoughtful responses, everyone. There seems to be a pretty solid consensus in support of opting for a 26" DT. Good to know that the on-the-ground practical differences between 26" and 700c are minimal. I've definitely got an open mind to the 26" DT.

A few of you mentioned other options altogether, like the Troll. Indeed, my local bike shop is a Kona and Salsa dealer as well, so I will also have the Sutra and Marrakesh available to me as options. If for some reason the DT/LHT geometry disappoints in some way, I'll look at those as possibilities. For now though, I'm sticking to the DT for the reasons I originally mentioned, and for its reputation as one of the more robust tourers on the market.

Seems like the opinions are mixed regarding the move up to a 56cm. This is a last resort anyway. as being in an upright riding position is important to me. But I'll go in tomorrow or this Saturday and get on a few different bikes to see what works. Thank you for all of your responses. Keep the votes coming!

Rob_E

I agree with your general conclusion that 26" wheels will be fine, but I don't agree that you can properly size the OPs bike based on your own preferences.

I'm 5' 10" and was very happy on my 58cm Trucker. If I were to get another, I would definitely get the same size. Doesn't mean that I'm going to tell everyone my height to get the same size. Preference plays a large part, as do individual measurements apart from height, as do set-up decisions.

The LHT/CC user group set up a spreadsheet to compare measurements and frame choices: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing

On average, a 5" 10" person chooses a frame around 56cm. Doesn't mean the OP shouldn't go 54. There are plenty of people of the same height who do. But it does tell me that it's foolish to tell someone that height that they shouldn't ride a bike that size. Many do.

If the OP is really torn between fitting best on a frame for 26" wheels and wanting bigger wheels, then some people have converted their 26" Truckers to 650b: Surly Disc Trucker 650b conversion?- Mtbr.com

Like I said, I ride 26" and like it and wouldn't think twice about getting a bike made for 26" wheels, but even then there are options.

I would say the most important thing is to choose the bike size based on what will fit you, not on the wheel size. If you're really set on 700c wheels, and the 56 seems like the wrong size for you, look at different bikes. But in my experience, the LHT is a good bike, and 26" wheels are a good size.

indyfabz

+1. I am 6'2" and ride a 60cm. I have a relatively short inseam for my height, so the top tube clearance is a bit tighter that what is probably considered "normal," but the 60cm fit me better up top after I shortened that super long stem a bit.

phughes

I am 5' 10" and purposely chose a 56cm LHT with 26 inch wheels. I don't have to have a high stack of spacers to get the bars level with the saddle or slightly above. I was happy Surly began offering the lager frames with 26 inch wheels because I wanted them for the ability to run fatter tires for comfort when touring and commuting. I love it. For commuting the fatter tires are nice to soak up the bumps.

If I were to get a 54, there is no way I would want 700c wheels due to overlap issues. One added benefit to having the 26 inch wheels, is that there is room between the seat tube and wheel to mount my pump.

Rob_E

Toe overlap is something I hadn't considered. Lots of people say "you get used to it. It's not really a problem." I agree that you get used to it, but it's also really nice when it's not there. 56 with 700c is probably the worst for toe overlap. It was noticeable and annoying on my 58. Before you mentioned that, I was considering whether or not I'd get my exact bike again, or whether I'd get the 26" version (hypothetically, I'm happy with my Troll, and there's functionally enough overlap with the LHT that I don't need both bikes). But when you factor the overlap issue in, there's no question. I'd take a 26" wheel.

KC8QVO

Another thought on stem length - just an opinion, and many here may disagree, but Ill make my point -

If you leave your stem much longer than where you think you want it when you get your bike (any bike) and fill the gap with spacers you will have a couple nice options later.

1. A long stem will give you adjustment options to dial in where you want to set the bar height.

2. If you can ride with th bars high enough to clear a second stem/head you can put a dummy bar underneath to mount a bar bag and accessories - frees up your bars for more freedom of hand positions.

3. A tall stem sticking up will give you an extra mounting surface for more stuff.

The downside is a tall stem can be danerous of you fall forwards. Then agian, if you run right in to something and have that as a risk you may have bigger issues at that point.

My stem has enough clearance for a head above and below where the bars are. I raised my bars once from when I got the bike. I have yet to add a second head underneath, may try that this weekend. The top part I mount a bottle of mace to. The mace holster also carries my sun glasses and clear safety glasses clipped to it - convenient, easy to reach.

Velo Orange makes some nice fender options for 700c wheels. I have the zeplins on my DT - real durable, theyve seen over 2000 miles so far and no problems. I had to bend the front one back in shape after a fight with a stick on the trail but being stainless steel they just bend right back. Good stuff.

robow

I agree with Rob_E, you simply can't make a generalization like that because you can have two people the same height but one can have a much longer upper torso than the other and the bike fit will be different. Also, what many people don't mention is that top tube length that would be too long for drop bars will be perfect if they intend to use trekking bars since they sit so much further back. And again, that's why we have different length stems from 80mm to 130mm for different riders and their chosen bars and riding position.