Jicafold

So I picked up this R700 Cannondale recently.1989ish model. Put on new tires and cables as well as a general tune up. I added clip on aero bars as I assumed this is supposed to be a tri bike. So my question is...Why does it have 650c wheels? Is this supposed to be a tri bike? It is a 54cm frame and has 650c wheels. Thank you.

steelbikeguy

The bike industry is always interested in change as a way to drive sales.
I've got an article from Bicycle Guide (circa 1991) that discusses two new models of Schwinn Paramount. One is a "26 inch" version, with 650 wheels. There is a reference to 650 x 25C, and a mention of 650B, but it seems pretty obvious that they are dealing with 650C wheels.

As a disclaimer(?), I've got a recumbent with 650C wheels. They make sense there, and probably for small frames on upright bikes.

Here's the article:







I haven't bought new 650C tires in quite a while, but have the impression that they might be harder to find than they used to be.

Steve in Peoria

smd4

Saving a pound between the two wheels seems like a pretty good reason.

Jicafold

But the frame has to be bigger.

rando_couche

Evidently, not good enough for "the market", as even triathletes have gone back to 700c for the most part.

bargainguy

Ah, the 80s and 90s. This was the heyday of triathlons. Back then, it was thought that 650c wheels spin up faster than 700c, as they're smaller and lighter. so advantage triathletes.

They do spin up faster, but that's where any advantage evaporates. Because it's a smaller wheel, unless you compensate with gearing, you'll have a lower top gear than with 700c, and that's a problem if you need that tall top gear. No free lunch.

madpogue 

Usually it's to accomodate a smaller rider, at the same time avoiding toe strike.

(Exquisitely ironic model numbering, however.)

Jicafold

Yes but this is a 54cm....which is why I was asking.

madpogue 

Maybe I should have specified smaller-torso riders. Many years ago I had a WSD frame that took a 700C rear, 650C front, and was 55cm. Perfect for my 32-inch inseam and VERY short back and short arms.

Chuckk

"Multisport" Tri - TT model
vintagecannondale.com will help you convert the serial number to year, and then they have all the catalogs scanned.

Chuckk

I guessed '96 and there it is:

Jicafold

Great. Thank you.

SpeedofLite 

The R700 was clearly targeted at the triathlete market. Pro triathletes (Scott Tinley and Jeff Devlin), "multisport frame", "aerodynamic forward position geometry" and 650C wheels were all sexy things for triathletes in the early 90s. It was a successful mix of marketing, triathlon-centric innovation, and triathlete testimonials that created strong desire for that type of bike in those days.

The downfall of the 650C had much to do with triathletes starting to buy road bikes for longer easier group rides with friends and for acceptability by the local road club. Now they had at least two bikes requiring different size and/or types of tires. Not to mention that the rear disc and deep-rim carbon wheels that everyone wanted were not as robust as they are now and were only used for races -- maybe 6-12 times per year. So racing and training got expensive with multiple bikes, multiple wheels (700C, 650C, mtb, deep rim, disc, 32 cross 3), and multiple tires (size, clincher, tubular). Many of the newbies, especially young ones, didn't have the wherewithal or desire to deal with all of this. Road bike geometry with tri-bike features starting picking up steam as triathletes started to race at longer distances through the 1990s. Comfort and endurance over 56-112 miles became more important than top-end speed over shorter distances. Tri-specific geometry also suffered in mountain races or on courses with many twists and turns where bike handling skills were advantageous. Finally, influential voices started challenging the 650C dogma and felt that 700C might even be superior, especially for triathletes with relatively long femurs. This all hastened the demise of 650C among triathletes, the principal market for this size of wheel.

Het Volk

As someone who actually built up a pair of 650C wheels during the pandemic in order to allow for more clearance on a Fuji touring bike, it is INDEED incredibly difficult.

steelbikeguy

regarding the possible difficulty of finding 650C tires:
rats.
I've also got a set of 26" wheels for the bike, which I use with 1.25" tires. They make a nice option for rougher roads. I suppose they are subject to the same trends in tire sizes, though.
Probably ought to see if I can find some spares.

I normally go to the Hostel Shop, a 'bent oriented mail-order shop (and an actual physical shop too) located in Wisconsin. The 'bent market seems to be geared towards tadpole trikes, and my impression is that they use 700C rear wheels and much smaller front wheels.

edit: they do carry the Continental Gatorskin in 650C x 23mm, but it's not cheap. A proper skinny 559mm tire is hard to find too... they have a Schwalbe Marathon, which sounds slower than a Gatorskin.

Steve in Peoria

SpeedofLite 

Harder to find now than in the 1990s, but not difficult. Just a quick search of some of my favorite sites showed Tree Fort Bikes, Universal Cycles, and Bike Tires Direct all have Conti, Vittoria, and/or Kenda 650C road tires 23-28mm. I haven't thought about this era much until tonight or ridden my 650C bikes (Felt B2 Tri, Kestrel KM40, Slingshot Tri) in the last 15 years. So now you guys have me looking for 650C wheels with rims wider than 13mm. Dang you.

steelbikeguy

Thanks for the reminder... I realized that I need to order some 700C x 25 for the Hetchins, so I did go to biketiresdirect and found some (pricey) Veloflex tires.
I checked the 650C, and they had the Conti's (out of stock) and some Vittoria Rubino Pro's. I checked my parts box for spare 650C tires, and just had a Kenda Kwest ... possibly the world's cheapest and lousiest tire... so I put a Vittoria Rubino Pro in the shopping cart too.

I'm a little hesitant to keep too many spare tires around, as I had a Michelin tire on my 'bent fully delaminate and allow the tube to just escape around the different layers in the tire carcass. Really weird, and the tire wasn't more than 5 years old or so.

As for wider 650C tires or rims... there have been 28mm tires, I think. Not easy to find. That's why I built some 559 bsd wheels for the 'bent.. but it does require that you be able to move the brake pads lower in the calipers.

Steve in Peoria

VtwinVince

Cannondale produced these with both wheel size options. My wife has the R1000, this thing is extremely light and stiff.

icemilkcoffee 

The tire choices for 650c is indeed miserable. But there is always Panaracer Pasela. They make a folding clincher (ProTite) in the 650c X 28 size, as well as wired clinchers in both 25 and 28 sizes. I seem to recall all the other choices for 650c are all 23mm tires.