Technical > Wheels, Tyres and Brakes
Nomad Mk3 26inch or 700c
dsim:
I recently cycled to Georgia but have returned home for the winter to save some more money before continuing to central Asia.
My bike is currently using 26 inch wheels with 50mm Marathon Mondials since Schwalbe stopped making the wider versions at 26 inch. I am going to ask SJS to rebuild my rear Rohloff wheel with 36h instead of 32h as I had some spoke breakages which I'd like to minimise for the rest of my trip. I am also going to have a new front wheel built as I've changed to a Surly fork which uses a different thru axle standard.
The Surly fork can use up to 700c x 50.
Is the Nomad MK3 really restricted to 700c x 40? That's the width I keep seeing, but that seems really narrow - my Spa Cycles D'tour has the same max width for 700c!
In Bulgaria, I had a tyre side wall-bead failure which needed replacing the following day. It was pretty difficult to find a suitable 26 inch tyre, while there were loads of good options for 700c. This prompted me to think about switching wheel size.
My intention is to ride a mixture of gravel and tarmac, but I prefer to use gravel routes where possible.
Can you advise me on whether I should go for 700c or stay with 26 inch, considering the potentially better availability of spares now that 26inch seems to be getting more niche versus the wider tyres that I can use with 26 inch.
Thanks for any help!
David
WorldTourer:
Have you considered 27.5"/650B? Then the ride isn’t going to feel much different from the 26" you are used to, but unlike 26" where options are dwindling, Schwalbe releases all its options in 650B. At 650B wheel size, the Nomad Mk3 (with the Thorn Bikepacking Fork up front) will fit up to 2.60" tire width, so you’re good for some famous sandy routes; honestly, the Surly fork might have been a step down.
Tire availability on the Central Asia route isn’t a big problem. I cycled from the Caucasus through the Pamirs last season, and when I needed to replace a 650B tire, I easily found someone through the WhatsApp group that everyone is on (“Cycling East”) who was flying in to Central Asia, and was willing to bring along some spare parts for people.
Even if you don’t plan to use tubeless tires anytime soon, you should future-proof the build by asking SJS to use a tubeless-ready rim.
I’m really surprised that you broke spokes on a SJS-built 32h Rohloff wheel. Never had a broken spoke on that in tens of thousands of km of cycling rough roads and singletrack, though I am a rather light rider. If you want 36h, wouldn't that require getting a completely new Rohloff shell?
dsim:
I haven't really considered 650b as I assumed that it would have even worse parts availability than 26inch! Perhaps that isn't the case though.
The Surly fork is so I can use their 24 pack rack as I'm wanting to move away from panniers to reduce weight and make it a bit more aero (if it's in line with my body, it's fine).
I broke one spoke pretty early on in the trip and fixed it as soon as I head it go. It was on a fairly reasonable tarmac cycle path so I was surprised it broke then. The second spoke breakage was on the very last day as I rode into Tbilisi! Not sure where it happened exactly, as I couldn't find a broken spoke when I heard the noise, but I found the broken spoke while I was packing the bike up for the flight.
I'm pretty heavy (105kg) and my total bike weight + luggage excluding water and food was 52kg! I only found out at the airport - the total weight excludes the bike box and bags I used for the flight.
PH:
--- Quote from: dsim on October 30, 2024, 09:49:27 PM ---Is the Nomad MK3 really restricted to 700c x 40? That's the width I keep seeing, but that seems really narrow - my Spa Cycles D'tour has the same max width for 700c!
--- End quote ---
Yes, I'm pretty sure they weren't designed for 700c, they were experimenting with the idea when I visited the shop. I used 700c when I bought mine, I already had the wheels, even 40mm is pushing it if there's a bit of tread. I rebuilt as 650B and IMO it rides a lot better for it. For heavily loaded touring, I'm not sure you'll see much benefit swapping 26" to 27.5, there's only one way to know, unless you can borrow some.
I'm a bit surprised you broke spokes, I've broken more hubs than spokes! Actually, I've never broken a spoke on a Rohloff wheel, was it a SJS build?
Andyb1:
You have probably realised this, but fitting larger diameter wheels will of course raise the whole bike and will make getting on and off, or putting a foot down more tricky, particularly with luggage. Pedal clearance from the ground will be good though!
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