Timeline for What does the "c" in bicycle tire size mean?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
7 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| S Jul 19, 2015 at 1:13 | history | suggested | dlu | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
Attempt to clarify by removing reference to tire width.
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| Jul 18, 2015 at 14:04 | review | Suggested edits | |||
| S Jul 19, 2015 at 1:13 | |||||
| Jul 18, 2015 at 14:03 | comment | added | dlu | The letter was the way that the French system of tire/wheel sizing specified what we now call bead seat diameter (BSD). In the French system all '700' wheels were supposed to have similar ODs (close to 700 mm). Different rim sizes made it possible to go from a skinny racing tire to a wide touring tire. A relatively wide tire (32 mm or so) would go on a 'C' rim which had a BSD of 622 mm. The system was designed to facilitate changing tire width while keeping the OD constant. The problem was that then you had to adjust brake height as you switched rim sizes, so it wasn't all that convenient. | |
| Jun 12, 2013 at 16:41 | vote | accept | Michael | ||
| Jun 12, 2013 at 11:39 | comment | added | armb | More at sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html#french | |
| Jun 12, 2013 at 3:55 | comment | added | WTHarper | The other widths were designated 700a, 700b, 700c... you get the picture. Each tire/rim combo resulted in the same total diameter (three different rim diameters and three corresponding tire widths.) 650 sizes were similarly specified as 650a, 650b, 650c...but 650b (iso 584 mm) was the one that stuck. | |
| Jun 11, 2013 at 21:55 | history | answered | freiheit | CC BY-SA 3.0 |