Comments on: 36 Inch Wheels: Update Part II

By: mrimpacto

mrimpacto — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 03:03:03 +0000

If my figures from large 4×4 trucks running even larger tires are correct. Due to the increased inertia due to the heavier wheel tire assembly as well as the increase diameter you will have to either increase diameter or double up just to have the braking power needed for this setup. I agree with Art on the braking torque issue, and on a lesser scale the heat issue. Sounds like loads of fun though.

By: Estonbach

Estonbach — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 03:12:05 +0000

That’s so weird, I saw that bike in the Chequamegon at the last section of the race at Telemark and I mistakenly thought it was a 29er, weird?!

By: MudSpot

MudSpot — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:50:02 +0000

I got to ride a prototype 36er singlespeed (built by Jeff Anderson – kiwibikes@xtra.co.nz) in the weekend, and will give it a good off road test in a couple of weeks. Then will get one made for myself. Im 6’7″ and keen to put some 200 or 210 cranks on it. It already has a high EBB and plenty of wheel clearance. Can anyone tell me who makes cranks of that size. If I find single speed too difficult I may 1 x 9 speed it later.
I will post more details and photos soon. It does have extra wide custom hubs which are beautiful
Off for a weeks riding on the small wheeled 29er.

By: Art

Art — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:46:44 +0000

I kind of get where you’re going. The amount of heat generated is going to be the same. You are still decelerating the same mass at the same rate. On one hand, a given piece of the rotor will have more time to cool off before it gets back to the caliper, but it also had more time to pick up heat energy when it went through the caliper in the first place. That might even be worse in terms of making the rotor warp, but that’s a lot of calculation I haven’t done yet.

By: MudSpot

MudSpot — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:33:28 +0000

Thanks for those answers Art and Bryan. What about this for a theory. The big wheels are going to rotate slower (relative to a 26 inch wheel) at the same speed so the rotor is rotating slower and therefor producing less friction heat when braking, which offsets any additional heat that Art has mentioned. Another way to look at it is your braking the same mass (rider plus bike) irrespective of wheel size, so brake demand dosent change, and rotor heat dosent change. Dunno, getting a little to scientific for me, but love to question these things.
In the process of getting a 36er built, hence the interest in these discussions. I am 6’7″ so big wheels wont look so freakish. (less freakish than me on 26″ wheels)