A minor but significant effect of the shift to 29- and 27.5-inch wheels is that the bikes get a lot longer. Wheelbase by itself means almost nothing as a discrete measurement of frame geometry. It is a result of other dimensions and frame angles that really do make the critical differences in determining a bike’s intended use. But in a crowded shop, mere length makes a huge difference when you put your new stock on the sales floor.
Bikes hung from hooks now impinge on floor space, while bikes displayed on the floor stick up higher because of their taller wheels.
The trend to fatter tires means that bikes don’t fit easily into push-in display racks designed when 2.3 inches was a really wide tire. Even plus tires, a mere three inches wide, don’t fit in a traditional bike hook. The new hooks themselves are about twice as long as older bike hooks, in addition to the longer bikes.
People with large personal fleets of bikes are no doubt encountering the same need for adjustments. But we love our stuff and build our lives around getting it, keeping it and, if all goes well, getting to use it.
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