Why haven’t small wheels caught on?

I disagree. Wheel size does
I disagree. Wheel size does effect handling characteristics. Design of bike more so towards effect of handling.
At an extreme, we don’t see 1inch diameter or 1.5metre diameter wheels often yet 20-28 inch seem decent to many modern bike designs. 20inch certainly helps transportation of such. I love riding a 24inch bike as I find it a lot faster along tow paths. It is light weight, wide wheeled and a fantastic design. On long straights it might be capable of pushing wind yet it is single cog and ain’t tall geared. I prefer this to a larger wheel on tow paths because I ain’t as shaken and it’s agility certainly keeps the pace up. On larger faster smoother curves I prefer 700c yet again that probably bike design.
Much to much, can’t go wrong with either if you find your bicycle comfortable and enjoyable.
Smaller wheels are often stronger and less maintaince.
My faster tread 700c wheels aren’t the fastest tyres but heaps harsher than a cruisy pace fat one.
Best of luck.
(I believe in moment of inertia yet whatever makes you smile is the best suit)
I have never seen a Moulton bicycle. They do look quite quick. I’m impressed from internet browsing.
More yawning of what I type. Lol.
I don’t think they have caught on here because..
Expensive.
I have trouble trusting 700 28c down the local grade on 70kmph sweepers, the 24 inch isn’t stable down the straight road grade and just plain and simple… I rely on inertia preferably far from the axle. Because the wheel wants to go that way it will have less tendency to want to go sideways. I am so scared, remembering consistently which lever is which brake. On drop bars at the grade 30km from home 90kmph not uncommon.
Storage, flatter roads, strength…. They look really useful.

I’d never heard of Moultons

I’d never heard of Moultons before, interesting.

Have seen a few about town in London, but nothing compared to the ubiquitous Bromptons.

Raleigh Twentys have a bit of

Raleigh Twentys have a bit of a cult following:

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/raleigh-twenty.html

It boils down to the bike

It boils down to the bike market being very conservative.  Small wheels are not what “proper bikes” have, so therefore they must not be so good (probably…).  So far more big wheeled bikes are made, so that’s what people choose, and so on in a self-reinforcing cycle.

It didn’t help that historically the original Moulton was buried by Raleigh in a fit of Not Invented Here and the cheap and cheerful lookalikes like the RSW weren’t actually cheerful, though most people today will have forgotten that.  These days most people will simply repeat Received Wisdom as to why small wheels are bad without actually trying a well designed small wheel bike, and persist with the big wheels they’re familiar with even when they’re not actually any particaular help (or for diminutive riders, possibly an active hindrance).

A Brompton opened my eyes to small wheels being more capable than I’d thought, and now I use a Moulton TSR as my general Hack Bike.  It’s just nicer to ride than a 700c bike, more manouvrable and more comfortable (and so it should be at the price, of course)

Most folks only buy and ride

Most folks only buy and ride what they see. Then they justify their choice without knowing enough about the alternatives.

I’ve done a lot of 1200km brevets on my custom S&S 700C Frezoni and a lot of 120km brevets on Moultons. Moultons are a little heavier and a little slower uphill but much more comfortable and quicker downhill. I’ll keep riding all sorts of bikes – they’re fun!

wellsprop wrote:

wellsprop wrote:

Boatsie wrote:

Anyone remember the old gyro demonstration? If you hold each axle side with each hand and spin the wheel away from you then by pushing on the left side of the axle, the wheel will tilt left rather than turn right. Yes, at slow speeds we can turn the handle bars yet at higher speeds, by pushing on the handle bars, rather than the handle bars turning, the bike will lean into the corner. A larger diameter experiences a larger gyro effect and that to me is a lot safer at higher speeds. A 20 inch rim is more likely to survive trail punishment, jumps, etc and a 20 inch rim is easier to transport but a 28 inch rim will be a lot kinder at higher speeds associated with road bicycles. MTbs being smack bang in the middle. With regards to road cycling; smooth through to not so nice yet jumpless roads, 700c seems perfect especially with our tyre advancement and some wider low resistance tyres/frame combinations offering comfort on our fun roads. Basically… Bigger diameters need less grip than smaller diameters while traveling at speed when cornering is required.

Gyro forces are insignificant in bike handling http://www2.eng.cam.ac.uk/~hemh1/gyrobike.htm

I’m confused why you believe bigger wheels need less grip? Wheel diameter has nothing to do with cornering forces.

So far, the CFD I’ve done is concurrent with the prevailing opinion that smaller wheels are more aerodynamic anyway. Not only that, smaller wheels give more responsive bike handling.

It seems to me that we are only using 700c because it was the most common size derived from an archaic French system of wheel measurement.

Different view and possibly a better writer than I. Understanding gyro forces significantly improves cornering and bigger diameter wheels improve such.
Corning is handling, hence whom am I to know whether a Baker is teaching an art class?

How’d aero get recognised? Is it because their closer to ground? The wall behind them doesn’t count aye; just a wheel aye.

Less grip, corner at speed, bigger diameter wheel. If too big like pointed out, wind resistance. I like 700c, still way smaller than my wall.
Basic principles, physics.

It is a known force. It might not be named ‘gyro’ and if such the case I wronged you there.
I ain’t pedantic, it is basic physics principles although with support towards smaller wheels one may argue that at the same speeds the wheel speed is greater hence more gyro or whatever the name of that force will translate into movement.
Bigger wheels roll over potholes. Lol.
Thanks with the information that 700c came from the French engineers.
They often intelligent. English used to stick two fingers up with that jester originating from the English /French war as it was more effective to chop two fingers off an English archer than it was to terminate him. The qualified archers would stick 2 fingers up at the French to let them know that they are still qualified archers.
I like 700c wheels, my roads are basically flat/smooth.

Imagine a very smooth road and a road bike using a grass hill skateboard wheel on the front end. Yes, an aerofoil would be easier to manufacture enabling the pushed wind to displace into a slipstream yet the grip required when cornering would be enormous.
I didn’t read the entire article, I remember reading something to do with initial steering which too me is important at higher speeds.
My mate commuted 2*30km daily on 20 inch rims. They suit some. Momentum of the wheels tangent using 700c suits most road riders. Besides all that, I haven’t neither a wheel or tyre factory and same as you with we use what we get.
Less grip.. I haven’t the expertise to explain angular momentum.