700c has been a very misunderstood term for a while now and we would like to clarify that for you. The most common issue with this term is confusing it with "700cc". The 700cc is a term for motorcycles referring to their motor power. The words are very similar but the meanings are so different. The 700c wheel size, according to the French system, denotes the nominal diameter and width of the bicycle tire. The "700" is stating the diameter of the bicycle tire and "c" is the width size of the tire. However it's not 700 millimeters it's 633 millimeters.
Also, another common mistake is that often riders confuse "c" with centimeters. In the 700c wheel size chart, 'c' does not denote centimeters but rather the historical width category of the tire.
The alphabetical order is coming from the old French system which starts with the letter "a" and goes through to "d". Size "a" is the narrowest and size "d" is the widest width size for a tire according to this system. Except "c" all other sizes dropped and have not been in use for a long time but "c" stuck because of widely used.Generally you can use 28mm to 35mm wide tires on the 700c rims.
Another false assumption is that 700c and 29-inch tires are the same. Unfortunately this is not true. "700c" has the same diameter with a 29-inch tire. However, the width of the 700c is narrower than a 29-inch tire. To clarify what size wheel is 700c, the standard 700c wheel size in inches is roughly 27.5 inches, though the diameter can vary slightly. Understanding what 700c wheel size in inches means is crucial for riders to select the correct fit. The diameter of a 700c wheel in mm is approximately 633 mm, and it can accommodate a range of tire widths. Riders think because their diameters are the same size, the width will also have the same size. If you fall into this mistake your tire unfortunately won't fit into your rim. If you're still wondering 'what does 700c wheels mean?' consider the practical application: it's a versatile wheel size that can fit a variety of bicycles, particularly road bikes. Check a 700c bike wheel size chart before purchasing to ensure compatibility.
