Jan also came out with this today: "Grand Bois also has been working on a 650B x 38 mm tire. The first iteration was the Hetre, which turned out a bit bigger than intended. In retrospect, that is a good thing, because the added width really does make a difference on broken pavement and gravel roads. But the down side is that these tires are just too big for many bikes.
With the experience gained from the Hetres, I am confident that Grand Bois will be able to get the size right on the second try. The casing will be the tried-and-true Grand Bois casing also used on the Hetres. The 650B x 38 mm tires should be available early next year, both directly from Vintage Bicycle Press and through better bicycle shops, just like all other Grand Bois products. It'll be great to have more choices in 650B tires. I still am hoping some day for a true hand-made 650B tire, like the Challenge Parigi-Roubaix, but perhaps with an even lighter casing. (650B riders understand that you don't need a 125 psi pressure rating, but a supple casing, to get a fast tire.) In fact, 38 mm probably would be a perfect size for such a tire, which most riders wouldn't use for serious dirt roads, but only on pavement, rough and smooth." So, add another $60 tire to the market. The other ones are apparently selling well. Gino On Tue, Jul 7, 2009 at 9:23 AM, Brewster Fong<[email protected]> wrote: > > > > On Jul 6, 7:47 pm, Tim McNamara <[email protected]> wrote: >> On Jul 6, 2009, at 6:41 PM, Esteban wrote: >> >> > The tires will initially be sold in pairs only for $118.00 per pair >> > and be shipped USPS Priority Flat Rate service for an additional >> > $12.00 anywhere in the continental US. >> >> So $65 a tire. Yikes. And I thought the Grand Bois were >> overpriced. I realize there are issues like the "dis-economies" of >> small scale products, costs of moldings and all, but jeez. >> >> I'll stick with my $20 Paselas on 26" and 700C rims, thanks. The >> local roads are crappy enough that spending $50 on tires is just a >> waste of money. They'll be punctured or cut long before they'll be >> worn out. > > I agree, $65 is outrageous for a tire! However, have you seen the > prices for the top-end Michelins and Contis - yup, about the same > price. What happened to all those $25-30 tires:) Similarly, unless > you're running 8spd or less, the prices of consumables likes chains > and cassettes have dramatically increased too. I know the dollar sucks > and the cost of everything has skyrocketed, but when chains start at > $40, its not good.... > > On the other hand, has the 650b road market grown that much to support > the sale of 200 pairs of high-priced dollars? I always thought 650b > was a good remedy for those who wanted to make their old "racing" > style bikes more user friendly, i.e., fatter tires. I'll guess we'll > see what kind of "support" Kirk gets....Good Luck! > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
