For myself, the 650B would be a clear choice. The extra width helps in bad road conditions, e.g. chipseal or sand on paved road, and clearly dirt roads. The 650 wheels seem strong. I am heavy and have not had any wheel issues in two years on my Bleriot. You can easily get all the tires and tubes you need on the internet. The col de la vie (sp?) is a great tire, 38 mm (or so) wide and cheap. Jim D. Massachusetts
--- On Mon, 2/8/10, PATRICK MOORE <[email protected]> wrote: From: PATRICK MOORE <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [RBW] Choosing between a 650B and 700c frame To: [email protected] Date: Monday, February 8, 2010, 12:16 PM There are two advantages of 650B, as far as I can tell. One is that it lets you run a fatter tire of the same diameter of a thinner 700c tire. If you don't need fatter tires, then go with 700c. The second is that it lets you use a smaller wheel, assuming you don't increase it to 700c size by said fatter tires, which may be a good choice for some smaller people who need smaller frames, or simply for weirdos like me who like smaller wheels in larger frames (tho' I go all the way down to the 559 and 571 sizes). Note too that some of the advantage of fatter, 650b tires is gained by skinnier 700c tires simply because they are 1 1/2 inch bigger in diameter -- all things equal, larger diameters roll more easily (said one who knows by (a) his 29er compared to his 26ers, annd (2) because he has favored 559 sized road wheels.) And, fwiw, I have read that increasing the *diameter* a certain % reduces rolling resistance by some multiple of the reduction brought about by merely increasing the tire width by that same % -- studies done by the British government back in the later 18th century to help carriage makers design wheels that would travel better on their new, McAdamized and Telford-ized gravel roads. On Sun, Feb 7, 2010 at 9:51 PM, Zaelia <[email protected]> wrote: Hello - I'm a new member to the group, and I'm in the process of ordering an A. Homer Hilsen frame from Rivendell. I've been given the option of both the 650B frame (56cm) and the 700c frame (55cm). After conducting as much research as I can online and talking with my bike knowledgeable friends, I'm still finding the decision to be difficult. I'm not sure how much information I should give here, but I'm just wondering if anyone has any thoughts about my dilemma. My AHH will be primarily a commuter bike, but will also serve me on longer weekend rides and perhaps some light touring in the future. What I like about this bike is its ability to tackle a wider range of conditions - road and off-road (nothing gnarly, mind you) - and it is just a beautiful looking bike! In my adult life, I've only ever known my current ride - a Rocky Mountain Fusion mountain bike from the mid-90s. I'm looking forward to riding a bike much more suited to my style of riding. The Fusion makes me work pretty hard and it's h-e-a- v-y! Availability of the 650B wheels is my biggest issue. I have only found two stores locally that can help me out with this (they don't have anything in stock but would have to order), though I've not conducted an exhaustive search. Talking with the folks at the local stores was quite illuminating. The first kept telling me that the tire was a new fad - something for the folks who want to be different. The second had no idea what I was talking about. I'm not all that mechanically inclined, so I depend on my LBS (to my chagrin) - though I hope to change this in the future and become more adept at working on my bike. I'm leaning heavily toward the 650B because of the many things I've read about it on sites like 650B Palace (http:// 650bpalace.blogspot.com/) and La Confrérie des 650 (http://www.cyclos- cyclotes.org/650/index_ang.html). Even the Country Bike Shop (http:// www.countrybikeshop.com/) makes me feel the 650B is the choice I should make. But still a lingering doubt remains. I can't imagine I'll regret my decision, but I worry that I might. While I have you - the second part of this question might be what width should I get? And what brands/models do you recommend? I know much of this is subjective, but I'd be happy to read your thoughts. Thanks. Cheers, Zaelia -- 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. -- Patrick Moore Albuquerque, NM For professional resumes, contact Patrick Moore, ACRW at [email protected] (505) 227-0523 -- 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. -- 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.
