+1 for the Naches Pass... I just put them on my AR, thanks to James in Richmond VA - as he says, smoooth and fast-rolling (thanks again, James!) Welcome to the AR Club, Max!
On Wednesday, November 19, 2025 at 6:50:44 PM UTC-8 iamkeith wrote: > Congrats, that's a grail. I have a '99 Joe Starck/Joe Bell in a 60cm. > I"ve run at least a half dozen tires on it. I'm always the outlier, but I > didn't like The Rat Trap Pass tires. At least not on this bike, and > despite being able to fit them with fenders. Wider rims than I have would > definitely help but, otherwise, they were too pressure sensative. Either > squirmy or bouncy, and hard to get just right. 1.95" seems to be my > golidlox size, but that limits you to Sim Works Homage. FWIW. > > > On Wednesday, November 19, 2025 at 7:05:39 PM UTC-7 Patrick Moore wrote: > >> Congratuations on the new AR. My beloved 1999 26” wheel fixed gear road >> custom was also built by Joe and painted by the other Joe in Navy metallic >> with cream accents. >> >> Tires: What sort of riding will you do? For much riding on soft dirt, the >> Rat Trap Passes would be very nice, but IMO, one can easily install more >> tire than one needs and lose nimbleness in handling if not rolling >> efficiency, and I’m not convinced that on smooth roads narrower up to a >> point can’t be faster, all else equal; 28 mm Elk Passes “feel” faster to me >> (and of course, nimbler) than 42 mm Naches Passes. >> >> For me, if I didn’t ride in sandy soil, and for a 26” wheel, the 42 mm >> Naches Pass would be the sweet spot, especially as it allows fenders where >> Rat Trap Passes don’t. 42 mm (especially with 26” tires — 700C rolls over >> obstacles better) would see me over all terrain from fine asphalt to firm >> gravel and sand. And I’ve ridden our ditchbank roads on tires from 22 mm to >> 72 mm. >> >> To sum up: For an *All Rounder,* a 42 mm tire would seem to be and >> excellent compromise for pavement and firmer dirt riding. >> >> Here is my “All Rounder,” a 2020 Chauncey Matthews 26” wheel 3 speed >> fixed (ASC) road custom improving a 2003 Curt Goodrich 26” wheel Rivendell >> road custom that cloned (but the tubing was too stout) the 1999 Joe Starck >> 26” wheel Riv Road fixed gear custom which was an improvement on my 1995 >> Waterford 26” wheel Riv Road custom based on the first-gen Rivendell All >> Rounder but with lighter tubing, road lugs, and slightly tighter angles. 42 >> mm (42 actual) Naches Passes under fenders. >> >> [image: image.png] >> >> >> >> >> >> On Wed, Nov 19, 2025 at 9:49 AM maxcr <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Hi Everyone, >>> >>> As mentioned in the CL thread, I was the lucky buyer of the AR from eBay. >>> >>> Here's a bad photo from my basement last night after picking it up. I >>> promise better photos at some point in the future: >>> >>> [image: IMG_8327.jpg] >>> >>> I've always been curious about the early models, the 26 wheels on large >>> frame with a tighter geo, canti posts and great tire clearance made it >>> super appealing to me. The price was fair, larger ARs don't come up for >>> sale often. >>> >>> I'm really happy that my hunch was correct, it's a 59! Which is the >>> goldilocks size for me and more appropriate than 57 or 58. >>> >>> The seller said that the owner was a doctor who recently passed away and >>> his wife has been slowly selling his bikes through a friend who used to >>> work at their LBS (he has a couple of tandems, a Jack Taylor, a Ti Seven >>> and others that he's going to list). The bike has the original owners name >>> in the top tube, which is kinda cool, to keep the legacy going for him. >>> >>> Now the details. The bike is an early model. Based on the serial >>> (JS0030) and the JB in the chain stay, it's a Joe Starck /Joe Bell combo >>> from 2000. It's also number 30. 30 what? I don't know, the 30th All-Rounder >>> ever built? Maybe. >>> >>> The metallic blue paint with the cream head tube is just amazing even >>> after 25 years. There are some minor blemishes and chips as you would >>> expect from a bike that has been ridden, but it's really in top condition. >>> >>> I will probably ride it as is for a bit, but have plans to rebuild it. >>> The Ultegra group with brifters isn't what I want. I will probably keep the >>> drops (they say N Grand Randoneur which I assume is a Nitto noodle variant) >>> but need to see if they will work for me. I also plan to swap out the >>> drivetrain - probably put on a NOS Ritchey Logic crankset that I have or a >>> TA Carmina that I recently acquired paired with an XTR rapid rise RD (or >>> maybe an OM-1?). >>> >>> For tires, I'd love your thoughts. I'm thinking of RH Rat Trap Pass >>> tires, unless you convince me that the Naches Pass or the Simworks Homage >>> are a better option. I might want to keep it fendered, not sure... but >>> these fenders won't clear a really wide tire. >>> >>> Anyway, please offer your suggestions as I rethink this build. It won't >>> happen until next year given my time availability and other projects in the >>> pipeline. >>> >>> As you can see my downsizing isn't going well. I think I'm up to 11 with >>> the latest purchase of that time capsule brown Saluki and this AR. At some >>> point some will have to go, but I have a feeling that the AR is a keeper. >>> >>> Cheers >>> Max in Boston >>> >>> -- >>> >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to [email protected]. >>> To view this discussion visit >>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/ede058c4-db17-4f62-91ad-93ba98718b28n%40googlegroups.com >>> >>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/ede058c4-db17-4f62-91ad-93ba98718b28n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>> . >>> >> >> >> -- >> >> Patrick Moore >> Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> Executive resumes, LinkedIn profiles, bios, letters, and other writing >> services >> >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> *When thou didst not, savage, k**now thine own meaning,* >> >> *But wouldst gabble like a** thing most brutish,* >> >> *I endowed thy purposes w**ith words that made them known.* >> > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. 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