On Aug 16, 2010, at 6:27 PM, Rob Harrison wrote:
On Aug 16, 2010, at 4:07 PM, Tim McNamara wrote:
Bingo. 650B is a "weird" even unheard-of size for 99.163% of the
US bike-buying public. People will be afraid they'll be stranded
with a bike they can't get tires for.
LOL, well, being part of the 0.837% is where I have resided for
most of my working life as a green architect, so I guess it's only
fitting I ride a 62cm 650B bicycle.
That made me chuckle.
Perhaps by the time I order my custom randoneause there will be
lightweight, supple 700 x 38 tires, or I will have lost 30 lbs so
700 x 32s will work fine for me. :)
I weigh 210 (probably closer to 220, judging from the fit of my
jerseys, but I don't like to say it) and had a very nice ride this
evening on my bike with Panaracer Paselas 700 x 25s pumped to 115
psi. Smooth, comfy, pleasant tires. The didn't seem any less
comfortable than my 700 x 28 Paselas as 105 psi or my 26 x 1.25s at
100 psi (also Paselas). I've never been a member of the Phat Tire
Phan Klub, other than the spare tire of fat around my middle, but a
lot of people seem to really like chubby tires.
I did realize 3/4's of the way to Portland on the STP that I'd be
SOL if I ripped a sidewall on one of my Hetres, which, it turns
out, I nearly did: <http://www.flickr.com/photos/robharrison/
4817049422/in/set-72157624011191725/> I think it was basically me,
Ryan Nute, Frank Fulton and a buddy of his riding 650b on that
ride, and I didn't see any 650b tires at the mechanic's stations.
It didn't occur to me to carry a spare tire.
In retrospect, yeeks! Glad you got through it without undue
difficulties.
Having said that, though, My Buddy Doug (he of the optional
adventures, which is a number of long and entertaining stories) had a
bead failure like yours in the photo except it actually blew out
along 2-3 inches. He was about 50 km from the end of a 300K or 400K
brevet. Maybe it was the 600. Doesn't matter, only that he had
about 50 km to go with a blown-out bead and no spare tire. Nobody
else had a spare either and he was pretty close to the middle of not
much of anywhere. But Doug did happen to have a tube of superglue
he'd put in his pocket for uncertain reasons. He glued the tire
sidewall around the bead, put the tire back on, pumped 'er up and
rode in to the finish to the amazement of the other randonneurs. I'd
heard the story from someone and chuckled because this was just
another one of Doug's many optional adventures. A week or two later
he and I drove down to watch the Nature Valley Grand Prix stage in
Mankato MN and rode our bikes to cut off the race and see them out of
town, then rode back in to watch the finish. I had time while riding
to ask Doug for the story and he filled me in on it. I asked if he
still had the tire so that I could see it; he replied "It's still on
the front wheel, I'll show you when we get back." A week or two and
several bike rides later, mind you.
Moral of the story: Superglue. Good stuff. Take some along. Just
in case.
You know, there is another benefit to 650B I've noticed but forgot to
mention in my other post. On many bikes, conversions or built-fors,
650B wheels often have a visual rightness to them that is quite
remarkable. To my eyes there is a certain proportion that looks
right on different wheel sizes- 700 x 28, 650B x 38, 26 x 1.25. I
don't know if there is a consistent mathematical relationship there.
I ride a 60 cm 26" wheeled All-Rounder from 1996. No stranger to
long head tubes, so 62 cm with a 650B looks downright normal to me.
A 63-64 cm frame (the Riv size I'd ride nowadays) with 700Cs still
has a pretty long head tube...
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