Counter point on tire size and aesthetics, http://www.flickr.com/photos/rperks1/4849743094/in/set-72157622761433374/ best shot I have with the fenders on. I can ride anything in my region on or off road with the 42mm tires, they just ride like truck retreads. Although you can crush bottles with the Marathon XR.
Noel's bike is beautiful, but I think similar goals can be achieved in 700c On Aug 17, 1:24 pm, Esteban <[email protected]> wrote: > Just to return to aesthetics for to a moment, there's just something > "right" about 650B with fenders on a larger frame. Here's Noel on his > aforementioned 63 (riding with Rob on his 60cm QB): > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/25671...@n02/3828775512/ > > Esteban > San Diego, Calif. > > On Aug 16, 6:45 pm, Tim McNamara <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > 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...- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - -- 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.
