And this shows how different folks react to bikes. I wanted to love the P/R. Tried everything possible to get it to work for me. Unfortunately, there were some issues that were for me insurmountable. Have a theory, although it is neither here nor there at this point. (But will mention it would be interesting to ride that bike again now that I've lost another 20+ pounds. If it still handles the same, then the theory is out the window.)
As for tire choice, the thing I like about 650B is the slightly wider tires. Although with 40's on the Hillborne and 50's on my LHT, it's no longer such an issue. For wide tires, am pleased with current choices. While I would like a tire that would handle like a Hetre, the glass strewn roads around here would prevent me from actually using it. Eric Platt St. Paul, MN On Aug 18, 12:51 am, Esteban <kemm...@gmail.com> wrote: > Eric's old Kogswell really gets me (and the groceries and kids) > around! 650B city bike, I've found, takes the cake (along with the > lumps and bumps). > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/25671...@n02/4590765200/ > > If Anthony at Longleaf can pull together reliable deliver of his > version of the P/R, there should be good, cheap 650B options out > there. Riv is in the game for good -- just not for the big sizes. > > The Hetres & Pari-Motos have really pushed the discussion of wheel > size over to discussion of tires. In my estimation, I think like > this: > > Harsh = any 23mm race tire > Fast = (700c) Challenge Parigi-Roubiax; (650B) Pari-Moto; (650B) > Hetre. Here, 700c has its own sporty charms, but the volume of the > 650B offerings is an added bonus > All-rounder = (700c) Jack Brown Greens; (700c) Paselas in 32 or 35; > (650B0 Col de La Vie or maybe the new Somas. > Invincible = any Schwalbe tractor tire > > When I ordered my Ebisu randonneuse, I went with 700c. It was a tough > decision, but I wanted to run skinnier tires for near-excusive road > riding. How about everyone just get one of each? > > Esteban > San Diego, Calif. > > On Aug 17, 8:06 pm, Earl Grey <earlg...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > What a difference 10 months make. Last October I ordered my Sam, and > > being between the 52 and the 56, I ordered the 56, partly because my > > 19 year old other bike (Fisher Sphinx monster cross) is decidedly too > > small (17"!), and Grant was encouraging me to go big. But I also live > > in Thailand, and while 700C stuff I like is hard to impossible to find > > here (it's either ultra-light racing stuff, or cheap tank-like hybrid > > stuff), I figured that if I did have an emergency, I could find *some* > > 700C rim or tire here locally (and I have already had two rims > > destroyed by cars here). > > > But at the time, though I would have been interested in 650B, the word > > "Hetre" did not yet speed up my pulse. I didn't know what it was, or > > how special. I also used to put 28s on my Fisher for road rides, and > > 45s for mtn bike rides, and hadn't discovered the immense pleasure of > > mixed-surface rides. Now I have, and for each ride I choose between > > 42mm semi knobbies (on the Fisher) and 33mm JBs or 35mm Paselas (on > > the Sam) depending on expected conditions. I'd really like something > > that combines the advantages of both. So I am putting my money where > > my mouth is, and will start a new thread to see how many of us would > > pre-pay for a 700C Pari-Moto or Hetre? > > > However, on Monday for our weekly local Rivride, we did one of my > > favorite 50k loops, which involves a lot of pavement, but also at > > least 10k of dirt, some of which is rather steep and technical. I had > > decided before that my 42mm knobbies were better for this ride, and > > had I known we would go this route, I probably would have picked the > > Fisher. But I found that the JBs performed really well. There was one > > steep climb where I momentarily lost traction on the rear wheel, but I > > recovered and made it to the top. I didn't dismount any more often or > > descend more slowly than my companions on fatter tires. Not to say > > that a 700C PariMoto wouldn't have been better, but I found that I do > > enjoy riding a tire that is a bit too skinny for the conditions, as it > > forces me to become fully present in what I am doing, for a zen-like > > cycling experience. :) Here's a > > photo:http://www.flickr.com/photos/25150...@n08/4903469472/ > > > Cheers, > > > Gernot > > > On Aug 18, 7:18 am, EricP <ericpl...@aol.com> wrote: > > > > Having been on that ride, I can attest to the bike's beauty. > > > Unfortunately, don't have a good photo of it to add. Yes, a reflector > > > would be a nice add on, but the integrated light makes up for that in > > > my opinion. > > > > Part of me wishes for a larger 650B bike again. (Esteban has the one > > > I tried to get to work). And do have some regrets not buying a 61cm > > > Bleriot instead. > > > > All in all, though am quite content with my other choices. And > > > really, when it comes to being different, my larger frame 26" wheel > > > bike is just fine. > > > >http://www.flickr.com/photos/14126...@n05/4532886734/in/set-721576237... > > > > Eric Platt > > > St. Paul, MN > > > > On Aug 17, 3:24 pm, Esteban <kemm...@gmail.com> 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 <tim...@bitstream.net> 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 -- 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 rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. 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