Yesterday, I spent around 8 hours after I got home from work to get Betty ready for full commute and regular use. Mind you, I had already managed to install the rear 650b 50mm Berthoud steel fender, but the front one had me completely stumped. Orders had been made and delivered, and while I now have a set of 38mm Lierre tires, when I put the front one on the budget dynamo wheel that I had purchased as a special from Riv sometime last year (or maybe even longer), my first impression was that I didn't like the skinny (compared to the Hetre) Lierre black/tan tire compared to the red/tan Hetre. So, being determined to try to find a way to prevent the rubbing of the Daruma bolt with the tire, while still having enough threads to bolt it.
I hope you're sitting comfortably, here goes the long detailed version of my adventure... http://www.flickr.com/photos/orthie251/8371244004/in/set-72157625115263842/ - The first step was to remove the front Silver brake, which interferes with the fender, especially when opening it to remove the wheel, with a Paul Racer front brake. I already have these on the Hilsen and really like them. Unfortunately, it's impossible to use one on the rear, so the rear Silver stayed. Naturally, I took advantage of this operation to also remove the Paul Thumbies I was using on the stem for the barend shifters and replace them with the mount that Riv sells/sold for this purpose, which is a lot more beautiful: http://www.flickr.com/photos/orthie251/8370178221/in/set-72157625115263842/. I first wanted to replace the shifters with a set of DuraAce downtube shifters, but there isn't enough room with the Bullmoose Bosco bar for those and I had to go back to the barend shifters. - Next was dealing with the Daruma bolt, and since I wanted to use the fender wedge that Boulder bycicle sells in two thicknesses, I had to grind down and flaten the rear of the holed portion of the daruma since to allow it to be centered enough so the fender wedge could sit inside the bottom of the fork crown. Otherwise, the recessed center mount pushes it too far forward: http://www.flickr.com/photos/orthie251/8371814700/in/set-72157625115263842/ - After hours of frustration during the Christmas break without having been able to figure out how to improve the clearance between the tire and the daruma bolt, last night I had the epifany of widening the hole on the fender so a short center mount brake recessed nut/mount could screw into the daruma bolt while leaving a very thin lip to hold the fender tight against the rubber spacer and the fender wedge: http://www.flickr.com/photos/orthie251/8370748261/in/set-72157625115263842/ (you can see other images of the fender wedge and parts on the set. - I thought I had it all nailed down, but discovered that the recessed mount would screw all the way into the daruma without tightening the fender, in fact, at first it still rubbed and it took me a while to realize what was happening. I proceeded to grind the recessed mount and the daruma screw, making it too short once and then finally getting it to work almost perfectly. There is still a little gap between the lip of the recessed mount and the fender which allows it to vibrate if you knock on it, but with the front screwed to the rack and the rear stays, the fender is super solid. There is no rubbing at all, so I may try putting a spacer or something to get it to fit tighter so it doesn't buzz when knocking on the frame: http://www.flickr.com/photos/orthie251/8371247196/in/set-72157625115263842/ - The width between the 50mm Berthoud fender and the 42mm Hetre seems to be a bit close, for some reason more so on the front than on the rear. Mounting the rear was a breeze. Still, there is no rubbing and today Betty went on her first ever work commute with me. The ride this morning was absolutely fantastic. I don't know what it is, but the Betty with the Hetres seems to roll so effortlessly compared to my other Rivs on Marathon Dureme or Supreme tires that it feels like I'm ice skating. The wheels are budget, so it must be the Hetres alone, or the combination of Hetre and 650b wheelset. This is my only 650b bike. I did get a set of 32mm Extra Leger tires to put on the Hilsen, so when I do I'll be able to tell the difference that those tires make compared to the 35mm Marathon Supremes I currently have there. The fenders behaved perfectly, although I managed to catch the wider stem of a dry leaf when I rode through a patch that was filled with a thick cushion of dry leaves. It didn't catch, it just stayed there rubbing between the fender, and the fender stay. The Bullmoose Bosco bars seemed to fit the Betty better than they fit my Hunqapillar. The Betty was an absolute pleasure to ride with the regular Bullmoose bars, but the Bosco gives it even more versatility, I think. They should fit my daughters better as well, if they ever decide to come on a ride with me. Last, I mounted the Nitto rear rack and decided to try out a set of rollable Brooks panniers I got as a gift last year. I like the way they mount, with leather straps, but their magnetic closures have no sticking power. They seem OK, but I may decide not to keep them and instead either put the gray Riv panniers I have or put an R14 rear rack to fit the medium Saddlesack instead. I need something to carry my laptop and clothes when I commute and am not sure how well Riv's panniers will do that job. Still pending, installing the Edelux lamp to use with the budget dynamo wheel... Happy weekend! René -- 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]. 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