I posted this on the RBW group on Facebook and it was proposed that I ask the same question here. I've been a member in the past but I unjoined when my email became unmanageable. But I missed you guys! Well, sorta ;)
I have one of the few Rivendells built with short reach brakes. It's a custom I bought used from another tall guy, so I guess he specified it that way. Thankfully, the pads are at the very bottom of the slots, so I can cram the Grand Bois Cypres and have it clear the brakes. But just barely, occasionally I get rocks stuck between the brake caliper and the tires. I am planning on going to make another run at PBP in 2015 and I want fenders this time. I went in 2007 and I was just cold and miserable. This time if I'm going to be cold and miserable, I'd rather not be coated in road grime as well. I think the best way to make this happen without acquiring another frame is to convert to 650B. However, I am 6'7" so I am a bit worried about ground clearance. I'm thinking of shortening my cranks as well to maintain clearance in the corners. I currently have 180mm TA Carmina cranks which I don't love as they have a narrower Q factor than I am comfortable with, so my desire to replace them dovetails well with a drivetrain changeover. My Riv is also spaced 130 in the back. I have found some wheels for less than $300 on the Internet from reputable builders using Velocity Synergy but most are laced on MTB hubs. is it advisable to cram the 135s in or look for something else with 130 spaced hubs? Another option would be just to cut the spokes on my existing wheels and start over with 650 rims. There would be less parts replacements in the drive train if I went that route as I'm currently running 9 speed Campy. I am not that attached to Campy though and would certainly entertain a switch to Shimano. I just don't want to break the bank doing so. One idea would be to resell the Campy bits to offset the cost of the Shimano stuff. I think I am leaning towards going whole hog on the Shimano conversion. My Schmidt dynohub is another conundrum. It's currently laced up on a 700c wheel. I could have it re-laced 650B, but then I couldn't use it on my other bikes. I've been tending more towards battery powered lights the last few years but it would be nice to have always on power. I suppose I could relace it for the Riv 650B conversion and then just use battery power if I want to take the other bikes out at night. Lastly, if I were to convert, is it reasable to think I could still do Grand Bois but also with fenders? The 700c Grand Bois are marked 30mm but they measure 32mm installed, at least, in 700c they do. Well anyway...can't think of anything else for the moment. Jim Austin, TX -- Keep the metal side up and the rubber side down! -- 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 post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
