Functional bikes. Not Porn not Anti

It's fairly pointless making the jump to 650b if you're running anything less than a 1.5" tyres isn't it?

They'll probably fit, but do you want that much coosh?

A nice wide 29ers wheelset with plushy 35mm tyres is usually enough.

The switch work best on those modern steel road bike with clearance barely enough for 28mm 700c, but ample for 38mm, it could be also made into an awesome winter bike with 32mm and mudguard instead of sticking to 23mm and plastic fakeguard.

Yeah, I just saw that too - also the all-650b Rawlands Stag, which looks like exactly the kind of low-trail hipster-chariot its name suggests. Nice, though.

Riding a 650b steel bike with downtube shifters et al. is becoming a PITA.

"So you are into the whole retro thing?"

No.

"How old is the bike?"

Er...

"I used to have one of those. Well I didn't but I borrowed one"

Oh yeah.

"I love the chrome, did you make the mudguards yourself"

Fuck you very much.

It's just a bike.

Don't worry, it's nearly 2015, time to ditch this 650b fad and into the gravel grinding territory of fat road bike with disc.

If you're not on an electronic-shifting fat roadbeik with thruaxle hydrodiscs by March you aint even cycling ;-)

I was hoping for something like 2.0 actually. Worthwile trying or never gonna happen?

It's just a bike.

Then what with the chrome mudguard huh?

Never gonna happen, 2.0 is pretty fucking massive, only my Elephants have the clearance for 2.0 and mudguard.

I'm in the market for a new roadbiek next year, so am hoping that my default preference of 'something dull with mudguard clearance' will either become fashionable, or perhaps simply transcend fashion altogether

They're alu, beaten into shape by a thousand geisha girls or something. They do look ridiculous but are very good, 650b and Freshtripe had them in stock.

or perhaps simply transcend fashion altogether

The only way to truly be ;-)

#rep

It already exist, lower end Trek Madone frame for instance have hidden mount for mudguard.

'course, they stopped making the Madone and only have two model, the high end and the cheap alu, only the latter have hidden mount.

Quite like the GT Grade that's billed as a gravel grinder, but the super slack very high trail geometry a little off putting despite generous clearances for mudguard and fatties.

I was hoping for something like 2.0

A Surly straggler would sort you out, but you probably already know this.

A 2.0 tyres is basically 50mm though, AFAIK the Surly max is 42mm.

42mm is about 1.6.

...hence sticking in a pair of 650b wheels, giving space for 2" tyres...

Ah yes, didn't clock that, I recall someone did that already, and even have enough room for mudguard.

Straggler with 29x2.0...

Might just be enough clearance for mudguard at the front, not rear unless you run SS/fixed.

An on here person did do it (Straggler+27.5"wheels), but then put slicks on I think?

Mega versatility with that setup.

I called it way back (before it was cool) ;-)

Someone managed to do a Disc Trucker with 650b 2.1 tyres (I know this because I got the exact same tyres)

The problem with this 29er is... where do you put the mud?

[edit] as you say in the edit [edit]

Black straggler with gumwall tyres and mudguard, blasting up and down Tooting with pink CK headset in full Waffa?

Yup, sound very on here.

t already exist, lower end Trek Madone frame for instance have hidden mount for mudguard.

'course, they stopped making the Madone and only have two model, the high end and the cheap alu, only the latter have hidden mount.

This is what concerns me, the thought of going into some hip custom framebuilder's workshop, plonking down a deposit, and saying "make me, uh, a sort of low-end Trek Madone"

Low end Trek Madone mean you're stick with 23mm tyres.

Ask them to build a frame around mudguard, not simply a provision, it'll look much better that way.

My Oak look perfect because it was designed for the GB mudguard, this way the brake bridge, chainstay clearance, etc. were carefully made to fit like a glove, yet it got a fag paper clearance between the guard and seat tube.

Ed has suggested something with discs. Do you want discs? They seem to be everywhere and on everything at the moment. I'm in a similar position to you, and am pondering a new purchase. I keep getting tempted by discs, but also keep reminding myself that rim brakes have been just fine for an awfully long time. A good dual pivot mid trop brake like the TRP RG957 has plenty of clearance for a decent size tyre and mudguard and will most likely meet all braking requirements. I keep looking at the Kinesis Gf Ti V2 on some good deals online and wonder whether snapping one up would be a good idea. The other thing is that the bloke from Kinesis is going it alone and starting his own brand which will apparently be some similarly practical but stylish stuff with disc brakes.