Functional bikes. Not Porn not Anti

Decided to give life to an old MTB I had in my shed!

I did the coast and castles route and Berwick to Edinburgh was two day, probably doable in one, and it was some of the most enjoyable riding I've done. From Innerleithen to Edinburgh through the golf course and up the hill with only sheep for company, I was literally in awe.

Wait till you try out the GP4000s II in 28mm.

http://instagram.com/olgrumpy

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I just saw this on Evans' website:

New Pinnacle Chromium 650B. I think it looks great for the money - 450 quid. Alu frame and full cromo fork, 1x8 drivetrain, ergo bars, hydraulic disk brakes. The rims and tyres aren't too heavy. Plus nice details like multiple eyelets and forward-facing seatpost slot. It seems better specced than other offerings at the same price (Charge Grater, Revolution hybrids). I am pretty tempted actually.

https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-chromium-1-2016-hybrid-bike-EV253857

What does everyone think?

And it come with decent looking mudguard too, I agree price is great for the specification.

The 650b mean even the heavy wheel is still slightly lighter than the 700c counterpart.

Well the rims are 450g which is a reasonable weight anyway. Don't know about the tyres. Plus it'll be wide enough for ghetto tubeless which is an advantage over skinnier-wheeled offerings.

Thats lovely.

Brakeset - Tektro Auriga Hydraulic Disc Brake

Are they any good? Last time I saw a pair they were fairly garbage.

I'd rather have cheap mechanical than cheap hydro.

Thats true but you could say that about 20" wheels etc... That tiny (negligable) advantage could be argued the other way (ie larger wheels soak up bumps better etc.. ala 26" vs 29" mtb - tyre width being the same).

Until 650 is more widely accepted I think its fairly pointless on cheap bikes like this.

What does everyone think?>

Is this in relation to your earlier post?

Looking for reasonably priced commuter that I'm not scared to leave locked up, but also is fun to ride. I will look secondhand too.
OTP options so far -
Vitus Dee 26 - £180! - probably a bit naff to ride, but super-duper-cheap. Cheap discs more trouble than they're worth?
Vitus Dee 29 - £330 - £150 more than the 26in version... getting into Charge territory with that sort of pricing.

I'd say that if you're looking for a cheap commuter that you're not worried about locking the CRC Vitus are amazing bargains. If you can fit a 16" one, the 29er is only £200. They would be my choice new.

The point is, 26" is pretty much dead as far as the industry is concerned. 650b isn't the future, it's the now. Hardly anything being released is 26 anymore.

(Weeps as finished building his dream hardtail a year and a half ago which is 26")

rims and tires in that size won't disappear anytime soon

In 26?

Definitely not.

But there is no reason not to buy 650, it's not niche, tyres tubes rims etc are commonly available.

If you're world touring then sticking with 26 might be a plan, but if it's traversing the hipster spice route you'll never be far from a 650 spare.

26 will be back.

That's happening now isn't it? 26" slick fatties and bike packing.

I'm all set for the 2019 "retro" 700c builds already.

Nice shot. I sat in that exact spot and painted a picture of Tantallon Castle on my way riding to Edinburgh and back in 2012. My Aunt used to live in North Berwick. The beach below the castle is amazing.

Thanks! I'm really happy with the end result

Until 650 is more widely accepted I think its fairly pointless on cheap bikes like this.

Tyres for 650b are already gaining traction, Marathon Plus come out in 42mm already yonks ago.

Tyres for 650b are already gaining traction

Heh.

I have a question regarding 650b wheels/brakes: I have a 26 inch MTB frame with cantilever bosses. Can I somehow put 650b wheels in the frame and install brakes that will fit? The frame has enough room for 700c wheels, so I'm only worried about the brake situation.

Also, thanks @Lolo and @edscoble for answering my previous question.

(584-559)/2 = 12.5mm so you need at least that much travel in the brake.

FMF brake looks like it might do the job.

It can be made possible with @lae suggestion, however, the other thing you will need to look out for is the clearance on the rear especially, as the chain/seat stay get narrower the nearer it get to the seat tube, so with whatever tyres the frame can originally take, it need to be slightly smaller (says, 1.95 is the max with 26", meaning a 1.75 might have enough room with 650b).

yes I've done it on my commuter/beater.

yes I've done it on my commuter/beater.

How exactly?

@lae: Seems like they're no longer made. @edscoble: Thanks for the tip. Is there any way to test/measure this before buying the tyres, or is it trial and error?