All The Six Fifty Bees Thread! (650b, 27.5 etc.).

Hello. My old 3 speed road bike easily has clearance for 37mm 700c on it at the moment, with a little space for mudguards on top, would it be a suitable candidate for 650bification?

You might have trouble finding long enough brakes, sounds like it could have been converted from 27" already.

It was - I already have to use long reach callipers on the 700c rim.

Ive been thinking of getting mudguard and bottle bosses added and a repaint so I could always get canti bosses added too.

Sound like a lot of work for an old 3 speed, but if you really love it, could be worthwhile.

Aye, it's not that old and has served me well as my main runabout and commuter for some years. Be good to turn it into something more prepared for londons rubbish road surfaces.

Your 37mm tyres isn't enough?

In that case if you really value your bike, then adding canti bosses on will make it easier to convert to 650b, probably can get away with 42mm, even 48mm.

then adding disc mounts on will make it easier to convert to 650b

ftfy.

then adding disc mounts to a frame not built to withstand those forces will result in instant death

ftftfy

then adding disc mounts to a frame not built to withstand those forces will result in instant death

Brakes are death.

Q.E.D.

@edscoble you've got the 42mm compass tyres on right? Have they stretched out at all and if so, do you know how much?

The Hetres, start off at 38mm, settle at 42mm around 35-40psi.

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I'm not interested in hetres, I want to know about Compass!

Got some Jon Bons already, they've gone up to 37/38ish between 45-50psi. No worries if you've not measured, frame has stacks of clearance. Sub-optimal mudguards but i'll just pray for sunshine and sort them at a later date.

I have an itch for a custom 4 seasons road bike issues I am facing are:

700c: Great rim and tyre choice but if you want to go big on tyres the circumference just goes up and I like how 650b works well in this area.
650b: VERY limited choice of rim brake rims; but then again I already have a sweet wheelset. Tyre choice is still kinda limited, I dont want to go fatter than 32/35c under a 45mm guard.
26": Great rim choice but hardly any 'road' tyres except compass.

Kojaks in all 3 rim sizes.

And discs can >>>>>>>>

I am thinking on the lines of:

I know you're all edgy and anti-disc but seriously isn't this what discs are suited to? My winter bike will have hydro discs, if only to avoid the amount of shit that rim brakes produce in winter.

Put some fucking disc on you belm.

Funnily enough I weigh disc pros and cons every time I clean/maintain my bike.
I still think its too early for discs. Tragically the tech and design is not moving quick enough.

My macho man which is kinda 4 seasons has TRP Mini V, super-powerful so brazed on centre-pulls will be even better esp with modulation and adjustment.

Seriously, you wanna buy new rims every now and then? Change your pads as regularly as you would your Rapha socks? Go disc, get the full hydro package and be done with it.

This way you can go 28mm 700c, 38mm 650b for winter and maybe 26" for the lols.

It's not early anymore, the no problem is mechanic experience with road disc (like not realising compressionless is necessary with disc) Shimano RS785 is the best you can go.

I have rims on my dream bike because I look after it and I'm a mechanic, I have it because I'm a retrogrouch.

Everything else is disc bar the fixed wheeler.

Seriously, you wanna buy new rims every now and then? Change your pads as regularly as you would your Rapha socks? Go disc, get the full hydro package and be done with it.

This I have no issue with. I am competent with maintenance.

This way you can go 28mm 700c, 38mm 650b for winter and maybe 26" for the lols.

This I may but I have a bike each for most purposes.

Basically I want my Macho Man to have better RIM braking with max 35c tyres, possibly swaggier and lighter. It'll mostly be 2x Rival 22 as I am kinda of a SRAM convert now. Hoods are so comfy.

I contemplated full sized racers and comapss brakes but both are overkills for the tyre size I am after hence comparatively flexy plus compass cant take 'modern' pads.

With discs I'd ideally want something like this:

✓ Flat mount
✓ Mudguard ready carbon fork
✓ T47
✓ Thru axle both ends

etc.

But its wayyyyyyy pricey plus given its an evolving tech the industry will/can change its mind after I've splashed that kind of cash. I like well proven tech.

With discs the industry wants you to keep adapting as they havent made their mind up yet, hence its too early.

You can't go any better beyond that, beside going disc.

You genuinely do change your mind more than anyone I know. Even more than me!

You were singing discs praises merely months ago. You now like SRAM, because you've actually used it. You're going to get a bike made out of metal. 4 season/do it all bikes didn't make any sense because there was too much overlap.

And now you're going against all of those points?! Jesus...

Its a membership fee for renewal for #BuyersCC

I want a bike between these two:

(one on the left)

That will replace this:

One bike? For all the things?

One bike? Just one? Does not compute.

I always forget that I also have this:

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