On Aug 22, 2009, at 11:43 AM, Brewster Fong wrote:
> But, is there really that many people demanding road 650b or is it > just another fading fad? Unless Trek and Cannondale and Specialized are listing 650B bikes, it's at best a niche market. If it lasts for a year or two it's a fad and I think that is likely to be the case without the size becoming mainstreamed. Bike shops aren't going to sell enough to make it worth their while to stock the tires and rims, and manufacturers are going to see it as a nuisance unless they can sell enough every year to make it worth setting up the machines. Even in France, Michelin and Wolber only do one short run a year of rims and tires. I'm sure it's a nice size and works well, many people like it and sing its praises, but to me there is nothing compelling about 650B to make it worth the expense to either buy or convert a bike to that size. I can run 559 x 32 mm or wider tires on my All-Rounder and they work fine (so well that I ended up shelving my vague thoughts of converting the A/R a la Ron Lau); Paselas are good tires, readily available at most bike shops and much cheaper than comparable 650B tires. I can run 700 x 28s or wider on my road bikes and they are fast and cushy. I think the energy devoted into 650B would have been much better expended on getting a good road rim along the lines of the MA-2 into the market, with box construction, a low profile, polished finish and true nipple sockets. That seems to me to be the glaring oversight in the market now, not yet another tire size. Sorry to be heretical. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
