On Wed, Oct 31, 2018 at 1:18 PM Patrick Moore <bertin...@gmail.com> wrote:

> I've never done a 650B conversion, but I'd question whether an early Riv
> Road is the best platform: more bb drop, insufficient room for the fatter
> 584 bsd tires (can the original Riv Roads take 650B X 42?), the ride
> quality of the original as it was intended to be built up; and lastly, the
> availability of Compass EL tires in the 700C width that will fit your
> frame. My roads were built for 26" wheels and can take 32s and fenders, but
> I find the actual-width 28 mm Elk Pass tire all I need in the way of speed
> and comfort for road riding (these are labeled 32 and measure 27 and 29 on
> my 19 and 21 mm rims, respectively) and even firm dirt and gravel.
>

Patrick is correct that these issues make a Riv Road nowhere near the "best
platform" for a 650B conversion.  That would be a bike with enough tire
width clearance to fit the same overall diameter wheel, in either BSD.  But
a bike designed for 700 x 23 will rarely fit a 650 x 42 (same overall
diameter).  So there's always a compromise.

None of us are buying brand-new Road Standards, we're finding them used and
making them into our own (often as a Rivendell on a budget).  But they're
gorgeous frames that should be ridden, so I say do whatever you want in
order to improve your riding experience.

Personally, my Road Standard barely clears a 700 x 26 tire, and I vastly
prefer the ride of a 650 x 38 (Pari-Moto or Compass) to a 700 x 26 (Grand
Bois Cerf).  And the 38's are much more competent on dirt and gravel.

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