Tim is perfectly right: if putting 38s on a Riv Road, with the benefits and liabilities discussed, means that it gets ridden, then the change will be a good one. But playing devil's advocate in support of another person's suggestion, I do think that installing top quality skinny 700C tires and learning how that improves the ride might also be a solution. Perhaps my own perspective is biased because I ride fixed gears: I count pedal strike as a real liability and take great care to minimize the risk of it. And again, I've found 28 mm Compass ELs superbe and transforming in themselves. But if I owned a bike that could barely clear 26s, I might switch to 650B too.
On Thu, Nov 1, 2018 at 8:03 AM Tim Gavin <tim.ga...@littlevillagemag.com> wrote: > > > 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. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- Resumes, LinkedIn profiles, bios, and letters that get interviews. By-the-hour resume and LinkedIn coaching. Other professional writing services. http://www.resumespecialties.com/ Patrick Moore Alburquerque, New Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique ************************************************************************** ************** *Auditis an me ludit amabilis insania?* -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
