Hi Toshi, sounds like a GREAT conversion. I've said before that the Pacers should be built around full 57mm brake reach so they could fit larger tires. Good bikes other than that detail! BTW, the MTBR link doesn't show the bike unless you're signed in.
On Sun, Apr 1, 2012 at 5:17 PM, Toshi Takeuchi <[email protected]> wrote: > Well, the event that led me to my first Rivendell bike was the > unfortunate death of a local rider on Grizzly Peak Rd. in Berkeley > when he hit a crack in the road and lost control into oncoming > traffic. Since I'm not a racer (although I like doing endurance > events), I decided that it made sense for me to find a road frame that > accommodates wide tires to increase safety and comfort, while probably > not losing too much in terms of performance. It just so happened that > someone listed a "52 cm" Rambouillet on a board I read and I decided > to buy it since it allows for 32mm 700c tires while still allowing > fenders. > > I'm sure some of you are already saying, "Whoah, that's not a 52 cm > Ram (which uses 26" wheels)." It turns out I got a 54 cm Rambouillet, > and while the standover height doesn't leave much for room for error, > I'm done having kids and the bike is super comfortable and has great > handling. > > The problem with having such a comfortable bike is that it makes your > other bikes look that much worse. My previous widest tire bike is my > Surly Pacer that allows 700x28c tires with fenders. I use it mostly > for commuting and shopping runs (it used to pull trailers, but my kids > now pedal!). It's a fine bike and quite comfortable. My friend said > it rides like a Cutlass Supreme (as opposed to a high performance > sport car). This bike has my lowest gearing with a Sugino XD (ramped > and pinned version) with 48-38-24 chainrings and 11-34 cassette--low > enough to tow my kids up most of the big East Bay hills in a trailer. > > Anyhow, the 28 mm are OK, but after enjoying plush, not OK enough. My > wife would kill me if I tried to get yet another bike, when the pacer > works fine, but I remembered that 650b conversions allow you to use > fatter tires with the same frame. I didn't really want to use 650b > because all my wheels are 700c, but taking safety, comfort and > practicality in mind, the Surly Pacer conversion to 650b made a lot of > sense (plus I'm going all in on the wheel size with my dream brevet > bike and my wife's new Betty Foy!). > > In terms of parts, all I had to do was get some Tektro long reach > brakes and some 650b wheels/tubes/tires. Rich built up a front dynamo > hub for me and I built up the rear wheel (and a couple other wheels > for a "Legolas blue" AHH I have on order--my dream brevet bike!). I > used Soma Express 38mm tires and silver SKS Longboard fenders. The > conversion was pretty easy and the fender installation went great, > thanks to the nice video on the Riv website. > > If my 700c pacer was a Cutlass Supreme, this version definitely has > the hydraulic lifts for that extra groove. > > Here's a pic I posted on another forum: > > http://forums.mtbr.com/9160950-post149.html > > Best, > Toshi > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. > > -- Cheers, David Redlands, CA ** “I believe in an America where millions of Americans believe in an America that’s the America millions of Americans believe in. That’s the America I love.” -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
