I have a short-reach equipped Riv as well ('97 Road Standard). I could
barely fit a 700x28C Ruffy Tuffy, no room for a Cypres.
When I converted it to 650B this spring, I gained plenty of vertical
clearance for fenders. I'm putting SKS Longboards on it soon. The max
tire size I can fit now is 650x38B, limited by horizontal clearance to the
fork stays, and the chain stays to a slightly lesser degree. The Grand
Bois Lierre tires are fantastic.
Your BB will be ~13mm lower than with the 700x32c tires (19mm radius
difference, minus the 6mm tire difference). That's not a ton, but could be
enough to scrape pedals. My Riv Road scrapes pedals occasionally, but only
when I'm leaned way over and pedaling in a turn. Obviously, switching to a
175mm crank would gain you back 5mm of pedal clearance. Low-profile pedals
help.
That 13mm is the same amount of vertical clearance you gain under the brake
bridge and fork crown. Plenty of space for fenders.
I'm in a similar conundrum regarding wheels. I have the Phil hubs on my
700c wheels, but I love 650B so much more. I'm on the lookout for nice
650B rims to lace them into, but until then I have cheapo ZAC 19/Shimano
hub wheels. I found these 130mm OLD wheels on ebay, but haven't seen them
since.
However, I currently have a 9-speed cassette on the 650B wheels, and my
Phil hub is FW. So, do I gain the smoothness of the Phil hub, but go back
to 7 speeds? For now, I have two wheelsets to swap between, and I can swap
out the brakes pretty quickly should I want to ride 700c.
On Tue, Oct 22, 2013 at 5:56 PM, Jim Bronson <jim.bron...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I posted this on the RBW group on Facebook and it was proposed that I ask
> the same question here. I've been a member in the past but I unjoined when
> my email became unmanageable. But I missed you guys! Well, sorta ;)
>
> I have one of the few Rivendells built with short reach brakes. It's a
> custom I bought used from another tall guy, so I guess he specified it that
> way. Thankfully, the pads are at the very bottom of the slots, so I can
> cram the Grand Bois Cypres and have it clear the brakes. But just barely,
> occasionally I get rocks stuck between the brake caliper and the tires.
>
> I am planning on going to make another run at PBP in 2015 and I want
> fenders this time. I went in 2007 and I was just cold and miserable. This
> time if I'm going to be cold and miserable, I'd rather not be coated in
> road grime as well.
>
> I think the best way to make this happen without acquiring another frame
> is to convert to 650B. However, I am 6'7" so I am a bit worried about
> ground clearance. I'm thinking of shortening my cranks as well to maintain
> clearance in the corners. I currently have 180mm TA Carmina cranks which I
> don't love as they have a narrower Q factor than I am comfortable with, so
> my desire to replace them dovetails well with a drivetrain changeover.
>
> My Riv is also spaced 130 in the back. I have found some wheels for less
> than $300 on the Internet from reputable builders using Velocity Synergy
> but most are laced on MTB hubs. is it advisable to cram the 135s in or look
> for something else with 130 spaced hubs? Another option would be just to
> cut the spokes on my existing wheels and start over with 650 rims. There
> would be less parts replacements in the drive train if I went that route as
> I'm currently running 9 speed Campy. I am not that attached to Campy
> though and would certainly entertain a switch to Shimano. I just don't
> want to break the bank doing so. One idea would be to resell the Campy
> bits to offset the cost of the Shimano stuff. I think I am leaning towards
> going whole hog on the Shimano conversion.
>
> My Schmidt dynohub is another conundrum. It's currently laced up on a 700c
> wheel. I could have it re-laced 650B, but then I couldn't use it on my
> other bikes. I've been tending more towards battery powered lights the last
> few years but it would be nice to have always on power. I suppose I could
> relace it for the Riv 650B conversion and then just use battery power if I
> want to take the other bikes out at night.
>
> Lastly, if I were to convert, is it reasable to think I could still do
> Grand Bois but also with fenders? The 700c Grand Bois are marked 30mm but
> they measure 32mm installed, at least, in 700c they do.
>
>
>
> Well anyway...can't think of anything else for the moment.
>
> Jim
> Austin, TX
>
> --
> Keep the metal side up and the rubber side down!
>
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