650B tires and rims?

It appears Rivendell will be coming out with a new bike, the Saluki,
that will require 650B tires and rims. Does anybody make tires and
rims in this size? If so, who? Looking at Sheldon Brown's website,
there doesn't seem to be alot of choices in tires:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/tires/584.html

Thanks. Brewster

I think the Rigida Aries is available in 584mm, from Gilles Berthoud in
France,
http://www.gillesberthoud.fr/
and other places in France
http://www.cyclos-cyclotes.org/650/index.html
(click on Agenda Technique).
Appears to be just 36 & 48 hole.

They're probably also available from Japan, though I don't know of a
specific source.

I'm excited about the 650B Rivendell. I'd be pretty surprised if Rivendell
wasn't lining up the production (or at least procurement) of 650B rims for
this bike. I'm all for keping the 584mm size around, despite Sheldon's
credible criticism that 559mm rims and tires are so widely available and
differentiated that it's probably not worth the trouble.

I wouldn't mind paying a little more for rims and tires. I would love to
have a 650B randonneur.

-Bruce-


"bfd" wrote in message
om...
It appears Rivendell will be coming out with a new bike, the Saluki,
that will require 650B tires and rims. Does anybody make tires and
rims in this size? If so, who? Looking at Sheldon Brown's website,
there doesn't seem to be alot of choices in tires:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/tires/584.html

Thanks. Brewster

(bfd) wrote in message . com...
It appears Rivendell will be coming out with a new bike, the Saluki,
that will require 650B tires and rims. Does anybody make tires and
rims in this size? If so, who? Looking at Sheldon Brown's website,
there doesn't seem to be alot of choices in tires:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/tires/584.html

Thanks. Brewster

Pyramid makes one for $8.99 Wolber used to make a 650x35B called the
super randoneur that took 100 psi I had these on my raliegh portage in
1990 they were very nice but I dont know if they still exist.
hutchison made a 650x38B that was also good. I think most of the tire
makers make one but you will have to import them from England or
Canada and pay an import duty. If you are hard on tires I dont know of
any 650B with a kevlar belt.

It appears Rivendell will be coming out with a new bike, the Saluki,
that will require 650B tires and rims. Does anybody make tires and
rims in this size? If so, who?


Ridgida and Michelin in France, Panasonic in Japan and others such as
Schwalbe.Bob Freeman at Elliot Bay Cycles in Seattle brings in the Japanese
tires.There is a French club-Confrerie des 650B-dedicated to these bikes. And
don't you think Rivendell will sell them as well? Kinda follish to make a frame
for a nonexisrant tire size.
Phil Brown

(bfd) wrote in message . com...
It appears Rivendell will be coming out with a new bike, the Saluki,
that will require 650B tires and rims. Does anybody make tires and
rims in this size? If so, who? Looking at Sheldon Brown's website,
there doesn't seem to be alot of choices in tires:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/tires/584.html

Thanks. Brewster

Putting the cart a bit before the horse, are we not? RR31 just came
out and Grant says that the decision on the Saluki has not been made.
In other words, it *MAY* have 650B, then again it might be 559's.

- rick

"Rick Warner" wrote in message
om...
(bfd) wrote in message
. com...
It appears Rivendell will be coming out with a new bike, the Saluki,
that will require 650B tires and rims. Does anybody make tires and
rims in this size? If so, who? Looking at Sheldon Brown's website,
there doesn't seem to be alot of choices in tires:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/tires/584.html

Thanks. Brewster

Putting the cart a bit before the horse, are we not? RR31 just came
out and Grant says that the decision on the Saluki has not been made.
In other words, it *MAY* have 650B, then again it might be 559's.

Interestingly, on the *new* Riv forum, it was posted that the new Salucki
will have 650B wheels and canti brakes. It could be worst, he could have
spec it with centerpull brakes (oh yeah, those are gonna make a
comeback!).......then again, GP says he's also coming out with a men and
women "mixte" style bike. If it cost anywhere near a custom Riv, good luck
selling that.....

On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 00:53:37 GMT, "bfd" wrote:



Putting the cart a bit before the horse, are we not? RR31 just came
out and Grant says that the decision on the Saluki has not been made.
In other words, it *MAY* have 650B, then again it might be 559's.

Interestingly, on the *new* Riv forum, it was posted that the new Salucki
will have 650B wheels and canti brakes. It could be worst, he could have
spec it with centerpull brakes (oh yeah, those are gonna make a
comeback!).......then again, GP says he's also coming out with a men and
women "mixte" style bike. If it cost anywhere near a custom Riv, good luck
selling that.....

Well, not going to the forum - topica is a ... errr .... problematic
at best/

Anyway, the RR and the Riv website both say the question of the wheels
is undecided. They also say the brakes are undecided, but the RR says
it will likely be the cantis as their Dia Compe canti project is
coming to the point of bearing fruit.

The mixte style bikes are a necessary evil for Riv. GP gets beat up
constantly by shorter folks about the lack of frames they can ride.
He has been threatening to provide a solution, and now says they
will be in town in the summer.

- rick

Rick Warner wrote in message . ..
On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 00:53:37 GMT, "bfd" wrote:

Well, not going to the forum - topica is a ... errr .... problematic
at best/

Agree, I seem to be having problems with receiving messages on this
forum and may soon unsubscribe...

Anyway, the RR and the Riv website both say the question of the wheels
is undecided. They also say the brakes are undecided, but the RR says
it will likely be the cantis as their Dia Compe canti project is
coming to the point of bearing fruit.

OK, still waiting for RR31, when did it come out?

The mixte style bikes are a necessary evil for Riv. GP gets beat up
constantly by shorter folks about the lack of frames they can ride.
He has been threatening to provide a solution, and now says they
will be in town in the summer.

Interesting, I thought GP addressed the fitting issue for shorter
folks by using either 650C (571mm) "tri bike" or 26" (559mm) "mt bike"
wheels and designing a *normal* frame around those smaller wheelsets.

Good Luck to Riv in selling a mixte frameset. Its interesting he's
specing both a women and men version. I always thought *mixte* was a
frame designed for women. I wonder how many of these frames Riv
expects to sell? I don't see alot of demand for them, especially at
the prices Rivendell charges. Then again, GP has a strong following
(what 6-7K members, maybe more?), so their may be enough demand.

(bfd) wrote in message . com...
Rick Warner wrote in message . ..

OK, still waiting for RR31, when did it come out?

Got mine at the beginning of the week (Tuesday).

Interesting, I thought GP addressed the fitting issue for shorter
folks by using either 650C (571mm) "tri bike" or 26" (559mm) "mt bike"
wheels and designing a *normal* frame around those smaller wheelsets.

A bit of semantics. The mixte is a stock frame, so I'll not include
the customs. The Atlantis in smaller sizes does have 559 wheels, but
then the smallest size is something like 50cm. I saw GP
half-heartedly
try to convince a 5'4" guy that he could fit on one, but standover
clearance
was probably measured in single-digit mm; the guy would have been
singing
soprano the first time he hopped down fast. A lot of folks that are
too
small for the 50cm frames have been asking GP to make a bike that will
fit
them. Without going compact frame and sloping top tube it is hard
with
559's, or 650x wheels.

Good Luck to Riv in selling a mixte frameset. Its interesting he's
specing both a women and men version. I always thought *mixte* was a
frame designed for women. I wonder how many of these frames Riv
expects to sell? I don't see alot of demand for them, especially at
the prices Rivendell charges. Then again, GP has a strong following
(what 6-7K members, maybe more?), so their may be enough demand.

Traditionally, mixte and other step through frames were for women
(easier
to get on while wearing a dress/skirt). But there is nothing that
says a guy cannot ride one. Other than color not sure what the
differences there will
be between the two.

As for demand, it can be good or bad. Romulus demand picked up, but
the
bike may have been a money loser. Problem right now for Riv and their
frames
is that the Yen is very strong, so there is a lot of currency exchange
costs in their frames. So the $1350 Romulus became the $1550 Romulus
and
now is the $2100 Rambouillet; or if you prefer to stay with apple to
apple
comparison, the $995 Rambouillet frame is now $1300 Rambouillet frame.

I think the number in RR31 is something near 6700 numbers; he is
shooting for
7700, IIRC, by the end of the year.

- rick