26"/650 Bents?

(Richard Rodgers) said:

I am interested in a Bent that will -along with a trained/well-conditioned motor (me)- enable me to
do PBP in four years.

Sets the bar a little low, don't you think? Four days is nearer the pace ;-)

Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
chapmancentral.demon.co.ukchapmancentral.demon.co.ukOpen ↗

Hi Richard, A Bacchetta titanium Aero or Corsa (dual 650c wheels) is what you want. See x-x-Open ↗
eyed.com/ Al Kubeluis (Corsa)

"Richard Rodgers" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:20040106145759.12363.00002572@mb-
m05.aol.com...

Quoted message said:

I am interested in a Bent that will -along with a trained/well-conditioned motor (me)- enable me
to do PBP in four years. I am getting an early

start!!

Quoted message said:

I have qualified several times on a DF and finished PBP (1987) on a DF.

Now it

Quoted message said:

is time to take the Bent to France. I am now riding a Vision Sabre (2001)

with

Quoted message said:

dual 24" wheels. Would wish to be able to climb a bit better than the 24" allows. Do you have a
suggestion for either a 26" or a 650 bike that

would

Quoted message said:

perform a bit better on the hills. I am not interested in a low racer

and/or a

Quoted message said:

trike. I read that a rider on a P-38 completed PBP. What are your

thoughts on

Quoted message said:

a Vision Sabre with 650 wheels, a P-38, or ??? Richard Rodgers

[email hidden] (Richard Rodgers) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I am interested in a Bent that will -along with a trained/well-conditioned motor (me)- enable me
to do PBP in four years. I am getting an early start!! I have qualified several times on a DF
and finished PBP (1987) on a DF. Now it is time to take the Bent to France. I am now riding a
Vision Sabre (2001) with dual 24" wheels. Would wish to be able to climb a bit better than the
24" allows. Do you have a suggestion for either a 26" or a 650 bike that would perform a bit
better on the hills. I am not interested in a low racer and/or a trike. I read that a rider on a
P-38 completed PBP. What are your thoughts on a Vision Sabre with 650 wheels, a P-38, or ???
Richard Rodgers

Hello Richard,

I "attempted" PBP this year on a V-REX, but needed a rocket, literally!!! A turbo charger could have
helped too!!

You should check out all the new 26" "High Racers" as some are calling them. Some of these also
allow you to use, I think, 650 wheel sets, which will increase your wheel and tire choices.

The bents are Bacchetta Aero, Corsa, Strada; the RANS Force5; and the Volae line at Hostelshoppe.

I need all the 'speed' help I can get and just bought a STRADA. Riders who own these tell me I
should see at least a 1 mph increase in speed. That adds up over 750 miles and 90 hours!!. As you'll
recall PBP is constant, never ending hills and they're the speed sucking type: Long and long and
long with no roller help to power over the next one.

One thing to check out is the "mesh" seat versus the "M5" seat. Everyone says the M5 seat will give
you more speed. My concern is the level of comfort on long rides. On a mesh seat I can "scootch"
around, slide up and down, etc. Not sure that can be done on an M5. I'll be trying both out on
brevets in the next 6 months and will then attempt Boston-Montreal-Boston in August.

Here are the websites to visit:

Bacchetta: bacchettabikes.combacchettabikes.comOpen ↗

RANS: ransbikes.comITRForce5.htmOpen ↗

VOLAE: hostelshoppe.comsearch.plOpen ↗

Good luck and post what you end up with and why.

You should also check out the General Announcement section of www.bentrideronline.com

There's a lot of Bacchetta info at the yahoo groups groups.yahoo.comBacchetta BikesOpen ↗

Cheers

Slow Joe Recumbo

Quoted message said:

Sets the bar a little low, don't you think? Four days is nearer the pace ;-)

What a hoot! LOL!

Traces of irony, indeed!

Brad.

see also: www.barcroftcycles.com

on the front page is

"Jim Kern rides Paris-Brest-Paris. Barcroft is proud and delighted to report that Jim Kern of
Sunnyvale, CA., completed the 750-mile, Paris-Brest-Paris tour this August on his Barcroft Virginia
GT in the remarkably short time of 66 hours. Jim says he made it to Brest in just under 26 hours,
slept 7 hours, then headed into town for breakfast. He slept again in Villaines de Juhel for 3 hours
before rolling to the finish. His Virginia is equipped with a prototype version of the full-mesh
lightweight aluminum seat Barcroft is now offering, TerraCycle handlebar assembly, Hed front wheel,
and Schwalbe Stelvio tires. He carried all his supplies enroute in a Brunswick bowling ball bag
strapped between the seat and frame. Congratulations, Jim! "

Joe Keenan said:

... You should check out all the new 26" "High Racers" as some are calling them. Some of these
also allow you to use, I think, 650 wheel sets, which will increase your wheel and tire
choices....

Most of these bikes should allow the use of both "MTB size" ISO 559-mm and "650c" ISO 571-mm wheels
with a simple brake pad adjustment. As an example, Zach Kaplan has ISO 559-mm wheels (stock is ISO
571-mm) on his Bacchetta Aero and is using the stock brakes.

Tom Sherman - Quad Cities

Tom Sherman <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Joe Keenan said:

... You should check out all the new 26" "High Racers" as some are calling them. Some of these
also allow you to use, I think, 650 wheel sets, which will increase your wheel and tire
choices....

Most of these bikes should allow the use of both "MTB size" ISO 559-mm and "650c" ISO 571-mm
wheels with a simple brake pad adjustment. As an example, Zach Kaplan has ISO 559-mm wheels (stock
is ISO 571-mm) on his Bacchetta Aero and is using the stock brakes.

Tom Sherman - Quad Cities

Actually since mid-September 2003 when I switched to H3 wheels I've been running ISO 571-mm wheels
on my Aero. With both wheel sizes I've used the stock front brake but I never used the stock rear
brake. Initially I used a Shimano 57mm reach brake but when I went to the 571mm wheels I replaced
this brake with a short reach Cane Creek 200SL to save weight.

Zach Kaplan

Tom Sherman <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Joe Keenan said:

... You should check out all the new 26" "High Racers" as some are calling them. Some of these
also allow you to use, I think, 650 wheel sets, which will increase your wheel and tire
choices....

Most of these bikes should allow the use of both "MTB size" ISO 559-mm and "650c" ISO 571-mm
wheels with a simple brake pad adjustment. As an example, Zach Kaplan has ISO 559-mm wheels (stock
is ISO 571-mm) on his Bacchetta Aero and is using the stock brakes.

Tom Sherman - Quad Cities

Tom,

I believe the RANS Force-5 doesn't currently accept both sizes, but that it may in the future. I've
been wrong before....I think it was some time in 1987.

:-)

Slow Joe

Joe Keenan said:

Tom,

I believe the RANS Force-5 doesn't currently accept both sizes, but that it may in the future.
I've been wrong before....I think it was some time in 1987.

Has the RANS Force 5 even been finalized for production? The production version will likely differ
quite a bit from the prototype. The website says it will be for sale in March, but considering past
RANS history, I would not count on it being for sale until summer or fall.

Tom Sherman - Quad Cities

Tom Sherman said:

Joe Keenan said:

Tom,

I believe the RANS Force-5 doesn't currently accept both sizes, but that it may in the future.
I've been wrong before....I think it wa some time in 1987.

I think I read on the bentrideronline.com forum that RANS is going to lower the brake mount on the
rear just enough so that it would accomodate both 559 and 571 wheels easily. I forget what, if
anything, was needed for the fork (maybe a disc brake option???).

Quoted message said:

Has the RANS Force 5 even been finalized for production? The production version will likely differ
quite a bit from the prototype. The website says it will be for sale in March, but considering
past RANS history, I would not count on it being for sale until summer or fall.

No!!! I can't wait that long!!! :-)

--
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