bfd said:G.T. said:"bfd" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:Check it out, SOMA, a bicycle mfr (www.somafab.com) is very
"interested" in the 650B conversion by Ed Bradley:
Quoted message said:http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=496876397&size=o
Quoted message said:In fact, some have stated that SOMA and other mfrs are now
"influenced" by the 650B movement and some new 650B goodies are
coming. Keep your eyes OPEN@!#$%
Quoted message said:Another biggie - the Kirk Pacenti's 650B mt bike:
Quoted message said:http://www.frameforum.net/forum2/index.php?showtopic=3034
Quoted message said:http://www.singletrackworld.com/article.php?sid=2349
Quoted message said:http://www.smugmug.com/keyword/all/pacenti#133877457
Quoted message said:Get ready, its coming! What's not to like?!!!
YATS? Excuse me while I fall asleep at this news. A 650b mtn bike? BFD.
700c mtn bikes are already established, unfortunately, why do we need Yet
Another Tire Size inbetween 26" and 700c?
Here's what someone said on the RBW list:
"700C wheels used off-road have great rolling momentum, but by the
time you
fatten 'em up for serious rocks, they get pretty heavy (and people
start
calling them "29ers"😉.
If weight is such a concern, why not just stick to 26" wheels? That way he
wouldn't have to suffer the indignity of having his bike called a "29er."
(Is "650Ber" any better.)
Quoted message said:Most of the folks who really like the 29er
approach
of- road (as opposed to the CX/Country bike size) tend to be big,
lanky
people.
Is this really true?
Quoted message said:At 5'11", I feel like it makes a bit larger bike than I
want.
Meaning what? The size effects performance? He doesn't like the look of a
"bit larger" bike? (One of the reasons offered in favor of 650B wheels on
the iBob list is that they look more well-proportioned in certain frame
sizes.)
Presumably people who are 6' are going to want wheels slightly larger than
650B. Likewise for 6'1", 6'2", etc. However many wheel sizes we have,
there's always room for something "in between."
Quoted message said:
26" wheels feel smallish to me, though right now it's a necessary evil
to
get the big profile that eats up rocky topography.
Feel smallish? Again, what does he mean by that?
Quoted message said:Something in the middle makes sense for me.
Maybe, assuming "a bit larger" and "smallish" point to something of real
significance and aren't just excuses to jump on the latest fad.
Quoted message said:650B/584 is a blast on fire
roads, dirt paths and similar conditions.
More of a blast than 26" or 29"? If so, is 650B such a blast only for
riders of his size? If 650B is a blast for all riders regardless of size,
then he hasn't explained why, since his explanations are mostly tied to
the size of the rider.
Quoted message said:And that's just on a
conversion
with a seriously low BB...
http://www.cyclofiend.com/cc/2006/cc060r2-cc-jim0506.html
There's nothing magic about 26", other than that's what the
cruisers-cum-klunkerz used and it became a de facto standard.
Of course there's nothing magic about 26" wheels. If there was a wheel
size that was magic we wouldn't need standards because all producers
would gravitate to the magic size. Standards are almost always somewhat
arbitrary. That doesn't mean the standards are any less important for
keeping costs down and making the widest variety of rims and tires
available at retail stores. Granted, 650B is not a propriety standard, but
it's still a needless splintering of the market. It's needless because
I've never heard any cogent argument in its favor (with the exception of
using it to restore and make more comfortable old racing bikes).
Quoted message said:In the
mid-90's, when that first catalog came out, it was reasonably difficult
to
find a shop with a broad selection of 700C road tires, let alone
584/650B.
I don't think it on anyone's radar.
Now, it seems like things have continued to evolve to the point where it
makes sense to try some 650B knobbies on some well-designed bikes and
get
some real-world feedback.
The fad is gaining momentum. Time to jump on before it's too late.
Quoted message said:I don't think it makes too much sense to
decide
it won't work without that."
A red herring. I don't know of anyone who thinks 650B "won't work." The
standards we have are arbitrary to some extent and could well have been
otherwise with little or no effect on performance. The real reason
anti-650B people object to its revival is that we already have wheel sizes
that work just fine.
Quoted message said:
Further, Rivendell, one of the founders of the 650B movement, is coming
out with its 650B Mt Bike - the Bombadil:
The fact that a fad is gaining momentum is not a very reliable sign that
it's a good idea.
This 650B fad wouldn't bother me if it were confined to making old racing
bikes more comfortable. I hope the momentum stops there.
Quoted message said:
http://www.cyclofiend.com/rbw/bombadil07.html
Scroll down for another pic of the Bombadil:
http://www.cyclofiend.com/rbw/#latest
