I converted my 60cm Ram to 650b: https://www.flickr.com/photos/leslie_bright/8351739256/in/album-72157623199721925/ (try looking forward and backward from that photo in the album).
When I originally built it, it was as a fendered 700c-32; had marginal clearance, but as I'm not a little guy, was getting occasional scrubbing (tire-shape-deformation as my weight moved around); I switched down to 28's for a bit for the clearance, but, I really wanted bigger-not-smaller tires on there. Since I have a 650b Bombadil and could borrow its wheels, all I needed to buy to try the Ram out as a 650b was a set of calipers, went with the long-reach Tektros. My original calipers were R538's, had to switch to the 559's. Front was fine, but on the rear, I needed to deepen the slots of the calipers to get the pads lower so that I wouldn't get the pad into the tire. Thing is, I went w/ Hetres, which are more like a 650b-41, fatter than a 38. Thing is, the Ram has a low BB, so you run the risk of pedal strike if you go w/ a narrower 650b; but a 650b-42 range tire is really close in height to a 700c-27. I'm running 172.5 cranks on this bike; I've not had any pedal strikes, but, I've contemplated switching to a 170, just for a margin of safety. (I don't aggressively pedal through corners either; but if you're CC-touring, I don't think you would be either?). I don't carry a lot of weight on this bike; a tube/patchkit/tools in the saddlebag, and stuff a jacket and a sandwich in the front bag.... If I have a load to carry, I'm taking the Bombadil instead... -L On Sunday, July 5, 2015 at 6:44:47 PM UTC-4, alan lavine wrote: > > Hello to the group, I'd like to pick y'alls brains (sp?) > > I have a 64 cm Ram that I bought used, and I'm trying to see how it fits > into my stable. I have Compass tires 700 x 32, measures 30, on it now, and > I realize that I can either put larger tires on it OR fenders but not both. > I wanted both so that it could be used as my credit card touring > bike...looking for 38's with full fenders. > > Would a 650 conversion achieve that? Would it change the ride at all? > I've never ridden 650's before. Besides new wheels and possibly brakes, > depending on available reach, what other modifications are required? > > The serial # is R038...any idea as to date of manufacture? > > Thanks in advance for your wisdom. I've not been much of a contributor but > I read this blog daily and always enjoy it and learn from it. > > Alan LaVine > NYC > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
