Hi all, Greg, thanks for your offer on getting a little more reach, and Franklyn, I took your advice and used V-brake pads, which are skinnier (but longer), and that was enough to get the Tektro 559 to work! What a great group with great advice! The only minor drawback is that there may not be as much clearance when the brakes are opened, so I may have to deflate the tires to make it through the calipers...
OK, so the test ride, wow is all I have to say! Within 10 feet of riding the Ram with Hetres, I knew I had a keeper. The bike feels so stable. It inspires tremendous confidence. The Tektro brake pads, though, lousy. I swapped back to the kool-stop salmon I used previously--much better! I had no issues with the BB height. I did a curvy descent (Shepherd Canyon for the locals). The bike was so stable and the traction felt so good, that I was extremely confident in my descent. The bike felt fast, and the tires were so stable. I'll take some pics tomorrow to show the tire clearance and my current setup (although I plan to add a front rack and fenders soon.) My feeling is that the conversion is a huge success. I would highly recommend it for others who may be wondering. Toshi (in Oakland, CA) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.