Here are my pics of my '88 Schwinn Le Tour 650B that is also a three-speed conversion: My 650B conversion of a Peugeot PX 10! The result is terrible handling. We're open during the week by appointment only, click here to make one. He did use the honjo fenders meant for one of my bikes. About 16mm more than the tire width. These are also known as 26-inch sizes in the USA. Turned into a 27,5 2018 bike. Finally, here is the comment which inspired this post, in full and unedited, with misspellings and grammatical errors intact: As you state, the frames is well designed and its construction very well crafted; it was mostly likely built by Francis Quillon the head framebuilder at Meral..and he would be proud of it. 650B Retrofitting Issues The major obstacle to switching from 622 (700C) to 584 (650B) is the issue of brake reach. Any questions on the matter? I think your comments reflect the sad result of the cycling industrys recent focus on the male gender and on racing, to the exclusion of all else. Fox forks are the only forks compatible with 27.5 inch wheels. There are also some adapters to fit on your frame. The latter usually means 27.5 x 2.1 semi-slick tires or bigger XC rubber, like the WTB Nano on the Bombtrack Hook EXT-C. And road plus often refers to 47-50mm tires that are generally devoid of tread aside from small side knobs, like the WTB Byway, or have a slight texture like the tire that started it all, the Compass Switchback Hill 48mm. That bike cannot handle an upgrade to 27,5s. And, tires may actually widen over time. Thank you for your question. Sometimes form does need to follow function. You could likely get better braking with Paul touring cantis or some v-types-Paul or otherwise-without resorting to travel agent-type workarounds. It is all going to depend on the outer diameter of your tyre. And, the Rival 22 (2x) offers a decent 50/32 ring combo, although 46/30 would be a little better for loaded bikepacking. The image below illustrates the difference between the various sizes. Also, I own a 60 cm, Bernard Carre built, 1973 Bertin C 37 with 170 mm cranks and medium clips. My trail went from 43 mm to 41, and my wheel flop stayed the same at 12. I have a quick question how wide do the Loup Loup tires actually measure with calipers? Freddie Strong. Converting From 26inch to 650B on a Touring Bike - CyclingAbout Click here to see more about my personal IRO Jamie Roy 650B conversion. Toe overlap is a term for shoe interference from the front tire, usually experienced at slower speeds when pedaling technical terrain or during maneuvers that require tight turning. If a 27.5 rim and tire wont fit in the rear, are there extensions available to get the clearance needed? Peugeot PX 50.jpg (16.7 KB, 3999 views) Reply. One thing to remember with wider tires is that they have more tire dropmore deflection under load. I have a Santa Cruz blurt 2015 with 26 wheels and wanted to convert to 27.5 just wondering is it possible, Hi Finn, There is much to do to educate cyclists especially new riders about frame geometry and wheel size. Thank you so much, youre a blessing Nola! Most of the bikes now coming out in this genre are either road plus / all-road, or more of an aggressive monstercross style. This was done for special events racing on a figure-8 velodrome. The widest point in a 650B x 47-48mm tire is about 325mm from center of the rear axle. Im looking to do the same. My recently acquired early 1980's Meral randonneuse cried out for a 650B conversion. She has 26 wheels. Start at our worldwide routes map to dig into our detailed guides with GPS maps and inspiring photography. PSA: Box Components v-brakes have enough adjustment to run 650b wheels More air and rubber, same gear ratios. Rake and Trail, drawing courtesy of Dave Moulton. Fortunately for everyone 650B tires are far more plentiful now, too! If you need to buy a frame, buy a disc frame or a complete bike. Wondering if possible on a Gary fisher Joshua f1 frame from 1999. Avid Single Digit 5 brakes work for me on velocity/weinmann rims. Has anyone ever done a wheel conversion on this MTB. You want to just pop on some 650b wheels onto your 700c frame/fork. Hi Kyle, thank you for your question. With new 650B bikes popping up monthly, now seems to be its time. If youd like to know for sure though, Id advise swinging by your local bike shop. Why is my 261.95 is bigger than 262.125. i took my drop bar conversion MB-3 out the other day, and must say, i really do like the geometry and the fit with the drop bars. , Voorkeurstaal / Preferred language / Langue de prfrence. Driven by aficionados of the classic French style bikes and gravel brevet enthusiasts, tire options started popping up. Is there hand brakes out there that I can buy to to replace the ones I have now so i can us the 27 in wheels ? New pedals always come with cleats: Look includes red cleats, Shimano offers you , When choosing a new mountain bike, you are also able to decide what groupset youd like on your new MTB. I wanna convert either to 6560b or 27in. Jump to Latest Follow REVIEWS DEALS BIKESHOPS TRAILS 21 - 35 of 35 Posts . Hi John, thats an interesting story of how a single bicycle can meet the needs of two very different riders. Using it with a Tsunami 27.5 rigid fork. Share Improve this answer Follow answered Mar 29, 2013 at 15:39 Daniel R Hicks One of the reasons the seat post and stem are tall is because I am using 160mm cranks, which help to eliminate toe overlap. Microshift sl9 thumbies. Less trail almost always equals less wheel flop, which can provide improved handling for carrying front end loads. Many riders know that taller stems mean more hours of comfortable riding. I have a Cannondale f800 with headshok that would make an excellent commuter. For what's worth, the bike rides like a dream. Rock Shocks in the front. For shorter riders, the use of 650B has much to do with bike fit. Did you find out if its possible to fit 27,5 inch weels? Contact our English customer support for assistance. I also have a weak spot for beautiful products and true craftsmanship. Apparently, the original Shimano 600 French headset is an absolute eyesore, when paired to the tall Nitto stem. Hi Jan, we can not give you an advise. That would be _________mm. Here they are: Hunt has a lot of great wheels in tons of widths and configurations, all very reasonably priced and designed to withstand adventure. No way to go much bigger. Rear wheel clearance. The main reason most folks consider 650B is to have bigger, wider tiresusually 47mm-53mm (around 2.1)on a drop-bar bike that would normally be fitted with much narrower tires. Heavier riders use higher pressure, lighter riders lower pressure. These are not, however, the only options. Before the current trend of new 650B production drop-bar bikes, 650B was largely relegated to small frame builders, randonneuring enthusiasts, tinkerers, and folks interested in converting older road bikes to get some of the big tire secret sauce. The frame is most probably a Special CNC 700C frame with superb workmanship, unfortunately my present purse would not allow me to have such a frame built to such a high standard. Babette | Mantel. As you are saving weight on a rotating part the difference is huge! That fit the frame but the side pull hand brake dont reach the rim. But the 559 has a brake reach of 55mm to 73mm, youll probably need somewhere in the low-to-mid 60s to reach the rims on your fairly normal road frameso youre good. Thanks We handpicked all the components to create a 650B bike specifically for gravel bikepacking. We sell the version with an allen-nut fitting, which works on most road bikes made since 1986 or so. Was the braking better with non-aero levers? Need to change the forks also. As mentioned, 650B x 47/48mm tires usually have a similar diameter to a 700c x 28/30mm wheel/tire combo. However..he designed the bike around 700c wheels and would be astonished that you have fitted 650B, thereby upsetting all the correct design features that he had used in the frames constructions ie head angle, front end clearance, fork rake and trailall those important features that govern how a bike handles..OH! Q1: Can you do this? Paul|Mantel. Nola, great work on both this 650 conversion and your beautiful Peugeot Mixte! Keep yourself and your bike clean with road and mountain bike mudguards! I would like to update the tyres on the bike too 27.5 from 26 .. is this possible? The effect of the 650B conversion is to give one a chance to ride on wider tires, making the bike more useful and comfortable, and to provide for fender clearance that didn't exist with the larger wheel size. They were putting 650b and 650c wheelsets on their 26ers so that they could run skinny road tires on them without affecting the bikes geometry. You have 26" wheels which are 559mm. 650b transformed it. Cheers! Your reader needs to become aware that being certain is not the same as being right. But in a well thought out 650B conversion, theres no need to worry about changing the fork. Hi Frederick, The same goes for the rear there needs to be sufficient height clearance in the rear triangle for the wheels to spin freely. The bottle mounts are a big selling point, but it also has the right measurements400mm axle to crown, 45mm rake, and options for 100 x 12 or 15mm bolt-in thru-axles. Can I convert from a 26 to 27.5? There will not be enough clearance for the convertion in your current frame. The effect of the 650B conversion is to give one a chance to ride on wider tires, making the bike more useful and comfortable, and to provide for fender clearance that didnt exist with the larger wheel size. I didnt see it on the list but any thoughts on 26 to 650b conversion? The pivot studs are set too far apart for a reasonable reach to the 24mm rim using v-brake type pads with the spacers set at their widest arrangement. And, as I have stated in past posts, you dont want to convert a frame to a smaller wheel size if your frame has a lot of bottom bracket drop. Its meant to take a 650b but is that front and rear? Thank you for the cool compliment! If you have any other questions please send us an email to service.uk@mantel.com If you cant figure out the blanks, this whole thing will be hard. Not to discourage you from building up a set of 650b-join the party- but that thing is pretty rad as she sits, especially with those tires. The brake only faintly determines your maximum tire. Each wheelset includes axle adapters to convert to QR or thru-bolt in 12/15/9mm axle diameters (front), and 12142, 12135, 10135 in the rear. Just a footnoteno French builder, large or small would ever let a bike with toeclip overlap leave their workshop or factory.. Rim Brakes on a 650 Conversion | Page 2 | Mountain Bike Reviews Forum document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); I have an older Specialized Rockhopper Comp FS with Fox Float forks. 650B conversion | Thompson Custom Bicycles Thats going to have quite aneffect on both your steering response (fork trail) and the ground clearance from your pedals. There are even experts who argue that toe overlap doesnt matter. However, the 650B size never caught on in the United States, and its popularity waned in France alongside the growth and adoption of the mountain bike. In the end my pal opted for 47mm wide tyres, which, in my opinion, come way too close to the frame for comfort. What is wrong with you people. 27.5/650B rims have a bead seat diameter of 584mm, and 29/700C rims have a bead seat diameter of 622mm. Measure how much space you have when you have your 26 inch tires on. If so, you can run Paul Motolite V-brakes and they will allow you plenty of adjustment for the height of the pads. Hi Patrick, thank you for your message. You can sure do so. The most common and appropriate 650B conversions involve a 700C bike built around 25-30mm tires. Fox 32 forks. Conversion simply relies on a brake with 12.5 mm of vertical adjustability (half the 25mm difference between 559 and 584). It will be nice upgrade. This info is pertinent to a potential build. Es posible la conversin a 27,5? Path Less Pedaled 148K subscribers Subscribe 589 Share 42K views 4 years ago Should you convert your bike to 650b? I acquired it as a frame and fork back in 2012. I personally think between 65-67mm is ideal, with 170mm crank arms, as this provides adequate clearance for riding on some extra chunky bits. They will cost you a pretty penny though. or 27.5ers? At $350, its certainly not cheap, but you can get the TRS+ for less than $250 with the same range. I am new to the sport and still am learning about how I can make my bike better and feel that the larger tires are a good start. Inspiration . With time, however, evolutionary processes have led to different widths of tires being applied to the rim, so the nominal 650 mm designation is now more theoretical than practical. Pleased? 650b conversion, brake ponderings - The Paceline Forum If you can fit your thumb in sideways, youre fine. Thats a job you can easily do yourself. 700C vs 26 Inch Wheels for Bicycle Touring Hi there, 29 or 27, 5 wont fit in your frame. If you use rim brakes you will need to make sure you have calipers with 12.5mm verticaladjustment. For one, shorter spoke lengths make stronger wheels. I have a 2008 Trek Fuel 5.5 with 26 wheels. Hello, I have a 2014 mondraker summum pro will that fit a 27.5 wheel set? Please let me know ;), I have a 2008 epiphany Ellsworth and recently moved to flat land with lots of paved trails Planning to replace gt avalanche 26er with 27.5 wheel set is it possible? I hope it is possible! Either way, there are a few preliminary details to evaluate: Brakes are most hardline obstacle when switching from 700C (622mm) to 650B (584mm) wheels. Would that work on this bike? Its the width that can be a challenge. The Stumpy will be converted back to 26 and will be relegated to downhill park duty this summer. Any advice gladly listened to. Ideally, you wouldmatchyour wider 26 inch outer tyre diameteras close as possible to a narrower 650Bso that it has a minimal effect on the geometry. Most adult bikes on the road today have one of two rim/tire sizes: The 622 mm size is good for many applications, but it is sometimes a problem for shorter riders, because clearance issues make it difficult to design a well-proportioned bike for a shorter rider with wheels this large. More rake also = less trail, which you can determine from the above drawing by imagining the vertical line through the axis, moving forward, reducing the trail line. Id challenge anyone to notice a significant difference in your speed from making this switch. I dunno if its possible but Im hoping someone may have some advice. Shorter cranks means a taller seat post, which in turn means a taller stem. The new eThirteen TRSr 9-46 cassette is one of the widest range 11-speed cassettes out there. Appropriately, the Switchback Hill was named after a pass on the 360-mile Oregon Outback gravel route, where the gravel is quite loose. Converting From 26inch to 650B on a Touring Bike Im afraid that a 27.5 wheel wont fit, but if you want to be really sure you could measure the space left between the fork and the tyre you have now. Thanks for your comments! Are there 27.5 x 1.0 tires out there? Good question! Hi I have a 2009 santa cruz chameleon 4 with a fox 36 rc2 fit fork. BIKEPACKING.com is dedicated to exploration by bicycle. Ask yourself the following questions. We believe travel by bicycle has the power to encourage conservation, inclusivity, and respect for all people and cultures. Don;t follow the latest fad. WATCH THIS BEFORE DOING A 650B CONVERSION! - YouTube 650B tires, such as the popular 47mm Byway or 48mm Switchback Hill, will have a diameter of about 678-679mm, approximately the same as a 700C x 28mm wheel/tire combo. You need to be logged in to use these features. Or was the braking better with the original flat bar and MTB levers? Your blog has a focus on bicycles for smaller riders and is full of wheel size conversions. Many bicycles from the 1970s on have way too high bottom brackets to begin with, so lowering the bottom bracket a bit will improve the bikes handling and cause no negative side effects. I like the Soma as it rides nice and supple like the old Tange 9 series. But when I see that JP Weigle is already a member , it soothes my soul ! The 650B option does only work for the Gary Fisher Fat Possom edition, not the Wahoo. When I look up pictures of your bike Im afraid a bigger wheel will not fit in the frame. How did you rework the bridge on your C-Dale? Most 26 inch touring bikes have adequate clearance for 650B wheels, especially if youre using a similar outer diameter tyre. But, what about the actual numbers? According to Jan Heine, You really need to factor the BB height with about 15% tire drop. Does anyone know if rim brakes will work on a 650b conversion? Switching to 650B will lower the bottom bracket a bit, making for easier mounting/dismounting. Hi Matt, sorry to say the change would not fit your bike! Road , Good mudguards for your road or mountain bike will make cycling in bad weather a lot more enjoyable. In addition, smaller rims and wheels mean less metal was used to make the rims and spokes, which should translate to a lighter wheel. I love your your bikes I have been aware of your builds and have admired them. Converting a 2006 Kona Coiler to 27.5 wheelsany problems? But, much of the draw of 650B is that it enables the use of wide tires while maintaining a smaller and more manageable tire diameter. I will nevertheless have cantilever pods added and some racks fixtures brazed on. More here. That means the radius is ______mm. I have a 2013/14 Rocky Mountain Flatline Pro WC DH Bike, it currently has 26in wheels on them, am I able to put 27.5s on my bike? There are other factors that influence this, but a 700c frame (your starting point) has a different BB drop than a frame thats designed for 650B wheels. Hunt also has wider wheelsets that might be a little better for 48-2.2 tires. Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. The benefits are fairly obvious. 650b conversion questions (rim brake) - The Paceline Forum New bicycle gearboxes are coming onto the market quicker than at any time in history. With the same diameter as a 700C x 28mm tire, a 650B x 48mm tire can provide all the goods without risking excessive toe overlap. With a 650B x 42mm tires, youll want a bit less BB dropideal would be 63mm. The Lorax has a 75mm BB drop, which is a little low. Much more than that and for a very affordable price. You will get better results from simply fitting the fattest 26 tyre you can get away with and maybe converting your rims to tubeless. CyclingAbout is an Elite Cafemedia Lifestyle Publisher. In the following section, well look at why the ideal 700C to 650B conversion involves a bike built around skinner 700C wheels that normally fit less than 40mm tires, like a touring or cyclocross frame. Any thoughts, suggestions or just stay with a 26 set-up, thanks. Happy riding! Chapeau sir. I am replacing the front fork and was wondering if I should upgrade from a 26 fork and tire to 27.5 front fork and tire. Any idea if the frame will accommodate? If you're like me and aren't impressed by cantis, and won't fork over the cash for Paul brakes, this is great news. Is there a more adjustable 26'' rim brake that will extend out to work with 650b? I have only built up 1 vintage bike (an old Mercian) and that was for 700c and for LErioca use. You also need to take in consideration how much space there is left for tire clearance. In the French sizing system, tires are designated by a three-digit number, which may be followed by a letter. Ive personally never found toe overlap to be anything worth worrying about. 650B conversion. ANy suggestions on who might sell them? So the best 700C to 650B conversions happen on frames with good spacing between the fork blades, seat stays, and chain stays. I need that extra speed so my fat ass can keep up with the 29ers . Rock Shox and Magura forks arent, as the tyre will make contact with the arch of the fork. Rear shock is in need of changing. The rear brake conversion went off without much of a hitch, but I eventually just broke down and bought a used Trek XO-1 for cross-duty. I have a 2010 rocky mountain altitude full.sus carbon frame 26. While one manufacturer measures the product on the inside and ends up with 261.95, it may well turn out to be 262.25 when measured on the outside. I think I have a bike with the best of both worlds; agile to overcome obstacles, rolling, light and extremely maneuverable. BB7s arent the only mechanical disc brakes on the market. Not only is going to the smaller 650B diameter with large volume tires good for keeping low gearing, but it also keeps gearing roughly the same as what road riders are used to. First, lets start with the basics. hi i have specialize demo 8 2014 26>> can i change it to 27,5? How will upsizing affect your frame geometry and handling? I dont know if there are v-brakes with longer arms. As tire size goes up, so does gearing. There used to be castings that were designed to fit over existing brake studs and stiffen frames that had too much side-to-side flex for the cantis to be effective. I have had to really hunt down small higher end bicycles, but they all have 700cc wheels. Your email address will not be published. I hope to do a 650b conversion to a Trek 400 over the winter. How-To Convert 26 to 27,5 / 650b MTB wheel size - Mantel So what you have managed to do is to take a delightful frame that was intended for fast road riding ie sportif use, and try to turn it into a type of randonneurwhich it was never designed from the box of frame tubes , lugs etc to be. Basically buy a new bike (preferably from us) is what I get out of them. Search "" across the entire site Search "" in this forum Search "" in this discussion. There is overlap. That wasnt so true back in the early days of frame building. I spammed the comment, but then thought it was potentially illustrative, albeit rude and obnoxious. If not, youll have to decide whether its worth the trouble. Thanks. For reference, the diameter of a a 650B x 47mm tire equals that of a 700x28mm tire. I have a Gary Fisher Marlin approx 2001 or 2002 and need new wheels. Hola, tengo una Spec Stumpjumper FSR Comp 2008 de 26. So if you measure that distance on your stay, from the rear axle, you should have over 58mm of room (in our opinion) for a 47/48mm 650B tire. Those are oddball hub sizes. Gearing is another factor thats directly affected by wheel and tire size.