Those requirements allow us to address this efficiently but uncomprehensively. 650b transformed it. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Probably not, and if you cant, youll need to get brakes with a longer reach. Oh, you might be able to make it work, but it's not optimal. I have bought a Marin Attack Trail 2008. You need to leave some save clearance as well, mud and dirt can be a problem if there is not enough space. That is where a 650B conversion maytransform your ride. All the while, in the expanding all-road and gravel scene, there has been a dedicated 650B fanbase who have been diligently working to restore it to its former glory. Hi. Hello , i have a Specialized s works Enduro sl 2008 or 9 i dont really know now,. This year I installed a SRAM XX1..36X46. Any idea if the frame will accommodate? Will a 700c or a 27.5 wheel fit my bike? Most 26 inch touring bikes have adequate clearance for 650B wheels, especially if youre using a similar outer diameter tyre. Furthermore avoid adapter sets for this purpose as they can come off in worst case scenarios. Restoring Vintage Bicycles from the Hand Built Era, About a Brompton: C line Electric Review, Sturmey Archer AW Hub Overhaul: Curiouser and Curiouser, Reconversion Therapy: 700c to 650b to 700c, A Ride to Leach Botanical Gardens via Portlands Bikeways, Bottin du Cycle 1951: The French Cycling Directory, New Showers Pass Refuge Jacket vs. Fortunately, I eliminated the shimmy on my initial build by using different tires I switched from the ponderous Panasonic Col de la Vie tires to the comfortable, delightful and fast Loup Loup Pass tires from Compass. Microshift sl9 thumbies. Comes with 262.35 wheels and Id like to convert the wheels to 27. We have over 300 original and curated bikepacking routes in our global network spanning nearly 50 countries. The 650B size was never common in the U.S., and it went into decline even in France with the advent of the mountain bike. I didnt see the one I have on the list. Zero sales in a decade. Using it with a Tsunami 27.5 rigid fork. Im afraid it wont fit seeing that, but to be sure youd better check with a local bike shop. The new Shimano CX brakes work great, Velocity Synergy rims. Your email address will not be published. (mid-90s) Mainly for delivery work. My trail went from 43 mm to 41, and my wheel flop stayed the same at 12. Whats good? There will not be enough clearance for the convertion in your current frame. Theyre not too expensive and they appear to be intended for people who are upgrading older bikes. I believe your frame should be okay, but Im not too sure if your fork is compatible. I would leave the 26 tire on the rear. Question ! We're open during the week by appointment only, click here to make one. But, what about the actual numbers? 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. In addition, reducing the rim diameter allows a bike to maintain better handling characteristics and react more quickly to rider input. Start at our worldwide routes map to dig into our detailed guides with GPS maps and inspiring photography. Paul used to offer the long version of a V brake with straight cylindrical arms, and there you could raise the pads to covert a 26" frame to 650b, say, but taking 700c down to 650b wouldn't work too well. The Bikepacking Journal is our biannual printed publication. It is not possible to convert a 2006 Iron Horse Maverick to modern components and a 27.5 wheel set. I am planning to change my present wheelset which is fitted for a 26er to a 27.5 rimset. Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. Converting From 26inch to 650B on a Touring Bike You could then try to compensate with V-brake compatible levers, but that gets extra kludgy fast. (you also have a cool bike, btw) 27.5 wheelset for rim brakes - The Riding Gravel Forum But the Lorax maxes out at 40mm tires in 700C and more volume was needed. Avoiding toe overlap is the goal of any mindful builder, but mass produced frames for small riders achieve a bad result by slackening the head tube in order to shove 700c wheels into a small frame, thus avoiding toe overlap. If you are simply looking to swap tires on a bike, consider your bikes geometrythe reason there used to be 700A, B, and C. If a bike was designed around 25mm tires and you manage to squeeze 2 rubber into the frame, there will be consequences. That means the radius is ______mm. The canti bosses on a Crosscheck. Years after, in 2013, it took off when almost a dozen bike companies released 27.5 mountain bikes touted to have the perfect blend of a 29ers rollover with the nimble playfulness of a classic 26 wheel. And also would I have to change front forks etc..? There are also some adapters to fit on your frame. Hi Thu, Swapping rear triangles is practically impossible between different models of bikes (with the exception of availability of kits from some bike manufacturers). (The Human Powered Roller-coaster) I have an NOS titanium frame from the mid 90s that Im going to convert to 650B (27.5) for gravel riding. Cheers. But clearance restrictions arent the whole story. 650B Conversion Misconceptions | Restoring Vintage Bicycles from the Pelle|Mantel. It is all going to depend on the outer diameter of your tyre. Your blog has a focus on bicycles for smaller riders and is full of wheel size conversions. Search "" across the entire site Search "" in this forum Search "" in this discussion. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. They will cost you a pretty penny though. Hello Liam, because I am not familiar with the Mondraker frame geometry I can not asure you that this will fit. Just a footnoteno French builder, large or small would ever let a bike with toeclip overlap leave their workshop or factory.. 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. already converted front fork to a 27.5 203mm but was wondering if I purchased a 27.5 rear triangle and evo link, will the geometry line up or will I snap my frame. (Rear). And theres , The correct saddle height and saddle position are essential for enjoyable and injury free rides on your road bike. It was obvious to me the bike was a scaled down road bike for smaller/younger riders with one 26 wheel still attached. A lightweight 650B wheel set with slicks can be over 1.5kg lighter than a heavy-duty touring wheel set with puncture-proof tyres. I stock them (165s) in just about everything I carry, and sell maybe two per year, total, vs. dozens of the other sizes. So, chainstay length isnt usually the issue. At your weight 650Bx42 options are going to be killer. That bike cannot handle an upgrade to 27,5s. While many folks will opt for a 2x drivetrain, its hard to disregard the simplicity of a 1x. This leads us to the first factor to consider before tackling a 650B conversion: the bikes intended tire size. Unfortunately this will definitely not fit with your front fork for the back, it depends on your frame 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. 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. Thanks in advance for spreading the word! 650B conversion | Thompson Custom Bicycles SRAM MTB Groupsets Hierarchy An overview of all SRAM Mountain Bike Groupsets. 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. Took a long time to wean her off of that crazy geometry!!!! When you convert from 26" to 650b, the change in the radius of the rim is (584mm-559mm)/2 = 12.5mm. I spammed the comment, but then thought it was potentially illustrative, albeit rude and obnoxious. PSA: Box Components v-brakes have enough adjustment to run 650b wheels on your old 26er frame. Thats something to check before you even think about buying any conversion parts. I was looking to also move from a 26 to a 27.5 and do not know if it is possible. Theres a number of lists out there, with all the frames suitable for a conversion to 27.5. They can also be just as fast as road tires, as proven by Jan Heine in Bicycle Quarterly. Also, I own a 60 cm, Bernard Carre built, 1973 Bertin C 37 with 170 mm cranks and medium clips. Putting 650B wheels on 26" wheeled frames with cantilever brakes is really not practical. I can get forks, but not sure of rear. I will nevertheless have cantilever pods added and some racks fixtures brazed on. Im still using 26 inch wheels built by merlin cycles when they where in Ormskirk lancs, XT hubs mavic 230 SBP rims. These two brands have made 650b-specific forks however. But, even so, since the 700C Straggler is designed for 42mm tires, the 650B version has a different geometry. The Bombtrack Audax has a 65mm BB drop (L), Surlys Midnight Special shows 65mm, Chumbas Terlingua has about 66mm, and the Masi Speciale Randonneur 650B has 70mm. First, there is the example of your Meral. Hi Simone, Hi Ryan, You will have to change the front fork to a 27.5 one. Will a 27.5 wheel and tire fit in the rear? 26 inch wheels have their place on off-road adventure touring bikes, in fact I have listed over 30 different options in thisAdventure Touring Bike List. The Stumpy will be converted back to 26 and will be relegated to downhill park duty this summer. For instance, a 19-622 (700 x 19C) tire would theoretically have exactly the same outside diameter as a 38-584 (650 x 38B). I have heard of a successful 26" conversion on a Crosscheck using this method. How long a reach you will need will depend on the dimensions of your specific frame and fork. Not only , Cyclists in the market for a new road bike need to pick a groupset to go with it. Rock Shocks in the front. They have a super long adjustment area. From memory they have something like 35mm of vertical adjustment for the brake pads, and in theory you'd need 19mm of adjustment for a 26" to 650b conversion. Or upgrade your tires/stem to give an other riding experience to this bike. Some people adapt well to a small amount of overlap, but ideally there should be none. Several 700C bike models, such as the Marin Four Corners, switch to 650B for their smaller sizes to maintain proportional geometry. A too slack head tube on a small frame will lead too excessive trail and wheel flop, making for a handling mess. V-brakes tend to have a bit less adjustment, but the Paul Motolites have more than enough. The larger the obstacle, the larger the advantage of a 29 inch wheel gets. Hello everyone!! I have the same bike. For the same type of tire, you need .5 .75 inches for the extra radius. I wanna convert either to 6560b or 27in. I would like to Slo move to a 27.5 I am experimenting with some 1.25 front and 1.5 panaracer gravel king I mounted the one on the front tire and it looks pretty funny yet I think it will ride ok I get the 1.5 in the mail Tuesday I strongly urge readers to resist the foolish jargon, and to use either the traditional "650B" designation, or, better yet, the internationally-standardized 584 mm designation. Does your frame still have cantilever/V-brake bosses on it? with a Future Shock E150 fork , please if you can tell me or anyone, am I able to convert the bike to 27,5 with , i that fork ? Maybe you can see if you can find instructions on YouTube. 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. The bottom bracket will increase in height by about 10mm reducing the stability of the bike very marginally given the higher centre of gravity. Parts manufacturers followed suit. It is a common way for people to get into 650B without trying to find a 650b frame. The major obstacle to switching from 622 (700C) to 584 (650B) is the issue of brake reach. A lot of bikes are being converted to 27.5 and theres a lot to be said for doing so, but it doesnt use the full potential to be had from a 27.5 wheel. Mafac Raid brakes-to supply adequate reach to the 650B rims. This is why the diameter of a bikes intended wheel and tire combo should be scrutinized. Otherwise, you might just be trying to wade through all the marketing jargon to see if 650B is a good fit for you. I purchased my 1980 Meral 700c sport touring frame after researching the ideal geometry and clearance requirements for a wheel size conversion. Hope to have been of help! And, aside from their stylish design, adjustments on the Klamper are the easiest of all the mechanical disc brakes weve tried. Hi I have a voodoo hoodoo mountain bike and have 26 inch wheels can I put 27 inch wheels in my frame and forks thanks. The only thing you will accomplish is wasting $$. Thanks for all the info! Hi Jan, we can not give you an advise. I have a 2000 Gary Fisher Wahoo 26er. This is easily compensated however by the extra grip provided by the tyres. This should be possible. If thats what you got, you have three options: Use the same hubs, have a new hub made to those old dimensions, or spread your frame to 130mm or 135mm, which is about a $50 medium-risk job at a competent bike shop. The tiny potential difference in the frame geometry is well within the variation seen by using different tires, tire pressures, weight, maybe types of headsets, or the real terrain you will see in the real world. What was needed to do so, Please let me know. I have a 1998 specialized fsr comp and I was wondering if 27.5 wheels would fit on it. In practice, there is an advantage, though, if you have a bicycle made for the fat, knobby so-called "27 five" tires, you can replace them with road tires if you prefer. Can I convert from a 26 to 27.5? I personally think between 65-67mm is ideal, with 170mm crank arms, as this provides adequate clearance for riding on some extra chunky bits. The absence of a letter indicated a narrow tire; "A", "B" and "C" indicated increasingly wider tires. Unfortunately, Mantel does not offer the tyres that suit your bike. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Considering the rear tire clearance and the rear shock it is best to hop in a local bike shop if it is possible. PSA: Box Components v-brakes have enough adjustment to run 650b wheels I measured it three times because that seemed nuts, but it is that much. There are a few 700C drop-bar bikes that can fit big tires. 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. Are derailleur and gearbox drivetrains the pinnacle of whats possible? Now though, theres the 27.5 wheel, which for some is the best of both worlds. You can sure do so. If you use rim brakes you will need to make sure you have calipers with 12.5mm verticaladjustment. Those are oddball hub sizes. A lightweight 650B wheel set with slicks can be over 1.5kg lighter than a heavy-duty touring wheel set with puncture-proof tyres. Totally agree. I have a 2012 26 Scott Scale 80, does anyone knows if the convention works well in this bike? We're also open Saturdays for walk-ins, 10am to 4pm, Rivendell Bicycle Works Ever Since 1994. Im trying to see if a 27.5 wheel would fit in the fork. The difference between 700c (622mm) and 650b (584mm) is 19mm, and the remaining 3mm is usually within the adjustability of the brake calipers. The 50 cm. I am interested in perhaps one day building an old style 650b rando bike from an older steel frame and this is quite inspiring. Not always, but sometimes. That would be _________mm. I have encountered many frames of all sizes with toe overlap. These conversions made more sense when there was a shortage of 650B frames, but thats not the case anymore. Converting a 26 wheel to 27 can mak a ride more smoother. The least you could do would be to buy one of those elegant Stronglight extra long headset lock-nuts that would both add about 30mms of extra grip to the quill while at the same time making the bike look less ridiculous than it does now 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. Please can i convert my bike rockrider 520 s 2015 ?and thank you so much. Peugeot PX 50.jpg (16.7 KB, 3999 views) Reply. I have a trek 9.8 with fox suspension and frame size 17.5 on 26 and can i upgrade to 27.5 or 29, Hi Gan, but as usual, religion to the extreme is harmful and I am happy to fight against it ! Chapeau sir. 650b conversion | Restoring Vintage Bicycles from the Hand Built Era Or, there are plenty of more heavy-duty options from Surly and others. Never mind the chrome hilights, the wonderful deep purple flamboyant paintwork..you have turned the bike into a travesty of what the designer/framebuilder intended and, I also added brake bosses for cantilever brakes (more repurposed mountain bike parts), a rear brake . We inspire and inform through original bikepacking routes, stories, and coverage of the gear, news, and events that make our community thrive. And, with the quality of older vintage frames, there is an ongoing advantage to taking a vintage frame designed for 700c wheels and converting it to 650b. Paul Motolites will take care of the rear brakes. For this project, we used a size medium Advocate Lorax, a bike designed around 700C x 38mm tires, and an already adept gravel bike. As long as you dont pick tyres that are all too wide, there should be no problem. Understanding Bicycle Frame Geometry size, 73-degree HT, with 55 mm of rake, yielding about 45 mm of trail. The benefits are fairly obvious. Buyer's Guides . If your bike was designed around such a tire, or a 32-35mm tire, 650B conversion might be appropriate. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. If you cant figure out the blanks, this whole thing will be hard. In addition, they are extremely versatile. Its not like you cant buy 26 tyres in the latest designs Maxxiss entire range still comes in 26. If a 27.5 rim and tire wont fit in the rear, are there extensions available to get the clearance needed? Thats all she rode, for decades Now her main bike is a 51.5 cm. The best way to check that is to go by a workshop to check it. not forgetting the height of the bracket. This will make the bike feel slightly less nimble through the corners. Hello Olivier, glad to hear you are riding your Meral. In addition, the XG-1150 full-pin steel cassette is super solid. Long-reach dual-pivot sidepull brakes also work. I love to hear these stories so much is gained by using what has already been produced, reinterpreting as needed. So, A had the largest rim (bead seat) and C had the smallest. Thatll give you 8mm of clearance on each side. 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. Leave a comment below. If you have other questions on the topic, feel free to ask our customer support. They must be there. Or was the braking better with the original flat bar and MTB levers? Can I change them for 29ners? Before we dive into the details about converting a bike to 650B, lets talk a little bit about the platform and who 650B is best suited for. "A" was originally a tire about 30 mm wide, so the 650A rim is pretty large, 590 mm. For reference, the diameter of a a 650B x 47mm tire equals that of a 700x28mm tire. Sometimes form does need to follow function. No way to go much bigger. Attached Images. Cheers! I and many other cyclists know the truth: toe overlap is to be avoided if possible as it can set you up to crash when you least expect it. Example: An early 80s Cannondale road bike had famously little tire clearance, and even if the new 559 brake allows the pads to reach the rim and has vertical clearance for a 44mm tire, even a 35mm tire might rub on the frame. This not rocket science. This resulted in a greater handiness of high-quality satiny tyres in the latter sizes. I hope to do a 650b conversion to a Trek 400 over the winter. I applaud your ingenuity, inventiveness and perseverance with this build. Many riders know that taller stems mean more hours of comfortable riding. BIKEPACKING.com is dedicated to exploration by bicycle. Its versatile, and you can usually get a Rival 1 shifter/derailleur/crankset for a little over $300. That wasnt so true back in the early days of frame building. This will not work with your current brake setup. The ability to have a light wheel set and touring wheel set. 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. Please keep the conversation civil, constructive, and inclusive, or your comment will be removed. Fox forks are the only forks compatible with 27.5 inch wheels. I have carrera vengeance 26 wheel. This was done for special events racing on a figure-8 velodrome. Agreed, Jim. 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. Any thoughts, suggestions or just stay with a 26 set-up, thanks. You need to be logged in to use these features. Check out their 24mm IW AdventureCarbon wheels, affordable 29mm IW TrailWide, and their Dynamo specific wheels. Rear wheel clearance. And there are several others that can accommodate 45mm or larger rubber. Alternatively, if you had a 26" bike, the difference is only 12.5mm so they'd more than make up the difference. WATCH THIS BEFORE DOING A 650B CONVERSION! - YouTube I hope it will be possible! Is that possible to upgrade 27.5 on it. For starters, the Rival 1 (1x) is a direct mount crankset, so you can easily switch the chainring to dial in gearing. While 26 slicks are broadly only available in 32, 38 and 50mm widths, 650B . I can only find a picture of your bike from the side. Rides a Trek Top Fuel 9.7 SL 2018. I have a Scott Spark 2007 model with 26 wheels . Manage Settings With the promise of dirt-friendly tires and a more supple ride, theres plenty to like. The image below illustrates the difference between the various sizes. If you measure the reach with the original 622 wheels and add 19 mm to that value, this will tell you the brake reach required. Having some trouble locating 26 inch replacements and converting to 27 inch. Hola, tengo una Spec Stumpjumper FSR Comp 2008 de 26. Is my Santa Cruz Nomad 2013 (L) full suspension Aluminum able to be converted from 26 ->27.5? The thing to do would be to get better brakes for the 26" wheels. No. Kind regards, and happy (almost) new year! The wider tires will be more durable, more "sure-footed", and give a more comfortable ride on rough pavement or under moderate off-road conditions. 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. The Switchback Hill was developed as an all-roads tire to add floatation and provide speed and security when the going gets rough. Bikes are simple machines. No, its pretty much always been true Similar issue with crank arm length. Those requirements allow us to address this efficiently but uncomprehensively. In addition, 46T is about as big as a Rival derailleur can go. He did use the honjo fenders meant for one of my bikes. For extended trips abroad 26 inch wheels and tyres are readily available if required, along with 8 or 9 speed cassette s, Im using XT thumb shifters and butterfly bars on my thorn, square taper sks BB. BB Drop is the distance between the height of the hubs and the height of the bottom bracket at the center of the crank bolt. The Local Overnighters Project is a unified effort to document and map one-night bikepacking routes all over the worldby locals, in their own backyards. And, the Rival 22 (2x) offers a decent 50/32 ring combo, although 46/30 would be a little better for loaded bikepacking. Not withstanding your critics generalizations, the Meral looks like a fine example of a 650B conversion. Nola There is a snag though: your bike needs to be able to fit the larger wheels. Now, whats the proper BB drop for 47-48mm road plus tires? I believe the geometry was very Schwinn Racer, not Masi GC, so the bike rode comfortably with toe overlap for my size 12-1/2 feet attached to my 63 frame.