650b

[vladamir]

So, who else has been rocking the 650b's for a while? Yep I do. Didn't even know that this was going to meke me uber cool some day.

And tires!?? I have been picking up 650b tires in semi knobbie, slick, hybrid etc from Wal-Mart and Kmart for years. You can even get them with white walls and they are made by some of big manufacturers.

Yep, classic.

Did you know that the most common designation in the midwest US is 26 1 1/2 (you can also get 650 A also known as 26 1 3/8 at most department stores)?

Wanna know what I run them on? A vintage 60's Sears 3 speed roadster.

And of course high quality tires, hubs and rims have been available forever. It's still pretty standard for touring and tandems in europe.

Funny no?:rolleyes:

Marketing, buy, sell, buy, sell, buy, buy, buy......:p:)

[Hand/of/Midas]

I dont think ill ever own a bike with 650b because i have so many bikes i can just pick the best tool for the job, and after i get a 29er(not for another year or 2) ill have both sides covered that one or the other would be better then the middle.

I think the only reasonable application for that size is for people who only rides cross-country and city and only want 1 bike. and i think it'd be good for that, but not that much better compared to a 29er, if better at all.

[davkatreb]

If I were flush with money and starting from scratch, I'd be all over Grant Peterson's 650b offerings. But right now I've got all the nice bikes I'll ever need.

But I still wants me a Bombadil. Real bad.

[leebo]

Are u on glue ? Half way between 26 and 29 inches ?
If they fit an old bike, ok, but why mess with the tried and true 26 and 29 ?

[tryandgetme]

650b's been pretty tried and true too, it's on every old bike out there dated pre-1980. plenty a kickass commuter cruisers to be had at garage sales. if your bike comes with 650b, why put the money and hassle into updating it?

[Family Guy]

Hey Vlad,

Most 3 speeds I've seen (and I've seen my far share) run 26x 1 3/8(ISO 590), not 26 x 1 1/2 (ISO 584 or 650B). Very few distrubutors carried the 584/650B size, but the 590 was very common. Are you finding the big boxes are stocking both the 584 and 590 size tires?

[SynicGeek]

There are plenty, 100,000,000+, of bikes out there with the 26x1 3/8 EA3 590s, but 650B? Raleigh and Schwinn did some MTBs in the late 80's and early 90's useing the 650Bs calling them 26x1 1/2s, but I've never seen those at a Dept store, hell, it's tough to find those at a bike shop. I do recall hearing that 650B is common in France on utility bikes or something, but many euro bikes have the 635mm BSD 28" tyres as found of the DL1s.

[Hand/of/Midas]

im checking shop records since march of 05(new computer system installed)........
looks like
26 x 1-1/2(650b) sold = 5
26 x 1-3/8 sold = 45

there you go guys. thats what is getting sold for older bikes here in chi-town country, at least in the past two years.

[longhaultruker2]

i haven't even tried 29ers yet.i wanna,jus haven't gotten around to it yet....eventually:D