Originally Posted by
The Golden Boy
It sounds like you've made some good choices there- I'm going to have to keep an eye out for those bars...the Dia Compe 981s are good brakes- if I didn't have the XC Pro brakes on my Voyageur SP, I'd be using the 981s. I don't think you're going to get 650B to work without either moving the canti studs or getting some long reach calipers and leave the studs sitting there, neither is a good option. You should be able to get some pretty beefy 700c tires in there. My 86 Voyageur was running some 27 x 1 3/8" tires when I had it, so I'm pretty sure you'd be good with 35s and fenders, or 38s without.
Good to hear I made some good choices! I have to say I was a bit overwhelmed with all the options when I first began. The bars are dirt drop style. Got mine off ebay for $50 and they're so comfortable especially in the drops. Can you tell I love these bars?
I do like the simplicity of the 981s and once I got them adjusted right they're working fine. They seem bulletproof once dialed in, so I'll likely keep them at this point (500 miles). Didn't think about that with the 650b--but good to know. I guess if I build any wheels it'll be 27" or 700. And yes tire size was one reason I was drawn to the Voyageur. I'm currently running 700x32 Continental Tourride tires with SKS fenders and there's plenty more room for a larger tire. When I move back to Missouri, I'll have a bike ready to tackle the gravel.