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Best way to pitch hybrids with 2.4" tires?

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Best way to pitch hybrids with 2.4" tires?

Old 08-08-20, 12:13 PM
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hybridbkrdr
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Thumbs up Best way to pitch hybrids with 2.4" tires?

A lot of manufacturers didn't seem to want to bite when I spoke about hybrids with 2.5" tires (actually, 2.4" would work). Anyway, what do you think would be the best way to pitch this? Would it be a gravel hybrid or adventuer/tourer hybrid?
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Old 08-09-20, 03:01 PM
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Question Sales Campaign?

Mountain bike.. 26", 27.5(650B), 29er.

Trekking bike 26" (47-559) Mine :


Last edited by fietsbob; 08-09-20 at 06:38 PM.
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Old 08-09-20, 06:10 PM
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Originally Posted by fietsbob
Mountain bike.. 26", 27.5(650B), 29er.
Well, I think you're trying to say it's somewhat available already but not really. For getting groceries, I really also want a front rack as well as a rear rack (and fenders). Mountain bikes with suspension forks kind of make things a bit complicated, first in the way you can attach a front rack, second, in the way you can attach a front fender.

I'd like to make a side note to this as well. I've certainly seen electric bikes with tires like the Kenda Kwick seven.5 or Schwalbe Super Moto X (or BigBen etc.). But these styles I suspect can be kind of soft in corners if they're not highly inflated. I kind of like the Kenda Drumlin or Michelin Cross Max kind of tire that seems more rigid. I've tried the Michelin Cross Max and found it to be excellent on my touring bike at 42mm wide (the 40c model). Unfortunately, I have to switch those out because they rub on the rear fender. Also, the pattern design of the Cross Max seems to give like a "road buzz". I think something like the pattern of a Schwalbe Range Cruiser is nice (although I found the Range Cruiser to be too tight on my Rhyno Lite rims even though those were several years ago so they may have changed since then since I find the Schwalbe Land Cruiser I find is a medium-fitting tire).
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Old 08-09-20, 06:29 PM
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Those are accessories...
I go fetch groceries in my Ortlieb Panniers they come off easily and I fill them , myself,
(as covid required, shop has no baggers ) they charge for carry out bags now.

after the clerk rings them up..







Kbekkers have a separate inside meaning for 'pitch'?
football pitch, roof pitch, sales pitch, baseball pitch, pine pitch?
//..

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Old 08-11-20, 01:14 PM
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"Gravel" is already pretty well defined (drop bars, 650x47mm or 700x40mm), so I would go with adventure.

But I'm not sure what you'd do with this. I ran some 2.5" slicks on my Jones Plus for a bit, but they were total overkill on the road. Maybe bumpy gravel? We don't have many gravel roads around here, so it's hard to say.

But if you want this, the bikes are available. Jones and the Rivendell Clem Smith are two good examples. Salsa Fargo, etc.
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Old 08-11-20, 01:28 PM
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Less than 2" wide then it's gravel. 2" or greater than it's adventure/touring.
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Old 08-11-20, 01:52 PM
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The Surly Bridge Club is another good example. Surly say it fits 27.5x2.6" tires with fenders, or 2.8" tires without fenders.
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Old 08-11-20, 05:55 PM
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So you'd basically be pitching a Surly Ogre (29x2.5 or 27.5x3.0) competitor? Surly call it an "All Season Commuter" but it's a capable off and on road touring and commuting bike. There are quite a lot of bikes that are similar (https://www.cyclingabout.com/list-of...packing-bikes/), so I don't really see the need to redefine the 'Adventure Touring and Bikepacking" category. Plus, why pitch to bike companies if you don't already work for one? The companies that would be comfortable making a 29x2.5 capable bike (brand image) probably already make one or have plans to.
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Old 08-12-20, 01:52 PM
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I'm actually surprised some of these have V-brakes. But some of those have 26" tires or are like $4000. For what it's worth, I wish I could find a model with an aluminum frame, V-brakes and capable of 27.5x2.4" with fenders.
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Old 08-12-20, 07:27 PM
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Originally Posted by hybridbkrdr
For what it's worth, I wish I could find a model with an aluminum frame, V-brakes and capable of 27.5x2.4" with fenders.
Some here report the Specialized Roll's "2.3 inch" tires are really more like 2.5 inches. If that's true, then the base model Roll fits all of your criteria. It's got an aluminum frame, it's available with V-brakes, and it's capable of a 2.4 inch tire with fenders. The base model has been upgraded in the last model year or two to come with a 7-speed cassette; it used to come with a 7-speed freewheel.
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Old 08-13-20, 08:10 AM
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Originally Posted by hokiefyd
Some here report the Specialized Roll's "2.3 inch" tires are really more like 2.5 inches. If that's true, then the base model Roll fits all of your criteria. It's got an aluminum frame, it's available with V-brakes, and it's capable of a 2.4 inch tire with fenders. The base model has been upgraded in the last model year or two to come with a 7-speed cassette; it used to come with a 7-speed freewheel.
I've been wavering back and forth about it. The cruiser geometry might provoke my knees because I have a bit of chondromalacia. I thought about installing the seatpost back to front then pushing the saddle limit forward and using 30mm riser bars to alter the geometry. But since I have several bicycles I've never been 100% happy about I'm hesitant to experiment one more time and see myself disappointed one more time.
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Old 08-13-20, 12:53 PM
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I think you're going to have to accept disc brakes on bikes with tires this wide. As you're finding, rim brakes are not common. Marketing and the "gotta have it" factor are certainly part of it, but another factor is rim size. A rim brake usually requires a rim that's not too much narrower than the tire itself. If you have a narrow rim with a wide tire, the brakes usually have to reach in too far to the braking surface to also open wide enough to let the tire pass through when removing a wheel. Rims that wide that also have rim brake tracks machined in are pretty uncommon, and frames with rim brake posts that will accept tires this large are also pretty uncommon. As you're finding, frames like this are sometimes available to fit 26" wheels, but 27.5" is more difficult to find.
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Old 08-14-20, 02:21 PM
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Accept? No. If I had the resources right now to start my own bike company, I would. Whether it would be a boutique shop or not, who cares. I mean companies like Rivbike and VeloOrange get stuff out there so maybe someone else could.
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Old 08-14-20, 04:33 PM
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This Like A Huffy Toss? points for distance?
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Old 08-15-20, 05:20 AM
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A possible solution might be to get the Giant ATX which does have 27.5x2.1" tires then switch them for Kenda Drumlin 2.2" tires. That one has V-brakes. And although there's a front suspension, I could always get large Massi bags for a rear AtranVelo rack and add an AtranVelo basket (that goes on top of the rack). So that along with my backpack I'd get enough groceries.

You know the thing I find most outrageous about the current situation? Roadies now have gravel bikes AND monster cross bicycles. And mountain bikers have a whole range of bikes capable of 2.4" tires. Hybrid bike riders seem to be the only ones to get 32mm tires with limited frame/fork clearance. Heck, even cruiser bike riders and BMXers can have their large tires and EVEN electric bike riders (lots to be seen there).

EDIT: And touring bikes as well. By the way, you can always answer the original question instead of my own personal needs. I should make videos though of the potholes in this city. It's rather farcical.

Last edited by hybridbkrdr; 08-15-20 at 05:44 AM.
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Old 08-16-20, 11:22 AM
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What you are talking about already exists.

Flat bar bike with 2.4” tires = Hardtail or Rigid Mountain Bike.
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Old 08-16-20, 01:11 PM
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yea its like 27 1/2* plus tired mountain bikes... theres 29er plus too..
*ye old french 650B..
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Old 08-23-20, 01:42 PM
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Originally Posted by Kapusta
What you are talking about already exists.

Flat bar bike with 2.4” tires = Hardtail or Rigid Mountain Bike.
Maybe I didn't make myself clear enough. First, rigid mountain bikes like the rigid fork Marin Pine Mountain, Giant ATX Lite and Raleigh Talus have all been eliminated. And when they were available, I didn't like the fact that the first two had disc brakes and the Raleigh had tensile steel forks (instead of cro-mo and I would have preferred an aluminum frame as well). I'd like either aluminum frame with cro-mo or alu forks. Second, with a rigid fork that has the same mountain frame, it will be a suspension-corrected fork. I don't like the idea of having a long distance between the fenders and front tire.

As far as other solutions are concerned, here's a few ideas I came across in the last few days.
1. The Kona Hula has 2.6" and has V-brakes. But this one is made for kids with a 12" frame. I found it interesting that V-brakes can clear 2.6" tires. However, I haven't really found semi-slick 2.6" tires. (I've found some in 2.4" which is why I might go that way anyway.) Obviously, it's not really a solution since I can't completely modify a kids bike to make it an adult bike.
2. I found Customize Bike Store on aliexpress although I thought the other day I had seen something like $50 for shipping. Now it says $435 US for shipping which I find rather insane. If I get real desperate, I wonder if I'll go this route. Even if it's steel frame & fork instead of aluminum.
3. Frank The Welder says on his web site he has 30 years experience and 100,000 lbs of equipment. He can make a custom aluminum frame for $2k with paint. I just messaged him to find out if I order with other people on the web, can I get that down to $500. I could have asked to make one similar to the Breezer Midtown and put on canti bosses for V-brakes. The Breezer Midtown might be modifyable although I read finding people who can work with aluminum might be a challenge.
4. The Sonder Frontier frameset. Well, even though it's out of stock and it has a suspension-corrected fork, the company say for 300 British Pounds it can modify the frame (don't know if canti bosses apply though).
5. The Surly Bridgeclub frameset. Modifying this frameset would be more expensive than buying a Breezer Midtown although it's made of steel which means it still might be possible.

Eventually I might have to learn how to build my own frame. Although one of the things I'd like to learn is to make a sort of flexible type of frame I can adjust everywhere to figure out which angles I prefer everywhere on the frame.

Last edited by hybridbkrdr; 08-23-20 at 01:45 PM.
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Old 08-23-20, 04:09 PM
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You seem to have forgotten what question you were asking in your original post.
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Old 09-06-20, 12:40 PM
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I saw on Youtube there's a popular tourist that now uses 27.5x2.4" tires and some people in the mountain biking forum had some positive comments for 2.5" tires. So I'm sold on 2.4 except I think manufacturer's really should get on that bandwagon and make hybrids with 27.5x2.4" tires. (And V-brakes for me, too many manufacturers are abandoning this standard when QBP made a poll which showed about 20% voting for rim brakes. That's 1/5 of the possible customers out there.
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Old 09-06-20, 04:04 PM
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So what is the bike you saw on YouTube?
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Old 09-06-20, 07:47 PM
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Originally Posted by hybridbkrdr
I saw on Youtube there's a popular tourist that now uses 27.5x2.4" tires and some people in the mountain biking forum had some positive comments for 2.5" tires. So I'm sold on 2.4 except I think manufacturer's really should get on that bandwagon and make hybrids with 27.5x2.4" tires. (And V-brakes for me, too many manufacturers are abandoning this standard when QBP made a poll which showed about 20% voting for rim brakes. That's 1/5 of the possible customers out there.
If there was a demand -- any demand aside from a few isolated individuals -- for such a bicycle the major manufacturers would make it and sell it. But there isn't, so they won't.

The rigid, v-braked, aluminum-framed Giant ATX of a couple of years ago is a perfect example. If there was any real demand for that bike, and resulting sales, Giant would have kept it in production. There wasn't, so they didn't.
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Old 09-07-20, 10:53 AM
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I cannot resist. "Best way to pitch hybrids with 2.4" tires?"

Create a track and field event - the Hybrid Toss. Put up a few thousand for prize money, Won't take long to see some real interest in the best hybrid pitch.
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Old 09-07-20, 11:34 AM
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Originally Posted by badger1
If there was a demand -- any demand aside from a few isolated individuals -- for such a bicycle the major manufacturers would make it and sell it. But there isn't, so they won't.

The rigid, v-braked, aluminum-framed Giant ATX of a couple of years ago is a perfect example. If there was any real demand for that bike, and resulting sales, Giant would have kept it in production. There wasn't, so they didn't.
I'm tempted to think it depends manufacturer is doing it. I'm not a fan of the price of the Surly Bridge Club but saw some very positive comments from tourists. If a model like this were specifically advertised with aluminum frame and front and rear racks with V-brakes, well who knows.

Kona made the Dew City with V-brakes but used a bottom bracket that was criticized online and smaller than the rest of the Dew line. So yeah, maybe it didn't sell.
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Old 09-07-20, 12:38 PM
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Originally Posted by hybridbkrdr
I saw on Youtube there's a popular tourist that now uses 27.5x2.4" tires and some people in the mountain biking forum had some positive comments for 2.5" tires. So I'm sold on 2.4 except I think manufacturer's really should get on that bandwagon and make hybrids with 27.5x2.4" tires. (And V-brakes for me, too many manufacturers are abandoning this standard when QBP made a poll which showed about 20% voting for rim brakes. That's 1/5 of the possible customers out there.
True 2.4" tires, plus fenders, and v-brakes?

Good luck with that.
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