jlaw

Looks sharp! You made many good component choices IMO - starting with the Trek 716. I'd like to know more about your opinions on the model 6 saddle, the Velocity A23's (did you build the wheels yourself?), the VO 46/30 crank, and the Loup Loups (tubed or tubeless?).

I just ordered a wide-rimmed 26" wheel set and am going to try the Rene Herse Rat Trap Pass tires on an 'adventure' bike.

Have fun on your new ride!

ThermionicScott 

+1, that looks great @abshipp. Got any plans for fenders?

Apart from playing around with a new bottle cage (for an insulated 40oz bottle), I don't have much to report on mine this winter. I daresay that it has reached a pretty high level of maturity, unlike its rider.

abshipp 

Thanks!

RE: Model 6. I've got around 200 miles on this saddle so far. It's starting to get really comfortable. As you can see, I don't have a super aggressive position on this bike, but the shape really seems to agree with me. Several times on Saturday's ride I really stopped thinking about it, which is a first for a saddle for me. Fit and finish are excellent, I'm tempted to pick up another. The only one remaining in stock at Velo Orange is the "Honey", and it is currently on sale at a deep discount at Velo Orange due to them discontinuing the line.

RE: A23. I built this wheelset from the original 600EX hubs from the Trek, and the rims were brand new. Rear is the offset version. This is only the second wheelset I've built, and it went very smoothly. It's pretty simple to get straight wheels when you start out with straight rims Built with DT-Swiss 1.8/2.0 spokes.

One thing that I noticed is that the braking performance isn't quite what I expected. It seems to be a bit lacking, but maybe once the braking track wears in then performance will start to improve. Definitely not a deal-breaker, but I also don't ride anywhere with huge descents.

RE: Crankset. This set is actually Sun XCD crankarms with VO chainrings, although I'm pretty sure that the Velo Orange cranks are exactly the same, just rebranded. No issues so far, and front shifting is excellent with the ramped and pinned chainrings. Aesthetically they aren't quite as nice as a nice cold forged set (these are CNC-machined), but they are quite nice. No regrets in purchasing them at all.

RE: Loup-Loups. EXCELLENT. I've ridden Pari-Motos quite a bit in the same size, but these are just amazingly comfortable. Running tubes, with no intentions of going tubeless. I was a little on the fence about the value of having $160 worth of rubber, but I'm sold.

abshipp 

Thanks!

Fenders are in the future, and I'm considering going for the full French rando treatment. The biggest change I had been planning to make was having the fork re-raked, but to be honest it behaves really well with a front bag. I was quite surprised.

Otherwise, I want another set or two of bottle bosses, some proper fork mounts for the rack (I HATE p-clips), and if I'm feeling fancy I might have some canti studs brazed on. That would solve the rack mount issues as well. Oh, and new paint. It's definitely at least a 15 footer at the moment

mountaindave 

Very nice, @abshipp! I love my 710 as well. Now you need a dynohub, lights, fenders... it never ends...

abshipp 

Oh, don't I know it!

I put the aforementioned Campy 8 speed ergos on a couple of days ago.

Filed away a 13-28 7 speed hyperglide cassette to fit on the old 600EX hub, but I have a duplicate 14T smallest cog due to my lockring. So right now I've got 8 speed Campy shifting a 6 speed cassette, spaced to 7 speed

And it works pretty well! I'll probably pick up a 13T Uniglide threaded cog sometime in the future to eliminate the redundancy, but it doesn't really bother me too much right now.

mountaindave 

unterhausen

I was thinking about building a dedicated trainer bike and stop abusing the poor Centurion Semi-pro that's on there now. Never thought that it would work as a 650b bike. I have a set of 650b wheels that need a bike to go on.

pcb 

'80s Mikkelsen Road Special 650b conversion, with bologna-skin Pacenti Pari-Moto 650Bx38s and ultralight Schwalbe tubes. I was planning on selling the frameset, but wanted to try 650b on it first just to see how it worked out, and because 650b tires fit the chainstay dimples much better than 700c. I avoided riding it for months because I was afraid I'd want to keep it after riding it. Oh yeah, and winter. Turned out to be a really sweet ride, a heady combination of sporty, dialed-in handling and smooth comfort. I used mostly parts I had around, as a 1x10 wiith a downtube shifter. First dt shifter setup I've built in quite a few years, luckily my muscle memory still worked and I could shift. Also the first 650b conversion I've done in a while, not counting modern modern disc-brake machines that are designed to be swappable.

I used Tektro 559 calipers, I've used 'em before on 650b conversions and they definitely work, but I usually go for Paul Racer M or Racers, depending on reach, for the stiffer arms/pivots.

Will probably sell this as a frameset, and move the wheels and some parts to a more vintage build.

fordbailey

Nice bike ! Those still Treks are very underrated. Do you like the Loup Loup tires better than the Paris Motos ?

TenGrainBread 

Nice Mikkelson @pcb. What chainring size are you using?

pcb 

Thanks! It's a 34t, lower than I'd want on something like this that wouldn't see a lot of trail/gravel. But that's what I had handy. I wouldn't go a whole lot bigger, probably 38t.

abshipp 

Thanks!

My initial response would be yes. However, I don't know how much of that is placebo since I know that I'm rolling on tires that are supposed to be really, really, really good.

Pari-Motos are a good tire, don't get me wrong. I wouldn't hesitate to use them if I was looking for a nice lightweight tire but didn't want to spend Compass/Rene Herse money. Lots of people complain that they are flat magnets, but I haven't had any issues in 500 or so miles I've ridden them.

But I just don't get flats around here, ever, so YMMV

fordbailey

I'm riding Paris Motos right now on two bikes. I paid $18 for one pair (38mm) and got the others (42mm) with a set of wheels. They are fantastic ! No flats yet- and I ride on all kinds of unpaved terrain with them, as well as some urban riding. I just can't imagine the compass tires could be much better. But maybe they are...

mountaindave 

They have a different casing, and the PM's have much thinner tread, so shorter lifespan.

Having ridden the two, I like them both. I like the LLP for it's durability, but would get the EL for added suppleness. The PM is more of an "event tire" that won't last as long, but will still give you that oh-so-supple ride.

fordbailey

Thanks- That's exactly what I figured. The Paris Motos were so cheap that I can't afford not to ride them...

bikemig 

Very, very nice. I have a 1979 Trek 510 frame salted away that I've been meaning to build up as a 650b build. It has a full ishiwata frame set and it's pretty much the same blue as yours. These pics will help get me motivated. I'll likely go with 3 x 7 shimano as I have the parts on hand and all I'll need to buy are rims/spokes/tires/tubes.

fliplap

This thread needs another Trek like I need a bonus face hole, so here’s mine before I head off to the piercer.

1982 Trek 412 25.5”

I’d been riding this frame with 700x32 for about a year when I spotted a Surly Steamroller at Goodwill that some weirdo had turned into a 650b fixed gear. I figured the Pacenti PL23 rims and the old, but visibly unridden, Compass Babyshoe Pass 650x42 tires alone were worth the $25 asking price, the rest of the Surly went on eBay or to the co-op.

I laced the rims to some XT hubs from the co-op parts bin. I haven’t swapped the freehub on the m732 rear, so it’s currently setup as a 8 of 9 on 7, shifted by 9 speed bar ends. The front wheel is laced 2x because I reused the nice double butted spokes and they weren’t long enough for 3x on the low flange hub m737.

Brakes are Dia Compe 750 center pulls. This frame originally wore 27” wheels, so I need every mm of reach I can get, especially in the front. Plus side, 42s fit with ample room for fenders.

The rest of the cast is the usual suspects, Sugino XD2 triple, Nitto technomic stem and noodle bars. Berthoud saddle, etc.

jlaw

$25 for a set of Pacenti rims with Compass tires - plus a Surly bike! Great find - and put to good use modifying your 412.

I'll never get tired of seeing 650b Treks - you've got a beaut. 42's with room for fenders - very nice - and I like that front rack.

Good to see the 650b conversion thing is still alive.

noglider 

Here is my Lemond conversion. It rides great, but there is only 1mm of clearance at the chain stays. The 38mm tires might stretch, and I wish for even wider tires, so maybe this isn't the bike for a conversion. But I've ridden it for quite a while already, and so far, so good.

Does this picture display?

thook

i don't see a picture....

CV-6 

As shared in a different thread. Bernard Carré frame tarted up as a Sauvage-Lejeune. Wheels and brakes courtesy of my tandem that does not get ridden. I may go back to the 47/34 or a 47/27 double on it. Fenders are a possibility, but they complicate transportation. Got some nicer tires for it also.


DSCN2596 by L Travers, on Flickr

noglider 

How about now?

ThermionicScott 

Sadly, no. The link doesn't appear to be directly to an image file, but perhaps to a Google folder or something.Now it does!

I was poking around Flickr a while back, and apparently there was once a short run of Velocity Aero in 650B. A narrow rim like that was just the thing to pull in a fat tire for a bike with tight clearances.

thook

nope! ...lol

i hope someone else chimes in here...hint..hint. am i the only soul who doesn't see a picture from noglider?