Tires arrived today, which were the last of the parts. Thanks to the COVID work-from-home mandate, I was able to do assembly in between conference calls and queries.
The Schwalbe Marathons, having crossed the continent in pretzel form, were a bit recalcitrant about being mounted, and even though they eventually succumbed, they refused to bead-seat themselves exactly correctly. I’m hoping they will slowly acclimate...
The R559 calipers, of course, are fantastic, as are the levers, both pair of them. I’ve never had a set of cross levers before. I think I’m going to like them.
While not necessary for the 650B conversion, I swapped out the bars and stem for a different geometry. At my age I’m more interested in comfort than aerodynamics, so while the bars are the same (Modolo Anatomic), the stem is higher, with less reach.
Anyway, here she is ready for the test ride...
... which was successful! I was prepared for something to break or fall off, but somehow I managed to put it all together properly. (But no bar tape yet, in case I need to adjust the lever positions.) Even though I had the tires pretty firm (trying to use air pressure to help seat the beads), I quite enjoyed the combination of the same old nimble frame with the luxuriously comfy new shoes.
This is going to be fun!
