Yesterday I acquired (through craigslist) a pristine 1986 Raleigh Grand Prix. Except for the dry-rotted tires and the 700c araya/miche wheels badly needing trued, the bike is in magnificent shape.
Photos here
I purchased the bike with the intention of doing my first 650b conversion, having done a lot of reading on some of the websites previously mentioned in this topic. I already have the Tektro R566 long reach brakes from a previous SS conversion (not 650b) and I am awaiting the $200 "budget" 650b wheelset from Rivendell (36h Shimano Tiagra hubs laced to Velocity Twin Hollow rims).
I have a question regarding the gearing, and although it is not specific to 650b conversions I figured this would be a good place to find people who have already done this... The original 700c rear wheel has a 6-speed freewheel but it is my understanding that the Tiagra hubs are spaced for a 9-speed cassette. Should I expect a seamless transition from one to the other or does that depend on the shifters, deraileur length or other factors?
This Sheldon Brown page talks about using a 7-speed cassette with a spacer so I'm wondering if maybe that would work better with my older components than a 10-speed cassette? Thoughts?