650 b tyres and rims

belgiangoth · Post by **belgiangoth** » 6 Jul 2007, 3:37pm

Hi,

Currently restoring a ... 1940?s bike that used to belong to my wife's grandfather. In it's day it was a top of the line hand built club bike with 26*1 1/4 wheels.
Other than mending the seatstays, repainting and a general service, I need to replace the rims and have been quoted 80 pounds (with postage) to get some 26*1 1/4 rims, about half that if I go with 26*1 3/8s. So I got to thinking that if I want to stick with about the right era, but go with something that would be aluminium rims and a good choice of tyres, I could go with 650b s.
Does anyone know a shop that sells them and associated tyres.

Alternatively I could fit 700c, or even 27" wheels, though I would need to swap the brakes... at which point I might as well drop the idea to stick to an apropriate date and just use the frame.

Post by Si » 6 Jul 2007, 8:31pm

You could try Park Cycles in Streetly (phone number on the PushBikes website somewhere) - he has, or can get, all sorts of wierd and wonderful stuff.

belgiangoth · Post by **belgiangoth** » 7 Jul 2007, 1:05pm

Thanks for that, I'll give them a try - miles out of my way though - north birmingham, I thought that was just a legend that toothless old folk talk about to scare children.

Post by Si » 7 Jul 2007, 9:08pm

my (plodding) commute to the uni takes less than an hour and Park Cycles isn't that much further out, or the cross sity train will get you near by in less than 50mins

this all assumes he has what you want of course :wink:

I think that they've now removed the "Here be dragons" labels in N. Birmingham in the Brum Walking and Cycling map

MLJ · Post by **MLJ** » 8 Jul 2007, 5:36pm

The 650B has been resurrected in France and Schwalbe make these tyres. Try http://www.cyclos-cyclotes.org/650/index_ang.html for more info

belgiangoth · Post by **belgiangoth** » 9 Jul 2007, 10:08am

Rivendell has also started promoting these, meaning that there are a variety of tyres availiable. I found an aussie site that deals with this - which I have emailed, they appear to be the only site that sells 40 hole rims....

8Ball · Post by **8Ball** » 12 Jun 2008, 12:19pm

I do like to see another 650B cycle on the road.
If there's one near you Decathlon stock a Continental 650b tyre. Rigida still make a 650B rim so you might be able to have them ordered form a local shop that stocks Rigida products.
Let us know how you get on.

8BALL

glueman · Post by **glueman** » 12 Jun 2008, 12:41pm

Some will disagree on the basis it's yet another size for bike shops not to stock a range of tyres for, but an uptake in 650B might differentiate touring bicycles and trigger some intelligent component developments from the bigger manufacturers - and smaller specialists - in our direction.
It's not that 650B is far enough away from 700c or MTB 559 to fill a genuine need, just that those sizes are derived from racing and mountain biking and the thinking rarely deviates from either.

Also, we've lost 26 x 1 1/4 and 28 and others over the years so the trade is actually up on the required stock sizes these days. I'm glad 650B is finding a new lease of life.