Tag: 650b

57 Sunflower Porteur

This past week I built up a 57cm Sunflower Rambler as a Portuer.  What is commonly referred to as a “city bike” these days, the Porteur has deep roots as a French newspaper delivery bike.  Optimized for getting stacks of newspapers out to the stands around Paris, the Porteur is optimized for speed and all day comfort in the urban environment, yet still able to handle well with exceptional front loads, i.e. a stack of newspapers.  THis translates into an excellent bike for most people who carry a varying load throughout the day, have a stop and go radius under 10 miles and prefer the comfort and added visibility of an upright position, think commuter.

This build has been well received on our social media channels with requests for more info on some of the details.  The build was a mix of price points, focused on a safe and transportational ride that will see daily use in Santa Clarita as well as longer weekend explorations.  Pictures tell the rest of the story…

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Rambler No.3 Built Up

Rambler No.3 is now fit and built up to what it will most likely be for a while.  I still need to sort out the racks, but am stoked on how it turned out.

After riding the bike a bit with the Hetre tires, they just felt to big and cushy for the nature of the bike.  One lap around the block with the Pari-Motos and I knew it was a perfect match for such a little bike.  The hammered Honjo fenders are the 50mm offered by Velo Orange, and are a perfect fit for the 38mm tires.  The verdict is still out on how the HWY 1 handlebars will be for the long haul, but I thing the shorter reach is a good thing.  The pictures tell the story of the frame details, lighting wire provisions, rack and fender mounts, etc.

Having been in the business of designing and making things most of my post college career, I will never cease to be excited every time a project comes together.  Having this bike in front of me to make the pictures, for my wife to ride, and to make available for other people to find joy in cycling is incredible.  Thank you for the opportunity to deliver a product that works, and might even be a game changer for some people.  Finding small bikes that work and fit well, like the one above is not easy, and I plan on changing that.

LeMond Zurich 650b Conversion

I had the pleasure of adding a new chapter to a customers long-lived road bike.  He has owned this 1999 LeMond Zurich since new.  His interest was starting to head towards the rougher less traveled roads above Santa Barbara, and he wanted to get a bit more comfort out of the bike.  We exchanged a few emails, met, I was able to take the needed measurements, discussed options, orders were placed, and today it all cam together.

This is where we started, 700x23mm:

The wheel set came from Anthony at Long Leaf, the new Velocity A23 rims laced to White Industry hubs.  The clearance at the chain stays is pretty tight, and the widest, at 32mm, 650b tire that will fit is the Grand Bois Cypres.  Tektro 559 brake calipers provided the extra reach, with KoolStop salmon pads to replace the stock.  New cables and bar tape, finished out the build.  The original drive train has been going strong and we decided to save any work there for another day.  I will let the pictures tell the rest of the story:

As far as 650b conversions go, this one went perfectly.  Detailed planing led to a smooth execution.  Everything bolted right up the way you would hope.  IMO the bike looks more balanced with the fatter tires.  The only tight spot is at the chain stays, as expected.  There is about 3mm on each side of the tire.  That said, I was unable to get it to rub on the test ride, and I weigh about 40lbs more than the owner.  The bottom bracket drop can sometimes be a problem with conversions.  The Zurich has a drop around 65mm, with a finished height of 264mm to the center of BB after conversion.  There is no real danger of pedal strike than with conventional road bike set ups.

This bike has already been on more local adventures than most, but I am pretty sure this new chapter is going to be a long and good one.  Thanks M.K. for the chance to build this up.