The 650B Revival: Bikefanclub.com

Well, something of a revival is underway since Rivendell's Saluki will soon hit the road (many of the first 100 bikes are at paint) and others, including the new Cycles Tournesol, the Brothers Hampsten's venture into traditional lugged steel will include 650B models. Check out cyclestournesol.com for some initial look at the concept. Tournesol will be more of the constructeur style, likely that most bikes will come whole and built to order, while Rivendell maintains the versatility and multiple build-style that has been their mark from the beginning. Still, I can't describe just how pleased I am that we will see more 650B in America. I've been riding this wheel size now for a long time---on several different bikes including a Herse, Singer, and Mariposa---and it's the perfect fat tire road bike roughstuffer in-betweener. Some will say that its 584mm diameter is not enough of a difference from 559mm (mtn bike size) but the experience is entirely different and far better suited to the road. Anyway, I'm sure that my two examples of Saluki will be among the first batch---one centerpuller, the other cantilever---one to be built oldschool, the other modern, both with Berthoud stainless fenders, and I could not be more excited...but for the news that a long, long awaited Nagasawa is on the boat headed here in less than six weeks. So traditional lugged steel has, well, never been better, as ironic as that might be.

Well, more soon, and hearty thanks to Kahuna for this new spot on the BFC. It was gracious of him to add it for those of us for whom lugged steel bikes provide such joy.

dbrk

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