I think so yes. And I think all of em were International Danger Orange I love that name for the color

Maybe the best color name EVAR!

No, they also made Kool Lemon (although it was probably a little different shade than true Kool Lemon as it was a Japanese built bike. On second thought I think I remember reading they were painted stateside.)

If they'd made them in more than two sizes I'd own one. Love these bikes! Check out the skip-tooth large cogs and the paint detail on the fork crown.

Ah, and here's what I believe is the next hot ticket in C&V:



Neal

That World Voyageur looks great. It's made in Japan and painted in the Schwinn factory? I can't think of a better pedigree than that! Looks like it was chromed in Chicago, too. Yummy!

perhaps this has been linked:
https://650b.webs.com/conversions.htm
good measurements to keep in mind when checking out potential frames.

One key limiting factor is brake reach. If your bike had 27" tires originally (usually, what... pre 1985?) The reach to the rims on 650B gets to be waaaaaaaay long at times. A bike with 700C wheels originally is always easier. Tektro R556 are nice long reach brakes. Older bikes with classic fork crowns often offer more clearance. My 650B bikes run 38MM tires (Col de La Vie and Soma B-Lines) they are plenty cushy and roll really fast. The Hetres are cool but just too 'rich' for me at that price point.

I am taking delivery of a couple frames for my next project and am juiced to get started.

Brake reach schmake-greatch!

I get around brake reach with Drum Brake hubs. They're great.

Tom, those World Voyageurs are full chrome under the paint. The paint on mine is pretty bad so I sanded off the crusty spots and wound up with a bike with Chrome spots

So buy stock in Mongoose?

I just received my XL-FD hub that i'm using for this 650B wheelset.
Compared to the X-FD (which I have on a different wheelset) the XL-FD is Enormous! The flange diameter has gotta be over 4 inches!
beautifully made alloy hub shell as well. Its a real nice unit to hold. Quite a bit nicer than my X-FD just in terms of perceived quality while holding it in my hand.





If this doesn't stop ya, nothing will.

So cross-5 is out of the question????

guess that would solve the reach issue... actually, I have a couple old Alesa 650B rims that I scavenged off a Schwinn Mirada that I may mount on coaster brake hubs. We gots piles of them at the Earn a BIke shop I volunteer at. Keep hoping to find a 2 vintage speed kick back but nothing yet.

Does the Hetre have a TPI count significantely greater than 66, which seems to be a standard Panaracer design?? As a first approxiamation, suppleness should follow TPI count.

John Hawrylak
Woodstown NJ

I have one of those X-FD hubs. It's going on my International, which originally had sorta long-reach Weinmann centerpull brakes. It is a beautiful hub to hold. I hope I'm not disappointed with the braking. I've never used a drum brake.

for extensive 650B info and opinions, I suggest subscribing to the listserv and presenting inquiries there... lots of friendly folks with plenty to say about tires

650b@googlegroups.com

I reckon you could join at Google Groups online

I am somewhat disappointed with the braking of my Shimano front drum, SBF. A friend of mine converted a Raleigh DL-1 Roadster with 28" wheels to 700c with drum brakes and he is disappointed in the braking performance too.

here is my current project. The bars are temporary (they will eventually be Velo Orange Porteur bars). The whole Bottom bracket crank thing is always a bit bewildering but I'll figure it out somehow

John Howard KHS Turbo

What are you guys using for reasonably priced 650b wheels?

I don't know the actual TPI count, but here's what Jan Heine has to say about the Hetres:

My portfolio is full of the stuff as of this afternoon.

That description gives me goosebumps and makes me want to do a conversion.

Try a Sturmey Archer. I've got a bike with a Shimano FHR in the rear and a Sturmey Archer X-FDD in the front and the Sturmey is the stronger of the two brakes. And its not just because its the front. Personally I found the Shimano roller brake a bit tricky to get dialed in but once it is, I think it works well. Just not as well as the Sturmey

And just in case that description doesn't convince:

I really want to do a conversion but I'm concerned that a fatter tire will make me feel slow. Will the bike still feel responsive and sporty ?

Or any of the tens of millions of hybrid bikes sold in the last 20 years or so.

I can understand your reluctance. I had the same concerns before I built up my 650b specific Kogswell P/R with Hetres. But after I rode the bike. Wow. Just wow.

Like you, I read review after review about how great thes tires are. And I finally came across my Kogswell frame that was designed for 650b tires, so I took the plunge:



Equipped like she sits in this photo... complete with double leg kickstand, dyno lighting, frame pump, and huge honkin' porter rack... the bike weighs exactly 30 pounds. Not exactly a lightweight.

But it rides like greased lightning. And smooooth as silk. This bike really surprises people... they're not used to seeing a fat tire bike cruising so fast. I've had more than one person comment on how fast the bike feels... and last Saturday at my LBS I had a line of employees and customers waiting to take a test ride on it... and 3 people tried to buy it from me on the spot!

But keep one thing in mind:
If you're building a bike around these specific tires, then go all the way with your wheelset. The tires will not be stellar if the rims, hubs, and spokes are trash. I built my wheels myself with Velocity Synergy rims, DT Swiss Revolution spokes, alloy nipples, SON front hub, and Shimano XT rear hub with SRAM PG990 cassette.

These wheels are light. Insanely light for a wheelset built for a 42mm tire. But they make the bike leap forward when you stomp down on the pedals. And smooth. Did I say smooth yet?

Riding these huge fast tires is unlike anything you've ridden before, but the oddest thing about them is the sound. Yes... the sound that they make. You know the echo type of sound that a kid's kickball makes when you thump it? That hollow balloon echo inside of the ball? Well these tires make that that noise, but it's constant. You can hear it when you're out away from traffic and everything is quiet. It's a ballooney thrumming sound as the tires roll across the pavement... very comforting to me... kind of neat. It's not a loud obnoxious sound... just a comforting background hum that you hear when it's quiet around you.

I'm glad I drank the Kool-aid. As a matter of fact, I'm considering putting 650b wheels on my Surly Pacer now. She weighs 21 pounds ready to ride with 700x23C wheels. That bike ought to be really fun and fast with some Pacenti Parimoto 38mm tires on it. Most of the reviews I've seen say that those are some of the fastest 650b tires that you can get your hands on!

For me it's my fat *ss that makes me slow. There's a lot of reasons to do a 650B conversion. Speed isn't one of them. Good luck