Roberto’s 650B city bike

It’s been a little while since I did my last 650B city bike. But judging by the upcoming builds on my list, it’s going to be a big year for the 650B wheel size. I’m not pushing the size one way or another, it just makes sense for certain applications. On this fillet brazed commuter, the 42mm Compass Babyshoe Pass tires add a whole lot of cushion. The custom chrome plated rear rack is the sole means of carrying the load on this bike. The new Schmidt SON taillight mounts directly to the underside of the rack platform while the wire runs through the rack tubing low enough to clear any bag mounting clips. The front light is mounted directly to the fork crown behind the brake arms and underneath the cable straddle hanger. The brakes are MAFAC Raids that I’ve modified with some modern hardware. The Jitensha bar made by Nitto gives an upright riding position while allowing for a little bit of drop from the saddle. The stem is custom fillet brazed with an integrated hanger that matches the rear one off of the seat binder. The saddle is the Berthoud Aravis but the brass rivets have been plated to flow with the rest of the bike. The 1×10 drivetrain is a favorite of mine for this style bike and the SunXCD crankset with modified TA rings are gorgeous with their uncluttered lines. The range on the rear cassette is adequate for the hills Roberto will be encountering. The wheels in the pictures of this bike are just placeholders as there is no dynamo. He’ll be building his own wheelset in Australia. Not having to pack a wheelset will cut the shipping costs significantly. This bike will be arriving down under soon where summer is just beginning!