The Ongoing Struggle

Forks. We have only one manufacturer that has produced a true bred 650B suspension fork: White Bros. They are offering the Magic in a 80mm and 100mm travel options and the Fluid in 100 & 130. These forks do fill the most commonly used travel lengths, but more options are needed.
From the looks of things, nearly every major fork manufacturer already has a model with lowers that fit a 650B off-road tire. Rock Shox, Fox Forx, Marzocchi, Manitou, DT Swiss, even RST and Suntour. When will these manufacturers see the potential and just take the plunge. A 650B fork could double as a 26" as well. Obviously not much will need to be done for an official ruling to take place. I'm no engineer, but after talking with White Bros last year it was a huge overhauling to adapt their forks to meet 650B use.
X-Fusion has been smart with giving the thumbs up for their Velvet fork. This fork was a blessing to the wheelsize. With a retail price of under $400, and a weight under 4lbs, the Velvet has been the perfect starter fork for most 650B users.
I am working on a list of compatible 26" forks, but I am hesitant to post it to this site. I have done quite a bit of work to locate and test forks that can fit the 2.3 Neo-Moto. If I do list anything, all forks must accept the larger Neo.

KHS SixFifty606

I had a blurb weeks ago about this bike when a KHS Rider had a prototype. Well, KHS has given the thumbs up for production. The 606 will feature a hydroformed aluminum frame, an X-Fusion Velvet fork, Nevegal 2.1" tires and a Shimano SLX rear deraileur, just to name some of the myriad of components on this geared hardtail. This is the first production aluminum mtb hardtail 650B frame.
I spoke with a few KHS folks at last year's Interbike and they were very open to the 650B format and even had a Tuscon setup with 650B wheels. I'd love to see a steel Solo-One in the future. They can call it the BSolo.

KHS SixFifty606

SALE SALE SALE

Bikelugs.com is having a sale on 650B Tires. All Pacenti makes are instock, including the 2.1" Neo-Moto.
CHECK IT!

Soul Cycles Hooligan G3

Hey folks I just came across some nice info! The folks over at Soul Cycles have confirmed a 27.5"x2.35" Kenda Nevegal fits in their 26" Hooligan frame. Their 4th Generation of this model is currently in the works, and I think the rear end length has not changed. Check them out at www.ridesoul.com

Kent Eriksen Never Ceases to Amaze!

Kent Eriksen helped produce one of the first modern 650B mountain frames a few years back. At this year's Rocky Mountain Bike Show in Denver he took home "Builder of the Year" title. 650B Palace would like to highlight this achievement as well as one of the many bikes that were displayed last weekend.

As many of you know, Kent Eriksen founded the Moots company. Specializing in titanium, and designing the YBB softtail yolk. Kent left Moots a number of years back, went on hiatus, and is now back with Kent Eriksen Cycles and still builds in Steamboat Springs,CO.
The above bicycle is a fullsuspension 650B, Titanium bicycle. Up front, the Maverick DUC32 handles the steering, and has been modified to allow maximum travel mated to a 650B Schwalbe Racing Ralph. The rear utilized Ventana's faux-bar linkage along with Eriksen manufactured titanium seat stays (Ventana's OE version uses aluminum stays instead).
This is truly a beautiful bike, and only one of the many 650B frame that the camp at Eriksen Cycle has produce. If you can see through the full suspension, there is a full rigid 650B hardtail behind it.
Congrats to Eriksen Cycles!

Collab Begins!

A while back I mentioned 650B Palace will be working with a frame manufacturer to bring forth a new 650B dedicated hardtail frame. Well, the collaboration began last week with a phone call to discuss some general geometry numbers. I will not be revealing many details, but I do want to let everyone know there is something new coming down the pipe. When 'spy' photos are ready I'll post them. Keep checking back!

The folks over at Norse Cycles just put the finishing touches on a TI 650B hardtail using a Maverick SC32.
check them out at www.norsecycles.com or just click the huge NORSE above.

650B Tires

This is a list of tires available in 650B/ 584 ISO. It will be ever growing so check back often.

Pacenti Cycle Design

Neo-Moto 2.3"
Neo-Moto 2.1"
Quasi- Moto 2.0"
Pari-Moto 38

Kenda

Nevegal 2.35"
Nevegal 2.1"

IRD (Interloc Racing Design)

Fire XC Pro 2.1"

Panaracer

Col de Vie 38
Fatty Rumpkin 40
Nifty Swifty 32

Schwalbe

Racing Ralph 2.25"
Marathon Slick 42

WTB

Wolerine 2.2"

Grand Bois

Cypres 32
Ourson 35
Hetre 42

650B Frame Manufacturers

This is a list of production frames. Most custom builders will be happy to build what ever you want for the right amount of cash. The folks below have brought in 650B specific frames at a production level.

Rawland Cycles - Sogn, Olaf & Drakkar(2010 release)
Spooky Cycles - Horror Taxi
Vicious Cycles - Mambo Sun
Carver - Killer B
Rivendell - Bombadil, Betty Foy, Saluki (rip), Sam Hillborne (650b in limited sizes)
Haro - Beasley, Sonix VL120 (2010 release)
Jamis - SixFiftyB2
KHS- Sixfifty606
Soma Fabrications - BSide
Ventana - El Bastardo

650B Rims

This is a list of 650B Rims available. Not all MTB specific, simply a list of options to use on your next wheel build.
This will be an ever growing list and will be added as a link on the side of this site.

Alex XD-Lite
Grand Bois Super Champion M58 replica
Rigida Sphinx
Snow Cat wide rim @ 45mm wide
Stan's No Tubes ZTR355
Sun Ringle EQ27
Sun Ringle CR18
Velocity Blunt
Velocity Synergy
Velocity Twin Hollow
Velocity P35 (eta Sept 2009)
Velocity Dyad
Velocity Aerohead (AU exclusive)
Vicious Children of the Revolution
Weinmann Discovery
Weinmann ZAC19
Weinmann XM 280
WTB Laserdisc Trail (eta Sept 2009)

Velocity: Still at the Forefront!

Looks like Mr. Pacenti has been busy! Velocity rims and Pacenti Cycle Design have teamed up to bring us yet ANOTHER MTB rim in the 584 ISO. Huge thanks to Velocity!
The official PRESS RELEASE reads:

Velocity is proud to announce the newest rim to join our line. The Pacenti 35 or P35 will be available in late September of 2009, just in time for the Interbike show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The P35 is named after its co-designer, frame builder and bicycle designer Kirk Pacenti, a nineteen year veteran in the bicycle industry; widely recognized for his work as a material supplier to the best custom framebuilders in the US and his development of the 650b wheel size for mountain bike use.

The P35 is designed for the cross country/all mountain rider craving a laterally stiff yet weight conscious rim that is still tough enough for the occasional Super – D race. At 35mm wide the P35 gives you one of the fattest footprints available which will float over the rough stuff and give you more bite and greater tread use through the turns. All of this and still weighing in at less than 600 grams in the 29er size! The P35 is 22mm deep with an inside width of 29.5mm which will accommodate a wide array of tire widths to cater to your riding preferences. In addition the P35 was designed to easily accommodate a tubeless application.

The P35 will be available in 26”, 650b, and 29”. 32 and 36 hole will be available in all sizes, and 28 hole will be available in 26” black only. We here at Velocity love giving you color options so you can customize your bike. You will see all sizes in black, silver, white, red and the very flashy antifreeze green. The decal bears the trusted Velocity name and flaunts the signature of its designer Kirk Pacenti.

Together we’ve made the rim you have been waiting for, and we think you are really going to like it.

Specs:

Outside Width: 35mm
Inside Width: 29.5mm
Depth: 22mm

Weight
29”: 595g
650b: 570g
26”: 535g

The P35 will be available through QBP, BTI, J&B and as always direct from Velocity USA.

Kirk Pacenti had this to say about the collaboration,

“Over the last couple years I have developed a great working relationship with Velocity USA. So when John Black asked me to take a look at a rim they were considering for production I was happy to offer an opinion. We discovered that the features we each wanted in a new rim were very similar, so I offered John a couple rim designs I happened to be working on, and we quickly settled on the P-35™ design. Working on the P-35™ rim with Velocity USA has been an incredibly positive experience for me; one that I hope to repeat in the near future with them. I could not be more please with the way the P-35™ turned out. Velocity nailed the execution of my design. Their craftsmanship, combined with the myriad of rim sizes, drillings, color and graphic options come together to create products that are second to none in our industry.”

Here is the new P35 in all it's glory!

Groovy Cycleworks belt drive 650B

Rody over at Groovy Cycleworks, a custom frame fabricator and all-round cycle guy, has a few interesting videos on YouTube. In this video below, Rody adds a connector link to convert a Soma B-Side to accept a belt drive! I've been pondering how to do a conversion like this! Supposedly the frame/bike owner will right a review about the belt drive set up.

Can't wait.

We all know On One...

...and their bike designer left them to start his own venture. Brant Richards was the mastermind who brought you the Mary, Mungo & Midge alternative handle bars. (See: Mary, Mungo & Midge, as you may wonder who those lil cartoons on the handlebars are)
Brant's new venture is called RAGLEY, but was first known as Shedfire. Well, Ragley's TI hardtail can fit the Pacenti Quasi-Moto! Brant is busy designing more frames for the line, so we can only hope he uses the same amount of CS clearance on the rest of his 26" bikes.

Complete
Chainstays with a 26"wheel:

The Aussies are Putting it Through the Ringer

Definitive Cycles and their Defcon 27Five Testing

Pacenti to release a 4th 650B tire, but keep it on the road!

Pacenti plans to release a 4th 650B tire, yet this one will be a porter/rando/touring style in a 38mm flavor, aptly named the Pari-Moto.

Kirk Pacenti writes:

"Following the success of my 650b MTB tires many of you have contacted me asking whether or not I would consider making a 650b tire for the road. Initially I was not inclined to make a road tire, but now feel the demand would justify my efforts.

In response to this demand, I have designed the “dream tire” many of you have been asking for. The Pari-MotoT tire will be a high performance, 650×38b tire with a light, supple casing and fine file tread pattern. This tire is sure to be lighter, faster and smoother riding than any other 650×38b tire currently available. If I were to start production on the mould tooling today, the tires should land in the US sometime in late November. And with the support of all the 650b list members the Pari-MotoT can become a reality very quickly.

However, I feel I should be explicit in what I mean by ’support’ so that we are all on the same page. If I am to produce this tire, I must pre-sell a minimum of 200 pairs of tires by August 15th, 2009 to cover the tooling costs. If you believe that this tire should be produced, if you are willing to place an order in advance, and if you can wait six months for delivery, we’ll all be rolling around on new tires before the year is out.
The tires will initially be sold in pairs only for $118.00 per pair and be shipped USPS Priority Flat Rate service for an additional $12.00 anywhere in the continental US. Foreign orders will incur some additional shipping charges that can be billed for at the time of shipment. Please fill out the attached order form and mail it along with your check. If you prefer to pay by credit card or live outside the continental US, please email me for details. If you have any further questions about the tire, please do not hesitate to ask.”

Since this communication, Kirk has opened up the pre-order on his website BIKELUGS.com CLICK HERE TO PREORDER YOURS NOW

In additional Pacenti news, the 2.1 Neo-Moto has landed in US soil. As they make their way to Pacenti Cycle Design HQ, your orders can still be placed HERE
If you just can't wait your local bike shop can order them from Merry Sales in San Fransisco, as they have a healthy stock (for now). This is sure to be THE TIRE TO HAVE for off-road 650B/27.5"

One Stop Shopping? Who's Interested?

With 650B Palace being the one stop source for 650B info and news, is their any interest from visitors to purchase products here, too? I have been thinking about taking this page into a retail mode, as well as a news site, but I'd like to gauge the interest first. Leave a message, and let me know.

Carl is busted!

The folks over at Vicious have hit the skids. Their main man, and head fabricator, Carl Schlemowitz went down hard on a weekend training ride on the road. The crashed was caused by an unseen pot-hole or some sort of road hazard. Carl will be mending a broken scapula for the next 6 weeks. Good luck healing quickly, Carl!

Here is an interview with Carl from 2007 at Dirt Rag TVs Interbike booth.



Also, Don't forget Vicious is offering their own line of 650B XC rims, named Children of the Revolution, or COTR for short.
Check them out HERE

The Velocity Dyad Rim: 650B

I phoned Velocity yesterday due to the upcoming need for some 650B rims. I remembered a few months ago the mention of the Dyad rim to be produced in a 650b/584iso. Indeed it is true, but with all good news comes stipulations. With a 24mm width and machined sidewalls, the Dyad is a proven touring and tandem rim as a 700c, yet in a 650B I'm sure it will see offroad use with the multitude of tire hitting the market. Alas, your local bike shop will only be able to procure these rims from Quality Bicycle Products. Velocity will not be selling them direct to shops or smaller, custom frame and wheel builders. QBP has them locked in, for 2009 anyways. Their Handspun wheel building program can build onto any combination of hub, rim and spoke of the users choosing.
The Velocity Dyad. Machined Sidewalls, available only in silver for the time being.

A nice source for additional info!

While there isn't another truly dedicated 650B news site, there is loads of information out there. One such place is housed at MTBPath.com

I think I have previous posts with a mention here or there, but they have their act together! They have a nice file like system dedicated to 650B info and the like.

Check it out here:

WWW.MTBPATH.COM

KHS Prototyping, step 2.

A sponsored racer has the KHS 650B Prototype in his paws. We saw a steel version last year, but this is an aluminum version. I'm guessing the first was a 26" that accepted 650b. I'm digging the shaped tubing! I'll keep everyone posted on any additional developments!