Show us your Gravel Bikes / committee meeting

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

its a great combination , but finding nice old steel framesets with canti bosses and decent tyre clearance is actually pretty hard

Agreed, with modern 80mm spacing on the cantilever posts is a challenge. Velo orange do a Randonneur frame set.

 

[M_Chavez]

but finding nice old steel framesets with canti bosses and decent tyre clearance is actually pretty hard

Especially for 650B. Hence the question about modern (i.e. being produced now) equivalents.

May I add, that a trend to market a disk-brake "gravel" frameset as both 700c and 650B is, imho, nonsense.
If a bike is built for 650B geometry with 45-48mm tyres, you're unlikely to fit a 700c with anything more than 25-28c into it. If it's built for 700c 48c geometry, swapping them for 650B won't give you the same ride, so it's a very long shot to say that it's a 650B bike.

 

[M_Chavez]

Thanks - I've missed the Velo Orange one. Looks nice. But at that price...
I mean, I love my wife, but a £1k frameset is a bit over the top... (and can't be too far from a hand-built frame?). If she starts riding as much as me, I'll think about it

 

[grantoury]

Crust make some nice rando framesets, not cheap though

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Brian Rourke 631 touring frames from £1200 from memory.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Winston vaz, 853 from £1500.

 

[bikeworkshop]

Especially for 650B. Hence the question about modern (i.e. being produced now) equivalents.

May I add, that a trend to market a disk-brake "gravel" frameset as both 700c and 650B is, imho, nonsense.
If a bike is built for 650B geometry with 45-48mm tyres, you're unlikely to fit a 700c with anything more than 25-28c into it. If it's built for 700c 48c geometry, swapping them for 650B won't give you the same ride, so it's a very long shot to say that it's a 650B bike.

Bike brands who say a frame is "perfect" for both sizes loose my respect.
The frame geometry for a bike with a 650x54 fat tyre would be different to 700x28, and the space between the stays or fork blades should relate to the tyre width.

I do feel the same with:
the belt drive stay split and/or eccentric bb with derailleur hanger
- just get the right frame!

Both Canti bosses and disc mounts on a frame are forgivable though - like unused touring or guard bosses.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Bike brands who say a frame is "perfect" for both sizes loose my respect.
The frame geometry for a bike with a 650x54 fat tyre would be different to 700x28, and the space between the stays or fork blades should relate to the tyre width.

I do feel the same with:
the belt drive stay split and/or eccentric bb with derailleur hanger
- just get the right frame!

Both Canti bosses and disc mounts on a frame are forgivable though - like unused touring or guard bosses.

I cut the disc mounts off of my Sardar, they were fugly

 

[Imlach]

is this a show your gravel bike thread or a committee meeting

 

[grantoury]

I think a road/gravel frame can be used with 650b and 700c wheels very well, but the character of the ride will change.

Nothing against versatility either, especially when buying a frameset, which will give you lots of options to build it.