Rides great. A little smoother than our Ti 96er, a little nimbler and faster than our Ti 99er.
Yikes, Another choice!!!
The tires rock. Great job, Kirk. They seated well, really good side knobs, and a perfect tread pattern for our rocky, rooty, muddy neck of the woods.
Heres the nitty gritty...
17.25" chainstays
12" BB height
42.5"wheelbase
23" top tube with 17" seat tube center to top
70 degree head angle
73 degree seat angle
3.35 pounds
3/2.5 Titanium
$995.00
650B seems to split the difference nicely between 26 and 29. Another benefit is that it is almost exactly the same diameter as a 700c road wheel. For our next project, the KillerBee 650B front and rear, a road bike is only a set of 700c disc wheels away!
The 650 seems like a great idea. I've been on a full 29er for 6yrs now and no matter how light I get my wheels, it just seems so heavy to spin up. Nice work.
Thanks so much for posting your initial impressions. I am glad to hear the tire is working out well for you. I can't wait to hear what you think of the full 650B "Killer B" version of your bike. Part of my aim was to create a more "flick-able" 29'er, and it sounds like we are right on target!
In case anyone missed it in the other thread, here are the forks that White Brothers can currently offer in the 650B format along with some critical dimensions for frame design:
All forks will have a measurement of 363mm (+/-2mm) from axle to underside of the fork brace. All QR forks will have a 44mm offset and all 20mm forks will
have a 42mm offset.
650B Magic 80 A/C 464mm - QR or 20mm
650B Magic 100 A/C 484mm - QR or 20mm
650B Fluid 100 A/C 484mm - QR or 20mm
650B Fluid 130 A/C 517mm - 20mm axle only
Please contact me by Friday to insure your order can be placed in time to
meet the production schedule. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me off list.
2. Could you post a photo of some 26, 27.5, and 29 inch wheels stacked up next to each other? I haven't seen any comparison photos anywhere, and you seem to be ideally situated to snap one.
I've been waiting for the new Velocity Blunt 650B Disc Specific rims to arrive to build them up on our dual 650B bike. The Velocity Synergy we used on the rear of the 29/650 Bumble bee is really a road rim, but I've been beating on it, and it has held up fine. The Blunts are a disc specific rim, quite a bit wider (28+ mm.) , 455 grams. We got a pair of the white and a pair of the black. No eyelets, but they seem pretty burly. I should have a built bike and a ride report in a couple of days!
Sorry, broken camera, but heres a shot from my phone of the three wheel sizes.
2. Could you post a photo of some 26, 27.5, and 29 inch wheels stacked up next to each other? I haven't seen any comparison photos anywhere, and you seem to be ideally situated to snap one.
I too am interested in the Killer Bee. I personally don't like the idea of 2 different wheel sizes on the same bike, but that's just me. The Killer Bee sounds pretty cool though. Can they be had in ti?
I too am interested in the Killer Bee. I personally don't like the idea of 2 different wheel sizes on the same bike, but that's just me. The Killer Bee sounds pretty cool though. Can they be had in ti?
Thanks to our friends at Magura, we'll have our Titanium 650B "KillerBee" demo bike available for test rides on Monday and Tuesday. Just look for the Interbike Outdoor Demo Magura Booth.
We'll also have it at our booth in the show, along with some other freaky surprises.
I have to admit, I was a little sceptical about the idea of a new wheel size, but all I can say, is try it before you make up your mind!!!!
Not only does it open up options for shorter riders that are having toe/wheel interference problems, it really does offer a middle ground between the great traction/comfort of the 29" wheel.and the quick acceleration/strength of a 26" wheel.
Thanks to our friends at Magura, we'll have our Titanium 650B "KillerBee" demo bike available for test rides on Monday and Tuesday. Just look for the Interbike Outdoor Demo Magura Booth.
We'll also have it at our booth in the show, along with some other freaky surprises.
I have to admit, I was a little sceptical about the idea of a new wheel size, but all I can say, is try it before you make up your mind!!!!
Not only does it open up options for shorter riders that are having toe/wheel interference problems, it really does offer a middle ground between the great traction/comfort of the 29" wheel.and the quick acceleration/strength of a 26" wheel.
Right on, thanks for keeping an open mind and trying this out. I have been convinced for a while, but I suspect that most will measure what I say with a grain of salt because of my obvious interest in the success of this wheel size. :thumbsup: I can't wait to see these bikes and your other "freaky surprises"! Any chance you can load a couple pics of the"Killer B" for those who aren't going to make it to Vegas?
Have you done any further fork testing? It sounds like the tire is a good fit (well OK fit) in the White Brothers, Maverick, Lefty, S.U.B., Float, Magura... and how about Rock Shox or Manitou?
Hey guys great choice on the diameter. My first bike was a Raleigh mountain tour with 650s. then when i got an offical mtb i was somewhat disappointed. Glad to see tire choices expand. happy trails, D.Douglas Fir
It will fit. I gave it a try. Here's the thing, though... Putting the 650B on the rear raises the BB and steepens the head and seat angle. The extra BB clearance is not too much of an issue, but the steeper head angle can present problems. If you try it, consider using at least a 100 mm fork and some fat front rubber to balance it out. It will raise the BB up even more, but the head tube and seat tube angles will be normal..
The BumbleBee and KillerBee were both designed around 650B rear wheels, so the BB is a fairly normal 12" BB height and angles are pretty standard.
What has the quality been like on these Carver frames? Are the headtubes, seattubes, frame alignment, etc. looking good?
I realize they are resonably priced since they are made in Asia but $1K is still a decent amount of money. I heard that some frames were of questionable quality and tolerances so I am curious if these reported issues have been resolved.
I have a Bumblebee PRotytype here and the quality is top notch and alignment etc etc is straight on.
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