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Sette Reken as 650B

13K views 41 replies 18 participants last post by  zarr 
#1 ·
I just built up a Sette Reken frame into a 650b! It's set it up as a 1x9, with a XFusion Fork. I took it out saturday for a 7 mile ride and so far I like it. This was my first time with a 650b.
 

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#4 ·
This is a new build, so I have not ridden this frame with 26" wheels. I have a Sette Ace FS that I ride and love. But when I found out the 650's fit this frame I had to give it a try. I only have 7 miles on it so far, and the trail I rode was new trail to me. I like it so far but hard to tell with such a short ride on a new trail. I plan to ride it on my weekly trails soon.

The 650 do fit the frame nicely with plenty of room. So far I really like the way it turned out.
 
#9 ·
Nice. :thumbsup: Very similar to my 1 x 9 conversion - and I have two suggestions after 2 seasons of experience (one as a 26'er and one as a 650b):

1) look into chain guides becuase IME the Stylo will not prevent your chain from dropping off the front ring into the frame. I ended up taking the bash off, getting chainring spacers, and installing an MRP 1X, bb mount. That mostly works, though occasionally the chain still bounces off. MRP has a line of guides that are pricier and more secure, and the Lopes is what I will be looking at next.

2) I was used to riding my 1 X 9 as a 26'er, and once I converted to 650b, found that the larger wheel diameter ended up losing me one low gear. This costs me on short steep inclines, where I find that just don't have the muscle to get those one or two extra strokes needed to clean climbs I could before I converted. My solution to that was to order a custom 31T from Homebrew. Still waiting for it to be machined and delivered, but the gear calculator charts indicates it will get me roughly back to where I was with a 26'er and 32T up front.
 
#12 ·
Yeah update on that nice build!

How about an update? Are you still happy? Is that a 26in front fork?

Thanks.
So give it up OP! Maybe they're not riding and in hybernation under snowy trails??

I'm thinking that's the 650 fork. Seems like it was a 650 specific build. :confused:
Also seems like only would need to add (if anything) an inexpensive "dog tooth" or "Jumpstop N-gear" seatube guide. Should work good along with the Stylo ring.:thumbsup:
 
#17 ·
My carbon Sette phantom has the clearance, and I have the wheel laced, but haven't gotten to ride it yet because I discovered my freewheel is trashed!!

The only thing is, I have not enjoyed the geometry of this frame as a 26er. Its a slightly small fit for me (but I have always preferred smaller frames), so I need to get a setback post and see if that helps. And really I just haven't had the chance to put a lot of miles on it and really get a good feel for it.
 
#18 ·
I've been able to get 8-9 hours on the new Reken and thought I'd post my thoughts so far. First a few pics:







The fork is 464 A/C with a 45mm offset (Kona P2 from my 29" Unit). The Reken is designed around an 80-100mm fork - would an unsagged 100mm fork be in about that range? If so I was thinking I would be about 15mm higher than designed spec and maybe end up with about a 69.5 HTA. The Reken has a 70.5 HTA but I don't know how they came up with that number: 80mm, 100mm, sagged, unsagged etc. So I basically don't know what my HTA is. Which might be good because if it was something weird I'd probably decide I didn't like no matter how it actuall steered. I am really curious about what a 26" fork would be like.

For the first ride I used the bar / stem from my 29er for convenience. This was 110mm zero degree with a very low rise bar. This was also the best setting so far. But this belongs to my other bike so I began digging throught the parts bin. Next was a -5 degree 120mm with a flat bar. This was suprisingly comfortable and I enjoyed the "aggressive" feel of the lower stem height but the handling was slow. Rode yesterday with a 100mm -5 degree which was good but a bit cramped. Looks like 110 is the way to go.

I have not noticed the front wheel trying to flop over on climbs or swerving around excessively other than the slow steering experienced with the 120mm stem. I'm actually enjoying the HTA, whatever it is...my 29er is rather quick and this is a nice change for the moonscape type riding in this part of CA.

I was worried the BB height would be a problem because it is higher than any of my other bikes, but I didn't notice it.

Overall, I like it. I have the 29"ss, a 26"ss, and now this. This is my lowest end bike as it is an experiment but I think it could be my favorite. I am getting over a cold and work has been crazy so prior to riding the Reken this week I hadn't had much saddle time. I'm looking forward to riding the different bikes on a day to day basis to really get a feel for what each one is doing. I like how the bike seems quicker than the 29er but rolls better than the 26...and all that stuff...

I don't think I like the Nevegals much and the wheels (Beasley take offs) are already starting to complain so I'm likely to work on those first. It's kinda strange though; I don't know if I'm just getting over the cold or a lack of conditioning but this bike is within .5 gear inches of my other bikes and it seems to be a LOT tougher to climb with. It's about the same weight (which is 23 to 23.5 lbs depending on the bars and stem - with pedals). I've read that Nevegals have a lot of rotational resistance but dang. It also seems like my dogs struggle a bit more pulling me on this bike that my others - and the tires sound like the 4X4 tires I had on my truck when I was a kid when they get up to speed. At one point it felt like even going downhill was slower. Time will tell, I've got to get back on the other bikes and see how they react to my weaknesses.
 
#19 ·
Good info!

I think the trouble you're having is the Nevegals. Theyhave fantastic grip but roll like total garbage. I think ANYTHING would be a dramatic improvement over them. I shaved over 3 minutes off my usual 26 minute lap times at the local trail by switching from them to a SB8 with no other changes. Give another tire a try and I think you'll be very pleased.

Nice bike!
 
#20 ·
You can get an OS Bikes Blackbuck fork in 455mm AC Height (also 435 and 475 AC options) all with 51mm offset. It might lower the bottom bracket a bit and make it nice and quick and nimble as well.

Also - the Nevs are very grippy tires, but a bit slow rolling as GChambers has stated. Maybe give a pair of Neomotos a shot, or for even faster rolling- go for some quasi-motos, or WTB Wolverines if you can find em. :thumb:
 
#21 ·
This thread has me thinking (about tinkering with one of these).

frame geometry lists the following:

70.5 degree HT Angle
73.5 degree ST Angle

And only a 11.22" bottom bracket Height - with an 80/100mm fork as a recommended amount of travel.

What would the angles equate to if you were to run say a 130mm fork on it (my Nixon Elite for example)?

I don't think the bb height would get too high, and the ST angle wouldn't get too slack. The HT angle would move to around 69.5 or 69 degrees right?

Tempting for a winter project!
 
#22 ·
I posted this in my thread on the Sette forum but I might as well post here too. Wheels are take offs from a KHS that I found in the classifieds. Tires are Continental Tour Ride 42. Other than a quick ride up and down my street I haven't been able to get a good ride on it yet. Feels great so far though. Here's a really shitty pic. I'll take some better pics this weekend.
 

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#23 ·
Sizing for 18" frame

Hi everyone,

I am very interested in building this frame up for a 650b setup and was wondering the sizing of the 18". I currently ride a 17.5" 29er which at times feels a bit big for me. The standover is 30.5 and I feel a bit stretched out. I owned a Giant Revel which had a standover of 30.20 and it felt just about right. Looking at all three geometry of the bikes makes me want to get an 18" but I notice a lot of people who are taller than me with longer inseams seem to be getting the 18". I am 5'9 with an inseam of 30" and my arm length is about 33. Any thoughts?
 
#25 ·
Hi everyone,

I am very interested in building this frame up for a 650b setup and was wondering the sizing of the 18". I currently ride a 17.5" 29er which at times feels a bit big for me. The standover is 30.5 and I feel a bit stretched out. I owned a Giant Revel which had a standover of 30.20 and it felt just about right. Looking at all three geometry of the bikes makes me want to get an 18" but I notice a lot of people who are taller than me with longer inseams seem to be getting the 18". I am 5'9 with an inseam of 30" and my arm length is about 33. Any thoughts?
how long of a stem do like running? I am 5-11 and have an 18" Reken with a 90mm stem and riser bars for a pretty upright position. Love it. you may go one size down and be fine I bet.
 
#26 ·
Hiya, super duper noob here to builds but an advanced rider, first-time Mtbr-er...

I live in the Bay Area in California and ride a lot of trails out by our coastal mountain ranges by Half Moon Bay and Pacifica. If you've ever ridden some of the trails off skyline, then you know that they can be demanding, fast-paced, loose dirt and rock strewn, agile-as-hell single track and dh courses that require quick forks/frames/what have you and even quicker reflexes.

I'm a 6'1", 180 pound aggressive rider who does a lot of XC, hill climbs and rapid descents with tight bottom-outs. I've really just been introduced to 650b bikes and they sound like the perfect middle ground between a 26"-er and 29"-er, offering a solid uphill climbing ability and stable downhill flexibility and control.

I'm looking at either purchasing for cheap or building my own 650b bike but have never built a bike before, though I am a tinkerer by nature so I think I'd appreciate the challenge/adventure. I really dig what the sette frames and builds look like, do y'all have any suggestions where I should start off my quest?

Peace and chicken grease <3
 
#27 ·
I'm looking at either purchasing for cheap or building my own 650b bike but have never built a bike before, though I am a tinkerer by nature so I think I'd appreciate the challenge/adventure. I really dig what the sette frames and builds look like, do y'all have any suggestions where I should start off my quest?

Peace and chicken grease <3
Its not easy to get or build a 650b for cheap. Because they are so new with limited quantities, the prices are a little higher. What exactly are you looking for, hardtail, full suspension? Carbon, aluminum, steel? How much travel? What price range?

I am a big believer that advanced riders should build their own bikes. First, because you ought to be able to work on your own bike and fix it on the trail if neccessary. Second, if you're advanced then you know what you like and a stock bike just isn't going to cut it no matter how much you paid for it.
 
#28 ·
Hey ljsmith, thanks for the reply. I think I'm working with up to like a 700-1000 dollar price range if I found the right components that just scream out to me. I'm currently looking at everything from 26"era, 650b, hard tail, full suspension and xc-specific bikes. Hardtails really are my bread and butter because I value the lightness in the frame and the acceleration up the hill you can get out of them because I live in a really hilly area and bike, when I do, in steep dh single tracks.

I would call myself an advanced rider who has just been doing the best I can with my older trek 4900 (i think it's still a great bike, I'm just looking to invest into something that my parents didn't buy me back in high school 9 years ago....).

I've done a little bit of research (5~hours maybe) on components, buy don't really know where to begin about your question about travel, carbon aluminum, or steel other than I know carbon is usually the strongest and, accordingly, the most expensive and that the more travel, the more your fork extends up or down on a hard tail for bigger, more frequent drops.
 
#31 ·
Hello,

I have a Reken that I would like to convert, as well. Could you tell me how your foot spacing is between the pedals and front tire now? Is there plenty of clearance still or is it a lot more cramped? My only other real concern is if I would have to toy with gearing, or not, but I'm not running stock gearing now so I guess I would just have to test it and see...

I compared the Reken specs against those of the Soma B-Side and the frames seem pretty comparable in size shape.

I'm already running a rigid fork on mine which will hold a 650 tire size nicely.

Thanks in advance for any input-

J.
 
#32 ·
Hello,

I have a Reken that I would like to convert, as well. Could you tell me how your foot spacing is between the pedals and front tire now? Is there plenty of clearance still or is it a lot more cramped? My only other real concern is if I would have to toy with gearing, or not, but I'm not running stock gearing now so I guess I would just have to test it and see...

I compared the Reken specs against those of the Soma B-Side and the frames seem pretty comparable in size shape.

I'm already running a rigid fork on mine which will hold a 650 tire size nicely.

Thanks in advance for any input-

J.
No toe overlap at all if that's what you're asking about.

Gearing won't be that noticeable either.

If you're running a triple front ring the only thing that "may" cause a slight issue is the front der cage/tire interface. Depending on what tire you plan running in back, if it's a longer caged model, the back end of it may be close to the drive side leading edge of tire while in front ring granny. It seems the SLX has a been used to fix this. YRMV
 
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