Steel Road Bikes

[kaian]

Are there steel bikes with 650 wheels out there? I have a 47cm Trek WSD and I have really gotten used to the smaller wheels. I like the feel. I would love a nice steel bike, but not sure I like the feeling of the 700 wheels. Just curious.

[mimitabby]

yes, there are. but they might be custom. I am pretty sure I've seen some bike companys that put 650s on the smaller bikes.

[pooks]

Does the Rivendell Bleriot have 650s? I think it does.

[xeney]

650b's, probably not the 650c's she's used to.

[Eden]

Are there steel bikes with 650 wheels out there? I have a 47cm Trek WSD and I have really gotten used to the smaller wheels. I like the feel. I would love a nice steel bike, but not sure I like the feeling of the 700 wheels. Just curious.

I know there are - though I'm curious myself. I ride two bikes regularly. One is a 47cm 650 wheel bike and the other a 44cm 700 wheel bike and to tell the truth I find no differences in the way the two handle.

some 650 wheel steel bikes
Rodriquez here in Seattle (they do a lot of custom work, but they have some stock frames too and are in love with 650 wheels) http://www.rodcycle.com/
Terry of course - not all the bikes have the odd wheel setup
of course there are a plethora of custom builders too, though this is an expensive proposition... heck if I had all the money in the world I think I might buy a custom Vanilla....

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Rivendell bikes are all steel. Various models come with 700, 650B, or 26" wheels...some models come with 700 wheels on the larger frames and 650B wheels on the smaller frames.

[Kathi]

You can get a Serotta Fierte in steel in a 48p with 650c wheels. I demoed it and it is a very nice bike. It also comes in ti and ti/carbon.

http://www.serotta.com/pages/fierte_steel.html

[Eden]

You can get a Serotta Fierte in steel in a 48p with 650c wheels. I demoed it and it is a very nice bike. It also comes in ti and ti/carbon.

http://www.serotta.com/pages/fierte_steel.html

I thought the smaller Serottas came with 650 wheels also. They should be more clear on their web site (there is a note at the bottom that the Fierte only comes with 700c wheels....) I think that they just mean that they won't do smaller or wider wheels on their stock frames built for 700's.

[nicole309]

After my first week of riding I was still pretty much hating it. I had been dragged down the driveway by my pedals, ran into a fence, etc....
I went to a bike show in Seattle and the only bike there that caught my eye was the Jamis Aurora. It really is as pretty in person. I picture it with a nice brown leather Brooks saddle and some nice canvas bags. It is pretty...

[Kathi]

I thought the smaller Serottas came with 650 wheels also. They should be more clear on their web site (there is a note at the bottom that the Fierte only comes with 700c wheels....) I think that they just mean that they won't do smaller or wider wheels on their stock frames built for 700's.

I agree that comment is confusing. Here is what they say about the Ottrott,

"Minimum seattube size on an Ottrott ST is 46cm C-C
Ottrott ST available for 700c wheels only"

which led me to believe that they wouldn't make an Ottrott with 650c wheels. What it means is that they won't make a 650c wheeled Ottrott with carbon seat stays, for 650's they use ti seatstays.

BTW, Serotta did an awesome job on my Ottrott with 650c wheels.

[pooks]

I went to a bike show in Seattle and the only bike there that caught my eye was the Jamis Aurora. It really is as pretty in person. I picture it with a nice brown leather Brooks saddle and some nice canvas bags. It is pretty...

I'm lusting after that bike. Sigh. And I already have the Brooks!

[KnottedYet]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I loved the Jamis Aurora.

It rode like silk, like it was made for me. (once the LBS put the bars up higher like I prefer them) I was deeply tempted. But then Flosshilde stole my heart....

Pooks, I think you really need to ride a Jamis Aurora. Even if you have to drive a ways. (did you say it's 45 minutes to a shop with an Aurora?) Then you'll at least know if it's still in the running.

[pooks]

Alas, the closest shop with an Aurora is in Denver and I'm in Dallas. (Yes, I've been looking!)

I did ride a Jamis Quest and loved it, though. But the Aurora has my heart.

[uforgot]

You mean that you can't get an Aurora to try in Dallas? Forgive me if this has been addressed, but sounds like Jamis isn't taking care of their customers. Not like Dallas is some tiny little burg and they won't sell it. If this is truly the case, maybe we can start an email campaign. Should make a difference if they are hearing from all over the US about someone in Dallas who can't get one of their bikes to try. Or just point them to this message board. This board has convinced me to buy items of which I had never heard. It's a powerful advertising tool.

I'm in, I'll write Jamis. Are you game Pooks? Oh, and we need to make it clear this is just for a test ride, you aren't necessarily going to buy it, but d*&#@t, we should be able to test ride anything on their website within 100 miles, doncha think?

[pooks]

I emailed Jamis and told them I'd been looking everywhere for an Aurora and hadn't found one in the state of Texas, and could they help me out.

I got a perfunctory email back telling me that the Auroras are in high demand, so it's unlikely I'd find a dealer with one on the floor, and telling me to find a list of dealers on their website and call them.

I wrote back and told them:

I'm sorry, perhaps I wasn't clear when I said:


Question: I'm very interested in an Aurora. However, I live in Dallas, TX
and have been unable to find a dealer who stocks it so I can test ride.

I've already gone through your list of dealers near me and called them all.*

So I guess your response is, there's nothing else I can do.

Thanks anyway but I have to say, I'm less than impressed the way you handled this simple question. You told me I'm unlikely to find one. You told me to do what I've already done. I'm thinking customer service might not be high on your list of priorities, and as much as it grieves me (because I love what I see and read about that bike) I think I'll just mark it (or any other Jamis ) off my list.

Of course that got an apology and a very nice reply, but the answer was still that the Aurora was a niche bike and most dealers don't sell them or stock them at all, so finding one on the floor would be difficult, and that they can't keep them in the warehouse. Evidently it's a case where if you get measured and fitted and order one through a Jamis dealer, you'll probably get one, but they aren't stocked often.

When I responded and thanked them and told them that I'd searched as far away as Colorado for one, since we'll be there in June, they then told me the name of a dealer in Denver that had just beeh shipped an order.

Edited to add: The place where I tested the Quest could order it for me, but I doubt if they'd want to unless I was already committed to buying it. It wouldn't be just for a test ride. The Quest they have is a WSD 2006 (which is too small for me) and they haven't sold it, yet, so they may feel justified in not wanting to order "just in case" somebody wants it.

*Also Edited to add: When I said "near me" I should have been more specific -- I called Louisiana, Oklahoma, and emailed every dealer in Texas and some in Boulder, to no avail, which is why I was annoyed at being referred to their dealer list. OTOH, I hadn't made that clear in my initial email, so maybe I was too snarky.