Last year I made this mess:
![](//1.bp.blogspot.com/_CJlNtcxg5o4/TQ6S0y8xMgI/AAAAAAAAAHE/YzLN0wmKyUc/s400/12-19%2Bpic%2Bselection%2B001.jpg)
But I never really had a use for it, it was really just another 700c road bike. Plus the bottom bracket was pretty high, because I tilted the seat tube back to 73 from the 74.5 it was built with. So I borrowed some 650b wheels from John and undertook the conversion. It was easy, all it took was alittle bit of this:
![](//4.bp.blogspot.com/_CJlNtcxg5o4/TQ6S0rYZIYI/AAAAAAAAAG8/hf4H7-Ph8t4/s400/12-19%2Bpic%2Bselection%2B010.jpg)
A pair of these: (I shortened the bolts and rethreaded them for the smooth recessed look because, you know, details count)
![](//4.bp.blogspot.com/_CJlNtcxg5o4/TQ6S0QFaBFI/AAAAAAAAAG0/hpxpp7iN_ps/s400/12-19%2Bpic%2Bselection%2B006.jpg)
And I wound up with this. It's better. Lots. The bb hieght is now a nice low 10.5", kind of a good number for me to be able to put a toe on the ground at a stop, steering feels much lighter and more precise, (I can turn some pretty fast lap times in my workshop) and I feel like I'm sitting in the bike rather than way up on top of it. Initial test rides are great, although I've already fallen 3x within a block of my house. Smooth tread tires and snow...anybody surprised?
![](//4.bp.blogspot.com/_CJlNtcxg5o4/TQ6S0HY3eLI/AAAAAAAAAGs/tWMv0oA5BU8/s400/12-19%2Bpic%2Bselection%2B002.jpg)
The Jan approves.
![](//4.bp.blogspot.com/_CJlNtcxg5o4/TQ6S0P_vXyI/AAAAAAAAAGk/E281OU74b40/s400/12-19%2Bpic%2Bselection%2B007.jpg)
I know tons of people have already done this swap, so nothing new under the sun, but if it pans out to be as great as it feels initially, I can forsee a custom fork and some braze-ons for the centerpulls.
Bike Hang; same time, same place. I'll try and bring something interesting . You should too...
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