The Lighten-ing: Wheels

For those of you who don't know, a few years ago I smashed up a midlife-crisis-carbon-fiber-super-bike and replaced it with a low trail do-it-yourself-built steel rando bike from Cycles Toussaint of Alberta, Calgary. Read all about it here: https://mondoblahblah.blogspot.com/search/label/VR2%20Build

I've swapped some cockpit parts over the years, but in general, the bike looks like this:

Cycles Toussaint Velo Routier V.2, 51cm

With the exception of the tires, handlebars, stem pedals and bottle cages, all parts came with the Cycles Toussaint Velo Routier DIY package. Though I could never quite get the front derailleur adjusted perfectly, I've been extremely happy with the bike, and find I like it more the longer I own it.

People who ride bikes like this, absolutely should not be weight weenies. The frame is steel, the rims are metal, the tires are wide. This bike is designed and built to keep the rider comfortable over long distances, not to race. So it's heavy compared to the bike it replaced. Ready to ride it weighs just about 32.6 pounds as I originally set it up. 

For a while I have been thinking of getting a second set of wheels. Nothing particularly wrong with the original set, and the kid at the local bike shop even complemented me on them when I took them in to get trued (I can do a basic job, but I like to periodically take them in to a professional get the dish and spoke tension right). My first inclination was to order a new set from Cycles Toussaint, as they have a wheelset for sale for the insanely low price of $169. The set, like most of their components, runs a tad heavy at nearly 1,900 grams, plus another 100g or so for quick releases. 

I had heard Russ Roca from PathLessPedaled mention he thought "good" wheels should generally not exceed around 1,500 grams, so I thought I'd look around to see what my options were. It doesn't take long to discover there aren't a lot of good options for 650b alloy "box" style rims on the market. In fact, aside from those available through Cycles Toussaint, only Pacenti seems to offer pre-built wheels that fit the bill. Velo Orange used to offer a nice set, but I haven't seen them actually in stock for a number of years and they seem to have been captured by the disk brake tractor beam. Of course I probably should (and thought I might) break down and get a set built at the shop, but that would require more effort than just plunking down my credit card, dammit!

After reading Jan Heine's description of the wheels he built for the bike he rode during the 2019 Paris-Brest-Paris ride, I decided the Pacenti Brevet 650b was close enough and somehow ordered during a brief window of availability during the Covid-19 pandemic. Looking at their site, it looks like there's now a backlog of at least 10 weeks, as is the case with a lot of products these days.

Pacenti Brevet 650b wheels

Built just for me by someone named Ryan from Devon, UK!

Ryan from Devon built my wheels with their own two hands.

Fortunately, before the end of the world, I acquired a back-up set of tubes and Loup Loup Pass 650b x 38mm extra light tires from what was then still Compass Bicycles, now René Herse.

Compass Cycles Loup Loup Pass tires and Schwalbe SV21A tubes

I've only used two models of tires on this bike in the three or so years since I bought it - the white Pacenti Pari-Moto tires that came with the Cycles Toussaint DIY package, and the Compass Loup Loup Pass extra lights. Both are made by Panaracer in Japan, in what looks like nearly identical molds. Both are absolutely outstanding quality tires, the primary difference being lifespan - the Pari-Moto tires are what Jan Heine has described as "event" tires, and for me at least, were very short lived. But they performed every bit as well as the Loup Loups at about half the cost, so you decide. If you like the white, buy two sets and just swap them out twice as often.  

A note on tubes: The René Herse site recommends Schwalbe SV14A tubes for the 38mm tires. When I originally installed the Loup Loups, I did so with those tubes, and both of them blew out. I allow that there may have been a problem with my rim tape or something (though the tubes blew out on both front and rear rims), but having blown $34 to smithereens, I elected to get some SV21A tubes and haven't had a problem with them. 

Technically the SV14As are listed on the Schwalbe tube-finder as 26 inch tubes which Jan has pointed out are plenty big enough for 650b rims (there's only about 3% difference in circumference, which should be fine). The SV21A tubes, specifically rated for 650b rims are a touch heavier (just under 3 ounces). I'm willing to suffer the extra 80 grams for just a touch more confidence.

Schwalbe SV14A inner tube specifications

Schwalbe SV21A inner tube specifications

https://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/tubes/finder

I was originally going to install a new MicroShift 10-speed cassette on the new wheels, but I figured while I was updating the wheels I might as well "upgrade" the cassette as well, at the risk of introducing yet another variable to complicate matters. So I installed a SRAM PG-1070, 11-36 cassette. Not sure it's superior in any way to the much less expensive Microshift alternative, but it saved about 2 ounces. I used one of the "extra" KMC 10-speed chains included with the DIY package. 

SRAM PG-100 Cassette

So I have the new Brevet wheels on the bike with new Loup Loup tires, Schwalb SV21A tubes, SRAM cassette and a KMC chain. Just in case you don't know, here's a Rivendell video demonstrating the process of swapping out the cassette and chain:

https://vimeo.com/505415805

So, does all this extra effort (and money - probably about $350 more for the "upgraded" wheels and cassette) yield any benefit? The simple answer: hell, yes. I can't say it's completely revolutionized the bike's performance - it's still piloted by a middle-age slacker after all - but there is a definitely a notable improvement to the ride quality. Spinning up to speed seems quicker, as does sprocket engagement after coasting. I'm not sure it's actually faster, but it feels faster and just somehow "smoother". 

I suspect a large portion of the improved ride quality has to do with the quality of the freehub, which is undoubtedly of better quality than the DIY hub. But weight might also play a role, particularly in the front which, despite having four (count 'em, 4!) fewer spokes, feels more "definite". I will test my freehub theory when I next swap out wheels. When ordering the Brevets I picked up a Pacenti freehub to get to the $500 free shipping limit. I'll put that on the stock Cycles Toussaint wheels with the MicroShift cassette and see how it compares. Of course that probably won't be for another year, so...

The conclusion is that I'm super happy I went this way. Nothing particularly wrong with the stock build; it is what it was supposed to be: entry-level. But the stock wheels really do a disservice to the bike. This one upgrade reveals the true quality of the frame with its compliant steel and uncommon geometry. When supported by higher quality components, the Velo Routier absolutely shines. I'm happier with the bike now than when I bought it.

Pacenti Cycles Brevet 650b wheels for rim brakes

Pari-Moto-a-go-go

Pop goes the (rear) Pari-Moto

1,250 miles. That's more or less how many miles I got out of the stock tires that came with my Cycles Toussaint Vélo Routier v2 before a rather stout twig punctured one and ended its useful life. I might could have (as we say in the South) gotten a little more mileage out of them if I had rotated them a while back, as the rear tire seems to have worn a fair bit more quickly than the front. But benign neglect is my general modus operandi in most things, and tire maintenance is no exception.

As you can see from the photo at the right, the center section had worn down to a smooth, thin skin, so this was likely to happen soon - I've probably been on borrowed time for a while now. I had read on several forum posts that the Pari-Moto was designed as an "event" tire, and particularly given their $40 price tag, shouldn't be expected to last a long time. I had taken that message to heart and introduced a couple of ounces of Stan's NoTubes sealant into each. Stan's promises to seal holes up to about 1/4 inch diameter. That's pretty close to the size of my hole, but I think the tread was just too thin to close up. I can't fault Stan's for that. Or Panaracer/Pacenti, maker of the tire. They were billed as a low mileage tire, so no real surprise.

Reason Number 437 to have fenders on your bike: when you get a catastrophic blow out in a tire filled with sealant, you don't get sprayed with liquid latex.

So, the time has come to replace the original equipment. The cream tires always seemed a bit of a novelty to me anyway. But they looked great on the bike and they really grew on me. Still, now that it's time to replace them, the temptation to go back to black is all but irresistible. The black/tan sidewall combination just speaks to me as the classic look of bike tires. And now that Compass Cycles has converted to René Herse Cycles, I decided to pull the trigger and switch to the René Herse Loup Loup Pass 650b x 38. Jan Heine swears they are the best tires available, so I'll put him to the test. And it's a silly thing but who wouldn't want their Vélo Routier to bear the logo of the magician of Levallois.

Last of the Compass tires..?

So I dutifully ordered a pair of the Loup Loups with the extra light casing and a pair of the recommended Schwalbe xxlite inner tubes, which Jan swears will take my riding to "an entirely new level." All arrived at the house with lightning speed - kudos to the René Herse warehouse team! Though I must report that the René Herse tires I ordered came with the Compass branding.

I was eager to get the new rubber on the rims, but I took the opportunity to true the wheels which came from the manufacturer a bit wobbly and through my year of negligence hasn't gotten any better. So now with more or less straight rims I set about to install the tires. Here, beloved reader, is where the story goes all sad and weepy like. Because you see, the tubes I ordered blew to bits before either of them contained 70 PSI. I mean concussive explosions. I thought the casings of the tires might have been damaged, so violent were the blow outs. I've had defective tubes that did that before, but only very rarely and that both of them did it inclines me to think there's a problem other than that I don't know my own strength.

The more knowledgeable readers may note that the Schwalbe SV14A is actually a 26 inch tube and 650b tires are 27.5 inches. So of course the tubes are too small for the tires. True, yet the René Herse website contains the following note:

Maybe Jan and his riding buddies are all such fly weights that they only pump their tires to 55 PSI, but I'm a big boy and need more pressure. I like to have them inflated to at least the upper 60s, and that's just about where these things blew. Maybe the 26 inch tubes should have worked but they didn't. Whatever happened, it made a big boom. $32 plus shipping goes poof! I'd make a stink with Jan about it, but I can't be bothered. I'll just chalk it up to experience.

I subsequently installed a pair of Schwalbe SV21 tubes I already had in inventory and had no problem whatsoever. I have also now ordered a pair of SV21A, the xxlight version of the 27.5 inch (650b) designated tubes in the hope that they will take my riding to an entirely new level. I can use all the help I can get. I'll let you know in time.