Journeyman 650b

I just got this Journeyman 650b in.
It will be used to complement a Warbird Ti for 4 uses:

• This will be a bike that I don’t feel (as) bad taking out in the spring, when the roads here in northern Minnesota are covered in salt and slush.
• With it’s rack mounts and clearance it should also make a good touring option.
• The Warbird Ti is limited to about 36mm tires in the rear and about 42 in the front. Some rides around here (the trails that Heck of the North or Hungrybear go on) are much better suited to bigger tires
• It’s another bike in the stable, so my kids can have something faster and more comfortable on gravel than the MTB and Fatbike we have for them now.

 


So far it looks good. I put some MSO 50mm tubeless tires on, and I had a pair of TRP Spyre brakes that I had pulled of a Warbird Apex build, so swapped those onto the bike. 
I noticed I also have a SRAM GXP crankset in a drawer, so will swap out the stock crankset to save some weight. That said, if I didn’t have it lying around, I do like the chainring sizes on the stock crankset (46/30). Combined with the stock 11-34 cassette, it’s a great gear range.

Since it’s 9 speed, any Shimano road or Mtb drivetrain parts can be mixed and matched too, and it should be tough and easy to adjust. I really like XT 9 speed cassettes, they arequite cheap, yet very light. Will put one of those on once the stock Sunrace wears out.

It’s pouring rain today, and I have more bikes to build/parts to swap, so no riding yet.

I like that purple, great looking bike. I've suggested that particular bike to a couple of friends, but they are just not open to the color, thinking they want black. Too bad, they need to embrace color in their lives. 

eric/fresno, ca.

I bought a 650b last year and just couldn’t get into the heavier tires. Switched out tires/rims for light weight WTB Koms, changed the crank and put on a pair of cow chipper bars. So far it’s been a great gravel bike. Btw, I bought it for the frame   color!

epzamora wrote:I like that purple, great looking bike. I've suggested that particular bike to a couple of friends, but they are just not open to the color, thinking they want black. Too bad, they need to embrace color in their lives. 

eric/fresno, ca.

They make a lot of different colors, even two colors per spec level, just with  differnet tires I think.

drzmark wrote:
I bought a 650b last year and just couldn’t get into the heavier tires. Switched out tires/rims for light weight WTB Koms, changed the crank and put on a pair of cow chipper bars. So far it’s been a great gravel bike!

I ponied up for some tubeless tires. Just swapping out the inner tubes for sealant dropped 10 oz.