Cycles Tournesol: 650B

Tournesol 650B is our “roughstuff” bike meant to go anywhere and everywhere except the most technical trails or on terrain better suited for a proper mountain bike.  Built using the 650B sized wheel this is the Tournesol for fun, adventure riding, and going places that you might not otherwise venture on the larger wheeled road bike, like dirt paths or converted railroad beds. 

A 650B-shod bike “feels” like a road bike but handles the dirt or the cobbles with exquisite precision.  We confess that our love for the “old French size” 650B is partly sentimental, but it is also eminently practical, for this size is larger than modern mountain bike wheels (584mm versus 559mm in diameter) and feels much more like a road bike on pavement. 

There are plenty of rim and tire choices in 650B, from a “skinny” 30mm tire to the more typical “demi-balloon” size 38mm, all the way up to 44mm. You may choose centerpull, cantilever or disc brake options and increase your tire and rim choices with modern mountain bike wheels.  Our 650B bikes are typically designed for aluminum Honjo or stainless Berthoud fenders; for the true enthusiast, a 650B can be built as a single-speed with a flip-flop hub option.