Ramouillet max tire

[Chris Dresden]

I know this has been covered before but still not quite sure what the max tire size is for a Rambouillet. Mine is a 2003 and right now I run 700x25 with plastic fenders. When I replace those tires with larger ones but it looks pretty tight to go no more than a 28. Herse has the Chinook (28) and the Cayuse Pass (26).

[iamkeith]

It changed a little over time, with the later  ones having a bit more clearance than the first-run orange ones.   I think the green ones were the last (?) so, presumably, they have at least as good as the blue ones.

Additionally, my own experience tells me that there is a bit of difference between the 700c and 559 wheel size frames.

My 60 cm / 700c 2006 blue one has 33.33 jack browns and sks (esge) fenders with plenty of clearance.  That's the most I could do though, and the brakes are the limiting factor.  As the literature at the time suggested, I think it would fit a 37 mm without a fender

My wife has a same-year 50 cm / 559 frame and it would have a little less clearance because the rear brake bridge is installed sliightly lower relative to the rim.  She's happy with a 1" (28mm) tire and no fenders though.   It might fit a 32mm.  

[iamkeith]

Forgot to mention: I upgraded to the Tektro R539 brakes on my bike which help alot.  Wife's still has the stock Shmano brakes.  I'm not sure why Riv doesn't still sell the Tektros.  I thougth that, like the R559, they were their own design.

[David Hallerman]

Hi. Not clear how the Tektro R539s give more clearance than, say, Shimano R-600 brakes. Or were you talking about other Shimano brakes?

Dave, who has R-600s on his Rambouillet but is always looking for more tire space 

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[Andrew Turner]

Here's a handy blog comparing various long(er) reach brakes that the Rambouillet fits: 
https://blackmtncycles.com/clearance-pt-ii-road-frames/

My father's Ram can squeeze 38s with Shimano R-600 calipers but that's a close fit with narrow rims. He's never had fenders on the bike, but I ran the same setup on my Roadini (older model) and 28s + VO fenders were maxing it out. I'd even hear some rubbing when climbing out of the saddle. 

Because of fender clearance, some of Rivendell's caliper model frames have bugged me. For context, my experience is only the 2007 Ram, the old, shorter-reach Roadini frame, and the long-reach 559 Roadini. But with all of these, the brake pad placement varied between the front and rear wheel and that usually resulted in less space for a fender near the rear brake bridge. And that's pretty annoying when you see 5mm of viable space to lower the pads. But that's what I get for not getting a canti model. 

Cheers!
Andrew

[Rich Lesnik]

I had a 54 blue Rambouillet which took 35 non-fendered, 32 fendered Paselas.

[Toshi Takeuchi]

--Same as Rich.  My blue 54 cm Ram used 32 Paselas with SKS fenders.

Toshi

P.S. If you want wider tires, then you might consider a 650b conversion.  I loved the Ram with 42 mm 650b tires with fenders.  It was one of my best bikes ever.  I shouldn't have N-1'd.

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[iamkeith]

David, 

You're probably right that they didn't give me more vertical clearance or tire clearance for tires "directly."  My recollection is that they gave me more room for the fenders, so I could shove them higher, which IN TURN gave me more room for the taller tires.  Basically, the shape of the space below and between the arms is better.  It's been many years, so all I remenber is that I could NOT fit both the 33.33 tires and fenders until I switched from the stock shimano brakes.  It might not matter to someone who doesn't want to run fenders, but that's not me. 

(My wife's bike still has the stock brakes, so I could find the model number if ti matters to anyone.  I think they were pretty standard 105 series medium reach calipers)

[David Hallerman]

Thanks Keith, all this is helpful as I’m still tweaking things. I don’t need fenders right now, so non-rubbing space is my main focus.

Also, I’ve been having fun measuring the same tire on different rims, since we all know that tire fit depends on more than just the nominal size on the side of the tire. Here are the actual widths I found for a 700x32 Gravel King SS tire installed on three different inner diameter rims (in parentheses), each inflated to 60 psi with tubes.

Mavic Open Pro (15mm) - 30mm wide tire

Velocity A23 (18mm) - 31mm

Velocity Quill (21mm) - 32mm

Obviously, with the exact same amount of rubber, the Quill install that measured 32 mm wide was less high (I didn’t measure that) than the Open Pro install at a narrow 30 mm.

Dave, who thinks 700x32 tires are a definite sweet spot

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[MoVelo]

Same as Rich and Toshi here. My blue 58 Rambo fits 700x32 with fenders and 700x35 without, but like Toshi I love the bike with 650bx42s and fenders. 

JP

On Wednesday, March 29, 2023 at 1:16:09 PM UTC-5 David Hallerman wrote:

[ascpgh]

There have been a number of questions about the maximum tire size clearance the Rambouillet but in my experience a 38mm will fit but by that point the front end geometry, which is so attractive and defining of the F&F changes enough that even a dullard such as me can tell that the bike handles better with 32mm tires. Essentially, while riding the 38s I felt that it was good to have the extra loft for all the things I'd hit as I struggled against the bike to steer clear of them. 

My 2002 64cm Rambouillet had 33.3mm tires on Velocity Synergy rims and I immediately put plastic fenders over them for a long ride inspiring picking the bike. They had some rattling under the original Shimano "groupless" calipers I attributed to flex of the plastic's unsupported spans. Those calipers were the pinnacle center mount caliper clearance on the market at the time. I found the underside of the calipers lost some of their resting clearance profile as they closed on the rims for braking and  rattled a set of Honjo aluminum fenders I tried secondhand from another lister. 

Ever open to ways to reach the best combination of better riding tires under fender I got my first set of Rene Herse (nee Compass) Stampede Pass EL tires and a set of Paul Racer center mount brakes and I believe I have reached the Rambouillet nirvana after 20 years of fooling around with it. What my Ram doesn't offer with these brakes over correctly sized fenders and these really nice tires I used as the basis for my custom 650B Coast Rando. 

My recommendation is supported and tempered by a recent revisit, wondering if a high quality supple set of 38mm RH Barlow Pass tires might shine through the pneumatic trail that they inflict. They didn't, still feels 'off" from the intersection of handling and ride at 32mm. I've kept this bike on those Velocity Synergy rims the whole time (thanks, Peter) so that variable isn't at play. Some tire sidewall labeling varies from a caliper readings, I never got too ruffled by that while out in the weeds of the tire marketplace. 

Pictures of OE brakes and Paul Racer calipers over fenders and 32mm Stampede Pass tires

Andy Cheatham

Pittsburgh

[Guy LeVan]

So, I just acquired the complete wonderfully repainted by Joe Bell Chocolate Brown on Cappuccino Rambouillet that you may have seen on facebook or eBay.  It’s got a serial # of RB0056, so it has to be an early model.  It came with 650b X 42 Panaracer Grand Rando tires and fenders.  Mine can take a 700c X 38 up to a 650b X 47ish, sans knobbies.  The conversion is simple with the Tektro 559 long reach breaks, and my 170 mm crank arm length works with the lower clearances.  FYI.

Guy

[Steve]

Chocolate Brown on Cappuccino by Joe Bell - Levan, please post a pic, I'd love to see it!

[Nick Payne]

My Romulus (cheaper version of the Rambouillet) will fit 32s with SKS fenders using Sheldon fender nuts. With Berthoud stainless steel fenders I'm limited to 28mm tyres, due to the extra clearance needed under the fork crown for the daruma bolt.

Nick Payne

[Fullylugged]

The Ram came as a complete with 32mm Panaracer Pasela tires.  It will also fit fenders with this tire.  Without fenders, the Pasela 1 1/2" fits easily. This applies to both the 622 and 559 rim editions, EXCEPT for the early orange batch that came in with the rear brake bridge in too low.  The 622 converts nicely to 584 with bigger tires and the 559 can also run 571 wheels with smaller max tire sizes.

[Joe Bernard]

You're right about the tire sizes that will fit but I don't think any completes sold with 32s unless it was a specific build Riv put together and posted on the website. Romulus was only sold as complete and came with 28 Roly Polys (maybe it was Ruffy Tuffys) and the stock Ram completes I've seen used same.