650B Road Tires
05-22-18, 02:35 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 156
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 25 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times
in
7 Posts
650B Road Tires
So our new CoMo Carrera has 650B Spinergy wheels with Panaracer Gravel King 42 mm tires. The ride is real comfy and the set up is great for gravel grinders. However a lot of our riding is on the road and fat tires seem to take much more effort to move down the highway. I was thinking a road type tire at around 32 mm would take much less effort for a given speed. A google search comes up with no such tire, leaving the only option to get a set of 700c wheels. This would be pricey. Any ideas?
05-22-18, 02:45 PM
#2
Senior Member
With respect to rolling resistance, there aren't many tires that are considerably faster than the Gravel King (assuming you have the file tread version). I'd assume you're used to feeling road buzz with high pressure tires, but you're not feeling that any more. If practical, compare your speed on GPS to similar rides on your old bike.
Anyway, the Panaracer Pari Moto is slightly faster than the Gravel King. It's available in 650b x 38mm, 42mm, and 48mm.
Anyway, the Panaracer Pari Moto is slightly faster than the Gravel King. It's available in 650b x 38mm, 42mm, and 48mm.
05-23-18, 06:25 AM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: SW Florida
Posts: 1,673
Bikes: '06 Bianchi Pista; '57 Maclean; '10 Scott CR1 Pro; 2005 Trek 2000 Tandem; '09 Comotion Macchiato Tandem; 199? Novara Road; '17 Circe Helios e-tandem:1994 Trek 2300
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 147 Post(s)
Liked 93 Times
in
61 Posts
So our new CoMo Carrera has 650B Spinergy wheels with Panaracer Gravel King 42 mm tires. The ride is real comfy and the set up is great for gravel grinders. However a lot of our riding is on the road and fat tires seem to take much more effort to move down the highway. I was thinking a road type tire at around 32 mm would take much less effort for a given speed. A google search comes up with no such tire, leaving the only option to get a set of 700c wheels. This would be pricey. Any ideas?
05-23-18, 06:46 AM
#4
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 156
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 25 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times
in
7 Posts
If they would work it on my wheels it would be great, but my wheels are 650b which is not the same as 26 inch. Do you know the model of Schwalbe? This could save me quite a bit of money, as the other alternative is buying a set of 700c wheels.
05-23-18, 08:06 AM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: SW Florida
Posts: 1,673
Bikes: '06 Bianchi Pista; '57 Maclean; '10 Scott CR1 Pro; 2005 Trek 2000 Tandem; '09 Comotion Macchiato Tandem; 199? Novara Road; '17 Circe Helios e-tandem:1994 Trek 2300
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 147 Post(s)
Liked 93 Times
in
61 Posts
sorry, I thought 650b are smaller than 700c, but I now see they are not.
05-23-18, 08:54 AM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: SW Florida
Posts: 1,673
Bikes: '06 Bianchi Pista; '57 Maclean; '10 Scott CR1 Pro; 2005 Trek 2000 Tandem; '09 Comotion Macchiato Tandem; 199? Novara Road; '17 Circe Helios e-tandem:1994 Trek 2300
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 147 Post(s)
Liked 93 Times
in
61 Posts
650b is SMALLER in rim diametet than 700c. I don't know why some are measuring overall diameter including tire, which makes 650b about 27.5 inches. I think a 650b tire is about the same as a 26 inch one, which is what my friend has on his Spinergy TX2 wheels: Schwalbe 26" x 1.1 inch(28mm).
05-23-18, 06:48 PM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Ontario
Posts: 558
Bikes: HP Velotechnik Streetmachine GTE, 2015 Devinci Silverstone SL4, 2012 Cannondale Road Tandem 2, Circe Morpheus, 2021 Rose Backroad, 2017 Devinci Hatchet
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 181 Post(s)
Liked 14 Times
in
12 Posts
05-26-18, 12:05 AM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 2,853
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1067 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 259 Times
in
153 Posts
Schwalbe G-One Speed, or Microskin. They come in a 27.5" x 1.5". Fast tyre.
27.5" is not the same as 26" or 700c. It is between the two.
27.5" is not the same as 26" or 700c. It is between the two.
Last edited by Dean V; 05-26-18 at 12:08 AM.
05-26-18, 12:20 AM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,547
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18378 Post(s)
Liked 4,512 Times
in
3,354 Posts
05-27-18, 05:15 AM
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: SW Florida
Posts: 1,673
Bikes: '06 Bianchi Pista; '57 Maclean; '10 Scott CR1 Pro; 2005 Trek 2000 Tandem; '09 Comotion Macchiato Tandem; 199? Novara Road; '17 Circe Helios e-tandem:1994 Trek 2300
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 147 Post(s)
Liked 93 Times
in
61 Posts
i always thought that tires are categorized by rim diameter, not by rim+tire. I’m still pretty sure that what the OP needs are 26x1.1 Schwalbe Durano tires on his Spinergy wheels.
05-27-18, 07:10 AM
#11
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 171
Bikes: Merlin Road, Rivendell Road, Arvon custom tandme, Hi-Light G-7
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 24 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 11 Times
in
10 Posts
As I am in the process of looking for a "gravel" single, this is one of the stupidities one must wade through. Sheldon's website list all the sizes called 26x1.
Tire Sizing Systems
05-27-18, 12:09 PM
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,547
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18378 Post(s)
Liked 4,512 Times
in
3,354 Posts
The OP definitely states 650B.
It wouldn't hurt to verify, but I think at this point one should take his word for it.
One "standard" on modern bikes is that if the tires use a fractional inch PLUS a decimal width, then for at least the larger wheels, they will generally be 559 (26" MTB), 584 (650B, 27.5), or 622 (700c, 28", 29").
If it has a fractional inch diameter plus a fractional inch width, then it will be some vintage oddball.
It sounds like there are a few options for road 650b, but none of them are particularly narrow.
It wouldn't hurt to verify, but I think at this point one should take his word for it.
One "standard" on modern bikes is that if the tires use a fractional inch PLUS a decimal width, then for at least the larger wheels, they will generally be 559 (26" MTB), 584 (650B, 27.5), or 622 (700c, 28", 29").
If it has a fractional inch diameter plus a fractional inch width, then it will be some vintage oddball.
It sounds like there are a few options for road 650b, but none of them are particularly narrow.
05-27-18, 07:56 PM
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Upstate South Carolina
Posts: 1,092
Bikes: 1980's Spectrum 10 sp Campagnolo Centaur, 1990 Eddy Merckx 10 sp Campagnolo Centaur, Bushnell Tandem, Co-Motion Speedster Tandem
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 185 Post(s)
Liked 102 Times
in
65 Posts
The original poster stated purchasing a set of 700c wheel set to be able to go with the 32c tires. With disc brakes you can switch back and forth between 650b and 700c. Switching back and forth would be an option or moving to one of the faster filing 650 tires mentioned.
05-27-18, 09:32 PM
#14
working on my sandal tan
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: CID
Posts: 22,629
Bikes: 1991 Bianchi Eros, 1964 Armstrong, 1988 Diamondback Ascent, 1988 Bianchi Premio, 1987 Bianchi Sport SX, 1980s Raleigh mixte (hers), All-City Space Horse (hers)
Mentioned: 98 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3871 Post(s)
Liked 2,568 Times
in
1,579 Posts
So our new CoMo Carrera has 650B Spinergy wheels with Panaracer Gravel King 42 mm tires. The ride is real comfy and the set up is great for gravel grinders. However a lot of our riding is on the road and fat tires seem to take much more effort to move down the highway. I was thinking a road type tire at around 32 mm would take much less effort for a given speed. A google search comes up with no such tire, leaving the only option to get a set of 700c wheels. This would be pricey. Any ideas?
05-27-18, 09:43 PM
#15
Senior Member
05-27-18, 09:54 PM
#16
working on my sandal tan
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: CID
Posts: 22,629
Bikes: 1991 Bianchi Eros, 1964 Armstrong, 1988 Diamondback Ascent, 1988 Bianchi Premio, 1987 Bianchi Sport SX, 1980s Raleigh mixte (hers), All-City Space Horse (hers)
Mentioned: 98 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3871 Post(s)
Liked 2,568 Times
in
1,579 Posts
They can be ordered direct from Japan, or there's a guy in Minnesota who is setting up a new distributorship if you're interested.
06-25-18, 05:40 AM
#17
Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Mid Michigan
Posts: 345
Bikes: Erickson Signature, Paketa D2R
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Here is some miscellaneous tires experience in our odyssey with 650B conversion of one of our tandems:
- We are currently riding Compass Loup Loup Pass in 650B X 38. Nice road tire. Stable on dirt roads/gravel.
- Have a pair of Panaracer Pacenti Pari-Moto 650B X 38 in reserve, but unridden. These appear to be identical tires to those above, from the Panaracer factory.
- Have ridden Schwalbe One-G in 650B X 40 (actually and weirdly, these are labeled both "650B X 38" and "40-584"); nice mild knobby tread pattern and a very nice ride, but expensive ($65 each?), and our bike has insufficient clearance for this tire on the rear (anybody want to buy a pair, one slightly used, one new?). Oh, and this one is quite clearly optimized for tubeless, though we don't do that.
- Have ridden Panaracer Col de la Vie in 650B X 38. These have a bit more tread pattern and are cheaper than the other two, and have a really nice ride. Beware, however, that they have a fairly low max pressure rating, ca. 45 psi, IIRC, and I blew one out before I thought to read the sidewall ("300 kPa"). Probably not an option for most tandem teams.
Last edited by 2frmMI; 07-02-18 at 07:34 PM. Reason: Corrected pressure from 3.0 to 300 kPa. D'oh.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
jimmymcg
Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling
37
04-08-20 01:39 PM
RockiesDad
Cyclocross and Gravelbiking (Recreational)
64
01-03-18 04:29 AM
chas58
Cyclocross and Gravelbiking (Recreational)
5
05-28-17 10:20 AM
trail_monkey
Cyclocross and Gravelbiking (Recreational)
6
07-03-16 09:00 AM
