Planning a project.
Probably 40-50mm
As ever there will be compromises.
Internet full of ‘I like these’ and some description of suitability for the type of terrain/s they ride.
I suppose I want road/track/minor mud/few punctures.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Stuff
Advice Please: 650B Touring/Gravel TYRES
(14 posts)-
Posted 3 years ago #
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Do schwalbe land cruisers come in 650b? If so you are describing the,, the 40mm are dear at twelve quid.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Yeah baby. Schwalbe Land Cruiser. Maybe we could get endorsement money?
They will do everything bar downhill racing and soft peat. Soft peat they just go round and you sit still.
Posted 3 years ago # -
My hip gravel tyre understanding is this:
Schwalbe G-one: does a good impression of a road tyre rolling-resistance-wise so good if your 'gravel' rides will be quite road heavy. Not great in deep mud, better for hard-packed dry summer stuff. Wears out fast-ish. Might be a winner for what you described.
Panaracer Gravelking SK: good on roads but handles mud better, my settled all-rounder choice for my One Bike which has to go everywhere. Might be a more robust choice for what you are describing if buying right now with a few months of guaranteed mud ahead of us.
WTB Resolute: not tried it but I understand people who have a dedicated road bike/don't really do road rides prefer it for their gravel bikes. It's more of a compromise on roads for really good grip off road
I understand they are all available in 650b and at least 40mm wide.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Thanks all.
Suspect the Cruisers are more worthy than I’m looking for.
@ jonty yes that’s the ones I’ve ‘found’ that look like what I think I want.
I know someone who’s just ordered a bike that’s due to come with WTB Senderos, but not arriving for a couple of months.
Then there’s exotics like -
https://road.cc/content/review/267194-rene-herse-juniper-ridge-650x48
Interesting times for 650B
Used to be French utility bikes and tourers with some Americans taking an interest in the later - leading to the Herse tyres.
Last few years it was (apparently) set to become the new (MTB) normal.
Now ‘gravel’ too.
So a reasonable selection of not-too-fat tyres!
Posted 3 years ago # -
“comedy option?“
Clearly more choice to come.
What I really really want (probably) is a Schwalbe CX in the right size.
Posted 3 years ago # -
I kept up with all the mountain-bike people on Iain McR's Borders Railway/cross-Lammermuir gravel/brick-fragment/woodland/road/railway thing with either Marathons or Armadillo/Nimbus. Long, wet grass on a steep uphill slope was the only thing I had to get off and push over. The first few times I did the Round the Forth I was on 23mm Armadillos, which handled the really stupid sections of track by Blackness quite easily.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Track less stupid at blackness now
Posted 3 years ago # -
@w
Well yes, there’s a whole discussion there!
It’s like the olden days when people used to tour the hills on three speeds.
There’s endless possible discussion relating to speed/comfort.
(I remember a fine (early days) CCE ride to Blackness and back where I was doing well on farm tracks with 17” slicks - and full suspension. Others weren’t quite as comfortable.)
Thin tyres on perfect tarmac used to be the most-longed-for.
Of course even better on a ‘lightweight’ bike.
Then it was steel or thinner tubed steel.
Tyres bigger than about 32 we’re almost unknown.
Then came “mountain bikes” with tyres rarely narrower than 1.5 (that’s about 38 in other measuring systems) then 2, 2.5 and more
Then front suspension, aluminium frames, full suspension and carbon fibre (not a linear ‘progression’)
Now (again) something of a split between road and MTB.
Leaving a large gap in the middle for ‘other’ (does anyone say “hybrid” anymore?)
Seems to be less interest in suspension except for ‘serious’ off-road.
Interest in tyres has returned (as well as wheel sizes).
Supple sidewalls, tpi concerns, ‘sticky’ materials, tread patterns, wear life, puncture resistance, value for money (and studs).
It never ends...
Posted 3 years ago # -
Suspect the Cruisers are more worthy than I’m looking for.
I've ordered a damage report and sent all hands to battle stations.
Posted 3 years ago # -
I was running the Gravelking Slicks on my winter/cross bike for a while but switched back to Marathons after a puncture in the middle of nowhere. After getting fed up with the weight of the Marathons I’m now running Continental GP5000s and actually enjoying riding my bike again!
The Gravelkings are nice tyres- I’d go for the SKs next time and run them tubeless as they’re not very puncture resistant IMOPosted 3 years ago # -
If avoiding punctures is a priority, then I'd recommend you avoid the Compass / Rene Herse tyres. A few years ago I was running the 650b 'Babyshoe Pass' in a tubeless setup. They did feel very nice, but they did not have what it took to survive.
Maybe the tubeless sealant protected from lots of tiny flats, but they soon became so battered that they could only work with inner tubes, and those were getting very frequent punctures.
The Schwalbe g-one was better in my experience, but if you want something capable of a bit of mud, they aren't it.
Posted 3 years ago # -
“but if you want something capable of a bit of mud, they aren't it”
Yes, but now we are into (individually) defining “bit”!
“I'd recommend you avoid the Compass / Rene Herse tyres”
Thanks, that will save (theoretical) money - willing to spend more than I am used to for tyres IF there is a good reason esp. manufacturing/ride quality and ‘reasonable’ puncture avoidance.
Posted 3 years ago #
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