650b tires

[stevep]

so im sitting in the car traveling around with a michelin 2 wheel travel rep and she asks me..." do you need any 650 b tires to sell? "
michelin makes them in france but does not yet import them to the usa.
my question is:
what is available now?
is there a market for this?
is it worth the trouble?
is anyone familiar with the michelin version?

to get full credit you must answer all 4 questions.

[sspielman]

I won't be needing any 650B's....but do you stock beeswax?

[Bill Bove]

Do you have any sheets of oil cloth to wrap my spare and tools in too, pooch. It works better than any commercially available saddlebag.

All of you, prepare for the wrath of the proffessor ;)

Thou shalt not dis Grant :D

[Too Tall]

Sorry, no help. I'll paste what Grant and Sheldon lists if that helps.

a. Schwalbe HS 159 /44
b. Panaracer Col de la Vie /38
c. Mitsuboshi Trimline /38
d. Michelin Megamium /30

This is from Sheldon B. (tyres that G.P. does not list)

a. Panaracer Nifty Swifty /34
b. Panaracer Fatty Rumpkin /40
c. Kenda Globe Trotter / 44

Is there market? Is doing a mitzvah "market" ;)

[Ray]

Do you have any sheets of oil cloth to wrap my spare and tools in too, pooch. It works better than any commercially available saddlebag.

All of you, prepare for the wrath of the proffessor ;)

Thou shalt not dis Grant :D
Hey, you take what you need and you leave the rest. I've tried 650b and didn't love 'em, but lots of folks with different priorities than the race-centric priorities prevailing around here love 'em. That's a GOOD thing imho. I use the "burrito wrap" instead of small seat packs when I just want to carry a few tools, tube, patch kit, etc, because it's more flexible, works just as well, etc.

Grant gives a lot of people options that don't exist elswehere in the industry and he's found a market for them. If you don't like 'em, don't use 'em. If you do, do. Or if, like me and lots of other folks, you like some of them and not others, use what works for you. But why diss it?

Yada yada yada.

Feel free to take the day off Douglas.

-Ray

[dbrk]

Jan Heine also sells the wonderful Gran Bois Cypres in 32mm, look here: http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com/tireoffer.html

otherwise taking the day off to ride 650B,

dbrk

[dauwhe]

I've used:

Mitsuboshi Trimline (37mm)--the classic "plush" 650B tire, a wonderful riding experience.

Panaracer Col de la Vie (36mm)--about the same as the Trimline.

Michelin Megamium (30mm or so)--folding, black sidewall, I currently carry one as a spare but they maybe felt a tad "stiff" while riding. Didn't really feel like the "650B Experience".

Cypress Grand Bois skinwall (31mm or so)--fantastic, supple, feel fast & very comfortable. They seem light, so I'm perhaps a bit concerned about durability. One flat so far (halfway through the 400k, 50 feet from a bike shop!). My favorite of the tires I've tried.

* * *

I now own but haven't ridden:

Panaracer Fatty Rumpkin (39mm)--off road tire, circular anti-knobs ("suction cups"). I'll try this at D2R2. I really should get a 2nd set of wheels, so I can switch more easily between the big tires (Trimline or Fatty Rumpkin) and the smaller tires (Grand Bois)

* * *

I haven't' owned or used

Panaracer/Riv Nifty Swifty (33mm), supposedly just like a Ruffy Tuffy.
Any of the less expensive, heavy tires--Schwalbe, etc.

I've heard rumors of a tire like the Nifty Swifty, but build like a Rolly Polly instead of a Ruffy Tuffy. I'd love to try these! I think this is the Maxy Fasty. Anyone know anything about these? And did I see something about a true Knobby?

Dave "obviously a fan of 650B" Cramer
Brattleboro, Vermont

[fiamme red]

Fatty Rumpkin, Nifty Swifty, Maxy Fasty? Which genius thought of these names? :rolleyes:

[dauwhe]

Fatty Rumpkin, Nifty Swifty, Maxy Fasty? Which genius thought of these names? :rolleyes:

I think Riv had a contest for some of them!

The names are fabulous, atmo...

Dave "drinking the Grant Peterson Koolaid" Cramer
Brattleboro, Vermont

[palincss]

One of the Kogswell P/R testers in Portland has very good things to say about I the Pyramid low end 650B tires she's using. $4.50 or so to bike shops from J&B, I believe, retail to consurmers at around $12-13, and they seem to be everything you'd want in a city tire and a pretty decent ride, too.

[KevinK]

My wife has Michelin 650B tires on her old english 3 speed commuter. I don't know the model or vintage, I know they are at least 20 year old because I held on to a few of these (for her bike) when I sold the bike shop in '85. They are gum wall with deep and wide zig-zag tread, and seem to last forever for low-speed riding. In case you're wondering about 650B on a vintage english 3-speed, I built up the wheels for her bike before I sold the shop, using a SA-AW 36-hole hub and Ambrosio alloy 650B rims.

Kevin

[dbrk]

Fatty Rumpkin, Nifty Swifty, Maxy Fasty? Which genius thought of these names? :rolleyes:

Some are LOTR take offs, some are designed to be anti-contemporary marketing. If you know Grant, you know that he takes a certain inner pleasure in pleasing those who find old fashioned, slightly whacky names charming and making eyes roll for those who don't.

dbrk[oolaidisyummy]

[dauwhe]

As kids we lived on Kool-Aid. I remember watching the evening news, which announced that the artificial sweetener cyclamate was going to be banned. This was an ingredient in Kool-Aid at the time (early 1970s??). I cried, fearing I'd never get to drink Kool-Aid again.

It turns out that there's a Kool-Aid FAQ on the internet! Thank goodness for obsessive people with computers!

http://www.cs.uu.nl/wais/html/na-dir/food/kool-aid-faq.html

Dave

[whippettanker]

so im sitting in the car traveling around with a michelin 2 wheel travel rep and she asks me..." do you need any 650 b tires to sell? "
michelin makes them in france but does not yet import them to the usa.
my question is:
what is available now?
is there a market for this?
is it worth the trouble?
is anyone familiar with the michelin version?

to get full credit you must answer all 4 questions.

Let's review:

a. Schwalbe HS 159 /44 - kinda heavy, in a flat resistant way
b. Panaracer Col de la Vie /38 - the light version is a super fun tire
c. Mitsuboshi Trimline /38 - ditto
d. Michelin Megamium /30 - if you weigh 120lbs, it's perfect
e. Panaracer Nifty Swifty /34 - ditto
h. Cypress Grand Bois skinwall (31mm or so) - ditto
f. Panaracer Fatty Rumpkin /40 - perfect for your 650B MTB
g. Kenda Globe Trotter / 44 - budget tire

I'd like to see Michelin come up with a CdlV type tire (38mm/430g), which is the sweet spot in the space. It would be nice to see the French make some money on the 650B revival and it would be nice for Michelin to have good tires available in Europe in case the movement spreads.

Joke all you want about 650B components. Then call QBP and Velocity and ask them when they'll have rims again.

If the Michelin rep wants to move some tires, I'm in the market. Have her give me a call.

Matthew Grimm
Kogswell Cycles
952-445-8804

[hypnos]

Joke all you want about 650B components. Then call QBP and Velocity and ask them when they'll have rims again.

Are the Velocity 650B rims unavailable?

[whippettanker]

Are the Velocity 650B rims unavailable?

Every time I call Velocity, they are either
short stocked or out and waiting.

It should be interesting to see where the
market is next year.

[gypsyjazz]

Hi, I'm new to this group but I thought I would mention that continental makes a 650B tire and I really like it. They call it the tour ride. It comes in a bunch of different sizes but 650B is included. You can get them at www.sjscycles.co.uk. It only took a week for mine to arrive. 60 bucks delivered. Try em. Nobody mentioned the Grand Bois tires either. Haven't tried them but I met someone in Victoria BC that loves them.
Cheers

[Philberto]

I don't post but this brought me out of hiding. I find the 650B experience totally fun and satisfying. I'm running Velocity Synergies with Gran Bois tires on an old Raleigh Rampar Superbe and the ride is lovely and surprisingly spirited. Not slow.

[Volant]

What about the 650B for mountain biking? There aren't too many available right now, but Kirk Pacenti and some builders are trying to get that groove going. I haven't ridden one yet, but they get my vote over a 29'er on aesthetics alone.
Will Michelin be offering a 650b mtb tire?

[Kirk Pacenti]

Will Michelin be offering a 650b mtb tire?

They should.

Fwiw, Kenda, Schwalbe, Hutchison, WTB, Panaracer and possibly a few more will be available soon.

http://650b.com/2008/05/02/sea-otter-recap/


Cheers,

KP

[tys]

I've heard elsewhere that Michelin isn't currently making any more 650b.
Can you ask your rep? Are they current production or old stock.
I love the 650x44B semi-confort, and would like to try the skinny Megamium at some point. Are there others? There are many dealers that might be (should be!) interested: Kogswell, Rivendell, Bicycle Quarterly, Longleaf, Velo-orange, etc.