Your suggestions: 650B 47-48mm knobby tires

[jambee]

I recently got a nice wheel set on the forum - 650B Velocity Blunt SS laced to DT Swiss 240s. Love these wheels.

They came with a pair of almost new Terrene Elwood Ultralight 650B 47mm. On paper these are great - they are ultra light (~430g), very supple and have a nice thread pattern.

After setting them up tubeless and taking them out on a 100k off-road ride, I need to find new tires. The Elwood will be great for dry gravel of any kind, but for the muck, slime, mud and wet leaves we normally ride on, these are horrible. I wiped out on slimey mud three times yesterday where my crew, all with proper knobby tires, rode on.

So I started my search for a replacement and came to realisation that the size and weight of the Elwood is somewhat unique.

Since the rims are so wide, the tires actually blow up to around 55mm. That is pretty much the limit of what my Seven (design for 45mm 700c) and Enve CX fork can fit. So I'm really looking for ideas for mud-oriented 650B tires at around the sub 450g weight, 45-48mm wide and tubeless ready.

[weisan]

Pacenti quasi moto.
I have it on my mtb, works fine.

https://www.biketiresdirect.com/product/pacenti-quasi-moto-650b-mtb-tire

[owly]

Seeing you have a fairly wide rim, fitting a 42 should blow it out a bit:-

https://www.compasscycle.com/shop/components/tires/650b/compass-650b-x-42-pumpkin-ridge/

The Extralight is 420gm.

[jambee]

@owly i was thinking about that as well. However, I like the volume of the Elwoods a lot. If I go with 42mm at 650B I can just stay with my 700c wheels and use the 700cX42mm....

So strange that there is no tire with knobby and low weight as the many 650B 47/48mm tires without knobbies!

[hollowgram5]

Pacenti quasi moto.
I have it on my mtb, works fine.

https://www.biketiresdirect.com/product/pacenti-quasi-moto-650b-mtb-tireWeis pal hit the nail on the head here. I was running a set on my i23 rims on my Vaya Travel.

They work great. Not ideal for muddy days in that frame because of clearance, but could fit your application well.

There was a set here in the forum for sale that were lightly used I thought. Worth investigating. I can take some measurements as well if you need them, just let me know.

[Jaybee]

I've got an unused pair of Panaracer Comet Hardpacks that don't fit in my frame. 49mm on a 21mm internal rim. Quasimoto might be better for leaves/mud though, if slower on firm surfaces.

[gomango]

My wife tried the Bruce Gordon Rock n' Roads on her MAP last summer.

She did a 170 mile gravel trip with us and they worked quite well.

Really, a great tire for the $$$$.

http://brucegordoncycles.bigcartel.com/product/rock-n-road-all-terrain-650b-x-43-tire-free-shipping

[weisan]

thanks mango pal for bringing that up.

Love the 700cc version, can only imagine how good the 650b is

[HenryA]

Pacenti quasi moto.
I have it on my mtb, works fine.

https://www.biketiresdirect.com/product/pacenti-quasi-moto-650b-mtb-tire

If they will fit your frame, this is a great answer.

[jambee]

i’ve got a lot of great rubber for gravel. rock’n’road, compass, terrene. interestingly, when it’s wet and slippery, none of these are useful. So it’s really about finding something that can use the available space. Very interesting that there are no options for knobby tires at 47mm/650B.

[Jaybee]

WTB Resolute on a Blunt should be in the 48mm range. Not sure if it will meet your requirements for slippery conditions, but it’s an option.

[ColonelJLloyd]

Wider than you're seeking, but I love my 2.1" Thunder Burt EVO Liteskin. They'd measure ~55mm or so on Blunt SS. Too bad there's not a 48-50mm version.

[owly]

Wider than you're seeking, but I love my 2.1" Thunder Burt EVO Liteskin. They'd measure ~55mm or so on Blunt SS. Too bad there's not a 48-50mm version.

Yet to use mine in the wet.
How do they go in damp gravel? (won't be riding in muddy conditions).

[HenryA]

i’ve got a lot of great rubber for gravel. rock’n’road, compass, terrene. interestingly, when it’s wet and slippery, none of these are useful. So it’s really about finding something that can use the available space. Very interesting that there are no options for knobby tires at 47mm/650B.

The Quasimotos have knobs and grip well on wet surfaces. Not so good for real mud. Small knobs, lots of them and proper air pressure work better than many people think.

[jambee]

This thread is getting very interesting.

As you can see in the attached picture, I have no room to play with wider tires.

Since this is the space left after Terrene Elwood (47mm) was mounted on a Velocity Blunt SS, I do not see that any wider tire will work.

My working assumption is that any bigger tire, will blow up even more which is why anything above 1.85 inch is out of the picture.

So far it looks like there are really no options at the same size of the Elwood on the market. Lets keep the thread going though, really curious about more options.

BTW - Being German, I somehow always overlook Schwalbe. They do not have the "cool" factor the U.S. tire vendors have and are all made in Asia somewhere. Their competitor, Continental, make a lot of tires in Germany, but are missing on that sweet spot between gravel and mountain bike.

[weisan]

https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/cyclocross-tire-choice-world-championships

[jambee]

Looks like it got some grip!

[ColonelJLloyd]

Yet to use mine in the wet.
How do they go in damp gravel? (won't be riding in muddy conditions).

I normally use SBH and only install the Thunder Burts for specific rides. I've ridden on packed and loose gravel, but not damp or wet.

[jambee]

Mud changes everything. I almost always ride on some kind of Compass slick tires. They're awesome.

But when it comes to riding on mud, you really need grip. And there, using the same idea of "bigger is better" I was hoping for a tire that could utilise the available space on my Enve CX fork and rear triangle on my Seven.

[d_douglas]

I am not sure if these would work, but the Conti Mud King comes in 27.5x1.8”? If there is clearance, they’d be seriously grippy...

[jambee]

The Contri Mud King look to fit the bill. They are HEAVY but look to be the right solution for the problem.

https://www.bike-components.de/en/Continental/Mud-King-ProTection-27-5-Folding-Tyre-p47401/

They are also very cheap.

[d_douglas]

What frame are they for? I am curious for myself now !!

Also, what is the WIDEST possible rim that these tires would work with? 28mm internal?

[jambee]

The bike that is looking for the tires is this:

[d_douglas]

Ahh, thanks. I was asking because of tire clearance. I wonder if mine (a Desalvo CX) that has 35mm but could go up to 40mm barely would have the clearance to use the Mud Kings. I tend to doubt that.

I think your Seven was designed to accommodate bigger tires...

[jambee]

My Seven was designed for 45mm 700c. I designed it with Rob so I know :)

[weisan]

other than tires, I think weight distribution and how that impacts handling of the bike may have something to do with it. I won't elaborate further, just something for you to think about.

[jambee]

@weisan how do you mean?

[mdrange]

Wider than you're seeking, but I love my 2.1" Thunder Burt EVO Liteskin. They'd measure ~55mm or so on Blunt SS. Too bad there's not a 48-50mm version.

Have you ridden this combo of the Blunt SS and Thunder Burt? I'd love a real world measurement, if so! Trying to figure out if it would clear a Soma Wolverine in the back... Thanks,

[jambee]

I have not. I am riding Continental RaceKing 2.2" on Blunt SS. Its an amazing combination.

[ColonelJLloyd]

Have you ridden this combo of the Blunt SS and Thunder Burt? I'd love a real world measurement, if so! Trying to figure out if it would clear a Soma Wolverine in the back... Thanks,

Not on Blunt SS. I run those Thunderburts on Crest Mk3 (i23) and they're about 54-55mm. They might measure 1-2mm wider on i26.6 rims at most. But, that's my own particular pair of tires. I can't speak to different iterations and production runs of tires.

[Davist]

I'll recommend Thunder Burts as well, roll better than most WTB offerings, and light weight. I've ridden them in slop and they grip fairly well, but I'd recommend lowering the pressure quite a bit (I usually run 30F/35R-ish and drop about 5psi in each end at 185lbs). Only have had issues on wet roots, but nothing really works well there.

[jwin]

I have Thunderburts and I don't think they roll that well on muddy trails if you're trying to put power down uphill. The center knobs are just not high enough, but cornering is good.

What about Reneherse Juniper Ridge? I just put a pair on my bike and they're designed with Seattle winter riding in mind. Definitely slower than Thunderburts on the road.