Fast rolling 650b Gravel / Road Tire

[morrisericd]

There is a lot of information out there - looking for some real world experiences...

These will not be used on trails or off road, just nice smooth dirt and the paved roads leading to the dirt.

Rims are Enve G27's - internal width of 27mm. I have 47mm Vittoria Terreno Zero's on there now. I'm looking for something closer to 40mm (I think).

Running (and love) G-One Speeds in 35mm on my 700 wheel set.

Top choices are:

Babyshoe Pass - 42mm
Schwalbe G-One Speed in 1.5 or 2.0
Donnelly Strada (I don't know much about these, but I run Donnelly / Clement on my cyclocross bikes and love them)
Other options?

Thanks!

[Clancy]

I use the Panaracer GravelKings in 28c on my road bike. Not the SK’s but the smooth tread version. I feel these are more similar to the old Vittoria Open Corsa’s, same smooth tread pattern. I also switch between these and SK’s in 35c for my gravel bike. Available in 27.5 in different widths, I’d take a look at these.

[R3awak3n]

babyshoe. its an incredible tire, very fast, very comfortable, probably my favorite compass/rene herse tire.

[ergott]

The Panasonic Gravel King (non SK) in 42 happens to be a fast tire and more durable than Compass tires. Other size Gravel Kings have been known to be slower in comparison, somehow in 42 that tire shines. I've done D2R2 on them and also some fast group rides with everyone else on road bikes.

[Hilltopperny]

I am running Soma Grand Randoneurs on my 650b wheelset. They are 42s set up with tubes and are excellent. Not sure if they make a tubeless variant or not, but they are supple and roll excellent over the kind of terrain you are looking to ride.

Gravel Kings are also a great tire and can be run tubeless very easily. I have used the 38mm on 650b as well with very good results.


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[glepore]

I run the GK's in 42 on a Slate, and they feel awesome at 50 psi on the road. Durable enough on gravel. They would be great on packed dirt, but not on wet packed dirt.

[morrisericd]

Great - thanks!
Rene Here just sent out an email that they are having a sample sale on their tires, including the Babyshoe 650b 42. I've emailed them to confirm they are the current tubeless variety. If so, that's what I'll go with. I was pretty set on the Babyshoe - the only caveats were durability and price.

[R3awak3n]

The Panasonic Gravel King (non SK) in 42 happens to be a fast tire and more durable than Compass tires. Other size Gravel Kings have been known to be slower in comparison, somehow in 42 that tire shines. I've done D2R2 on them and also some fast group rides with everyone else on road bikes.

hard to say on durability. I have had a GK get a ton of flats and been pretty lucky with compass/rene herse. I will say that just by look and feel the GK does look beefier which makes sense since case is not supple. Not saying the GK is worst in terms of durability, I think I just had bad luck with that one. However I think the compass/rene herse will ride better. Everytime I switch to a GK I say, wow why am I spending money on compass, these ride great. Then I go back to compass and think, wow these are amazing.

[SlowPokePete]

Rene Herse having a sale...

oops ... see someone already linked it :)


SPP

[Hakkalugi]

I am really happy with IRC Boken (https://ircbike.com/products/boken-plus). Interestingly, the 650 and 700s are dramatically different tread designs. The tire rolls well and has enough side knobs to not get sketchy in looser conditions. It sets up tubeless pretty easily. I have both versions of GKs and like them, but the Boken is sort of a blend between the two and I find it more versatile.

[palincss]

Since the intended usage is paved roads and smooth gravel, it's also worth considering the 650Bx38 Herse Loup Loup Pass.

[tmessenger]

I've had the G-one in both 35 and 38 x700 and the 35's are lighter and accelerate better, the 38 (1.5) in the 700 measures 39 on my narrow rims and is great in the gravel. You could also look at the Conti speedking don't know what size they have available in 650b.

There is a lot of information out there - looking for some real world experiences...

These will not be used on trails or off road, just nice smooth dirt and the paved roads leading to the dirt.

Rims are Enve G27's - internal width of 27mm. I have 47mm Vittoria Terreno Zero's on there now. I'm looking for something closer to 40mm (I think).

Running (and love) G-One Speeds in 35mm on my 700 wheel set.

Top choices are:

Babyshoe Pass - 42mm
Schwalbe G-One Speed in 1.5 or 2.0
Donnelly Strada (I don't know much about these, but I run Donnelly / Clement on my cyclocross bikes and love them)
Other options?

Thanks!

[spoonrobot]

I think the Grand Bois Hetre is a better, faster tire than the Babyshoe Pass. It tubelesses fine too.

[gt88]

I am really happy with IRC Boken (https://ircbike.com/products/boken-plus). Interestingly, the 650 and 700s are dramatically different tread designs. The tire rolls well and has enough side knobs to not get sketchy in looser conditions. It sets up tubeless pretty easily. I have both versions of GKs and like them, but the Boken is sort of a blend between the two and I find it more versatile.

I was going to add this one as an option. Great tire IME.

[R3awak3n]

I was going to add this one as an option. Great tire IME.

dang, thats a heavy tire though

[perdido2000]

Pacenti Pari-moto? Fast, although somewhat fragile. Cheaper than rene herse. Also, the original Cannondale Slate tire can be found cheap. Again, fast but somewhat fragile and no good for wet conditions.

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[KVN]

I'm very happy with the G-One Speeds in 27.5 x 2. I found them for about $50 each on a euro site when I ordered them last year. Great tire for pavement and gravel.

I would avoid the 48mm Gravel Kings. If you compare the weights the GK lineup to the Rene Herse offering, you can see that the 48s are much more robust compared to the rest of the GK lineup.

[Davist]

No love for the WTB Horizons? I like mine, roll well and are durable... not as fancy/esoteric as some of the others mentioned here.. edit: see you're looking for closer to 40mm..

[morrisericd]

A little bit of a twist...

I'm not sure that for the type of riding I do - which is mostly smooth gravel with some pavement sections thrown in, never off road, rooty and rocky stuff - that a 650b tire / wheel in the smaller widths (say 42mm) will ever be as fast as a 700c tire / wheel in either similar or a little bit thinner (say 35mm) widths.

Is this a Campy vs. Shimano, or a disc vs. rim brake debate? I hope not. Am I an Olympic athlete to which ever watt matters? Definitely no. However, I appreciate and can discern between thinner and more supple sidewalls vs. stiffer tires. I have embraced the wider and lower philosophy and ride 28mm Pro Ones on my road bike with Enve 3.4 SES rims (measure maybe 30mm true) at around 75 psi and love it. I'm just not sure about 650b for the type of riding I do and the type of rider I am.

I think I'd be better off selling or trading my nearly new G27's with King hubs for something similar in the 700c variety. Granted, I only have 4 rides in on the 650b wheels, but I've ridden lots of different 700c setups for road and gravel and know what I like.

This is what happens when you're stuck at home and overthink things!

[Davist]

A lot of things around here seem to end up like this. If you want to ride a road bike on dirt roads/smooth gravel, ride one, no issues. Mine has 28s or 32s most of the time anymore at about 70-75 psi. I've finished the "tour of the Battenkill" on 25s (and rim brakes!), no problem.

I also have a gravel/all road bike that I like very much, it has 650 x 47 tires, and I've ridden it with 2.1" thunder burt MTB tires for "drop bar MTB" on single track with the MTB boys, no problem. It won't go 25mph on the flats as easy as the other one will, but I like the ride none the less. It also is set up a little shorter reach higher stack, but not more than 1" in either direction.

I like having the wide variety with these two. I don't want two bikes that are one or two shades of gray apart, but that's me. My road bike has disc brakes and I initially was using it just as you describe your needs, but wanted something a bit more as it turns out. Enjoy!

[ColonelJLloyd]

I really like my all road bike with 700x35 and 650bx50. I feel like I wouldn't like the feel of the smaller diameter 650bx40 as much. They're a whole lotta money, but the Switchback Hill Extralights are that good. Cost notwithstanding I'd rather ride that tire than just about any 650b slick except maybe a Babyshoe Pass EL on the right bike. I'm not a weight weenie, but I can feel extra weight where it counts (wheels and tires) so I'd go for a lighter tire whatever size you decide on.

I haven't tried the 1.9" GravelKing or Pari-Moto, but I did ride the older non-tubeless version 42mm Pari-Moto setup tubeless and they rode great.