650b Curious

[Epicus07]

For those of you who have ridden 650b (road) for long enough to form an opinion of it, what do you think ?

Always been curious about it but am reluctant to take the plunge.

What sizes are you running ?

[Ken Robb]

I think riders of bigger frames can ride 700x30+ tires for a cushy ride but riders on smaller frames may need 650B to get taller sidewalls and a cushy ride.

[bicycletricycle]

I have many nice bicycles. I really really like my 650b x 42 bike. I am sure that I would like a 700 x 42 bike a lot as well but why have a larger heavier wheel? Plus a big tire fendered drop bar 700c bike can have some toe clip overlap problems.

My new Chapman has 700x35 compass barlow pass extra lights. It is also a super nice smooth ride.

My smallest tire bike is now 700x28. It does feel a bit faster but I normally choose a bigger tire bike these days. Smoother ride, less paranoid about pot holes and storm grates, more attention can be paid to traffic and enjoying the view.

[jamesdak]

Everyone should have one. Very nice for the days you just want to enjoy the ride in total comfort.

Mine's still a work in progress but a very nice 1981 Fuji S12-s that I got almost free made a good starting point.




I'm running some very supple 650b x 42 tires.

[owly]

42 on the road is an ideal size in my view.

Though I'm not too keen on how they look (size) on the bigger frames.

[R3awak3n]

I would need to ride a comparable road bike with 650b on the road to comment. My 650b bike is 10lbs heavier than one of my bikes and aetup for confort. Still rides great on the road but foe a road only ride I rather take one of my other bikes. As I said though, the bikes are very different and I bet if the different in just tires might be a different story.

When it comes to gravel, give me my 650x42. I love the format, will always have a 650b bike in the house

[Pastashop]

If you ride a frame size smaller than 56 cm, you really ought to try it out. Good 650b x 38 or x 42 tires, and you'll not regret. I ride a 58-60 cm frame size normally, so I could go either 650 or 700. On virtually any kind of road surface, paved or dirt, my 58 cm, 650b Ebisu has some magic about it. Really something special. And I can run fenders without toe overlap!

Also... The arguments about low-mid-high trail go hand-in-hand with 650b discussion. They can go on and on, but my sense of it is that you either get used to low trail after a ride or two, or you won't.

In my limited experience, low trail tends to behave slightly more "familiar" (compared with my traditional 700c bike) with a bit more front load. When I ride my Ebisu 650b (about 38 mm trail) without a front bag, I strap the tool pouch / spare tube / snack bag onto the front rack; no wobbling. When I ride my Trek 400 conversion (about 43 mm trail) without a front load but with a loaded rack, the front wheel can wobble when riding no-hands; with a hand on the bars, no wobble; switching to a saddle-bag only, the Trek is very stable without the front load, and more "familiar". So, go figure.

[sparky33]

a 650b bike is great to have if you have more than 1 bike. It does not replace the skinny-tire road bike or the mtb.

650bx42 is great for paved/unpaved mix, 650bx48+ is great for mostly rough surfaces or extended unpaved rides.

a lightweight 650b bike is as delightful as a lightweight 700c bike.

[Bonesbrigade]

The choice for me really comes down to how much volume I need for a particular route, and if that volume needed is over 40mm, then I'll use my 650x42mm or 650x47mm. If the route requires 40mm or less, I'll use a 700 setup. I switch wheels on the same bike(s).

It really comes down to handling - I find 700s with over 40mm tires starts to handle like crap.