650B wheelset recommendations

[foo_fighter]

100mm, 15mm thru axle front hubs are convertible to almost all other standards(12mm TA, 9mm TB, 9mm/5mm QR, even 110mm Boost), without factory endcaps. Something like a DT350 is not too expensive.

Originally Posted by Ed-B

I'd suggest that you consider a few points:

The industry standard for disc brake road wheels is now thru-axle, and most all the new bikes are going to that system; 12x100 front and 12-142 rear. If you invest in expensive wheels you should consider if you might ever want to use them on a future bike, so convertible hubs would be wise.

How much gravel, pavement, trails, etc are you going to ride? Here in the greater Portland Maine area it's mostly mixed surface rides that we're doing. So, with that in mind, what tires are you going to use? Width, tubeless? What fits your frame? Some of the disc brake road bikes are still pretty tight. Measure your clearances between the stays and fork blades at a distance of 320mm from the axle centers. FYI, a 50mm space will comfortably fit 650x42b tires on the narrower rims.

A valid point has been made about the ease of switching between the 700c and 650b wheels, but how often do you think you'll be doing that, and consequently is it worth the expense to buy that convenience?

Pre-built wheels can be less expensive if your bike fits a standard configuration. However, the inexpensive wheelsets will usually require a final hand truing and stress relief.

Personally, I think that Croft wheelset that Weisan pointed out would be a good entry point to try 650B on your bike. They're not convertible, but they have the right specs for your present bike, and they're only $130 shipped - that's about the cost of a single rim. I bought an earlier version of that Croft wheelset for my 650B Planet X London Road and I'm running 650x42B Gravel King tires with tubes. They're decent wheels, and unbeatable for the money. If you go that route you can try it out, and get better wheels later if you want to upgrade. Keep the Croft wheels as beaters.

Ed.