Buying a 650b wheelset when it's being phased out

[weaponsgrade]

I've been kicking around the idea of a getting a 650b wheelset for my Open Wide to see how it rides with fat tires, i.e., 2.0s or above. But I've been noticing rim brands, like Reserve, have dropped 650b wheelsets from their lineup. It's also slim pickings for tires, my bigger concern, as compared to 700. I don't want RH to be my only option. Escape Collective hosted Vroomen on a recent podcast where he said tire makers are dropping the size especially for their higher end lines. I think I'm going to regret getting a 650b wheelset when two years from now I can't find any performance-oriented tires. What does the hive-mind think?

[RemixRob4]

650b will stay around - maybe not for racers, but for rando, small bikes, mountain bikes, kids, etc, forever

I have a 650b fun and 700c fast wheelset

[lorenbike]

I think with the switch to disc brakes all new off-road gravel bikes will improve tire clearances to at least 700x50 or 55, thus negating the need for a second 650b tires. With that said I doubt 650b tires will not be available, and certainly smaller sized bikes are much improved with 650b wheels. If I got back into gravel again I’d probably just wait a little more and settle on a bike with more tire clearance designed around 700cc wheels and a UDH hanger rather than getting invested in both 650b and 700 wheels that seemed to be all the rage 7 yrs ago.

[Davist]

I have a set of light bicycle carbon 650 wheels with 2.1s on them, coincidentally, I was going down the same path, and they're up for sale, but no one seems to want them, so I'll probably keep. They're great fun for MTB "lite" and tbh didn't have much trouble keeping up on group rides with the 700s. Just don't use them enough. Definitely depends on the tires, I'm using Thunder Burts and they roll extremely well and you get a security factor from the extra width and depth especially on bumpy gravel downhills and such. I'm sure panaracer (so Rene Herse et al) and schwalbe will continue to offer decent tires for the near future...

[tellyho]

I don't think it's going anywhere. There's a pretty solid selection of good 650b tires out there right now, including WTB, who seems to have dug into the wheel size. Combine that with race weight mtb tires and you should be good.

I love having a set of wider meats for the gravel bike - my 650b are shod with WTB senderos for maximum underbike possibility.

[NateFrentz]

Out of curiosity do you have anything against RH tires? I love mine but know they're not for everyone.

[thwart]

Originally Posted by RemixRob4

650b will stay around - maybe not for racers, but for rando, small bikes, mountain bikes, kids, etc, forever

I have a 650b fun and 700c fast wheelset

Gerard Vroomen has a recent podcast with Dave Rome about the new Open models. They’re going all 700c… but he clearly disagrees with the market forces that are driving this move.

[mhespenheide]

In theory, as you go to bigger tires, you should downsize the rim size so that weight and rotational inertia don't increase as much as if you kept the rim size constant. But "the industry" as a whole doesn't seem to be following that idea.

[Jaybee]

I love XC race level tires on 650b on my gravel bike, but there are a couple problems there. 1) there aren't many world cup level XC race bikes in 650b/27.5 so top level race tires are likely to start phasing out there. 2) what top level xc race tires there are usually exist in 2.25" and wider, so that can present clearance challenges for some frames.

If I were specing a new gravel bike, I'd want 700c x 2.25 clearance at a minimum - this is where the market is going. But if you're retrofitting something existing, just buying a wheel set I think you might be okay with going 650b and stockpiling g a few sets of tires you like.

[weaponsgrade]

Originally Posted by NateFrentz

Out of curiosity do you have anything against RH tires? I love mine but know they're not for everyone.

I've had problems with punctures, sidewall tears, mounting, and sealing w/ RH tires from the start. Two of my riding pals also had similar issues and don't ride them anymore. The dismissive attitude I got from RH customer service didn't help.

[AngryScientist]

As a person of limited height, I really like 650B for bigger tires.

I do agree that the market seems to be moving away from them, and they seem as if they are an afterthought now from an in-between era.

I still wouldnt let that deter me from buying a wheelset today if that's what you're after. I get the idea of futureproofing, but I stand behind the idea of enjoying what I want today and worrying about tomorrow, tomorrow - especially for something reasonably inconsequential, like a 2nd wheelset.

[mistermo]

A few years ago, I rented an OPEN UP at Above Category in Sausalito. They recommended I try it with 650b wheels, which I did (Zipp 303). I rode into the Marin Headlands, ending up far north of Sausalito, then riding back down on the pavement. When I got back to AC, I asked them to swap back to 700c wheels (42mm tires) and I went back out on the road. Between the two, I vastly preferred the 650b wheels. Maybe they have a set you can try with yours?

I've got a set of Reynolds ATR 650b carbon wheels with Panaracer GravelKing SK tires, which are far less $ than RH. Here in the heartland, we don't have trails like Marin, so I don't use them much, but if I were where you are, and riding on the trails, that's what I'd ride. YMMV.

[EB]

Interesting to see this trend with 650b getting a new lease on life as the rear wheel of mountain bikes with mullet/MX frames. There are also a few enthusiast brands (Yeti, Pivot) still happily selling full 27.5" frames. I think shorter riders benefit most from the smaller wheel size on mountain bikes, and mullets have an advantage on tracks where the cornering benefit outweighs the rollover disadvantage.

As far as the "gravel" thing goes, I had the full wheel-switching setup going for awhile and... It just wasn't really worth it. Besides the additional expense of another wheelset (including tires, rotors, and cassette), the wheel swap itself takes time and a little patience. For me, the entire advantage was about tire width - I didn't detect any extra fun that was attributable only to the outer tire diameter. Once I got a frame where I could start to go 48mm+ on 700c, I stopped using the 650b wheelset entirely and sold it (to prototoast, I think).

[robt57]

Originally Posted by lorenbike

I think with the switch to disc brakes all new off-road gravel bikes will improve tire clearances to at least 700x50 or 55, thus negating the need for a second 650b tires. With that said I doubt 650b tires will not be available, and certainly smaller sized bikes are much improved with 650b wheels. If I got back into gravel again I’d probably just wait a little more and settle on a bike with more tire clearance designed around 700cc wheels and a UDH hanger rather than getting invested in both 650b and 700 wheels that seemed to be all the rage 7 yrs ago.

For me that is the exact reason for 650b. My 29er had 2.4x700 on it and felt like a truck. I tried smaller 29er tires, bleah. I stuck on 2.1x650b tires/wheels and never looked back prob 10 years ago.

Curious if others considered this the revelation I do??

[weaponsgrade]

Originally Posted by thwart

Gerard Vroomen has a recent podcast with Dave Rome about the new Open models. They’re going all 700c… but he clearly disagrees with the market forces that are driving this move.

Vroomen had some very thoughtful and straight forward comments. I'm one of those who poo-pooed press-in BBs. Thankfully, my press-in BB and the few others with Opens in my crew have remained creak-free.

I think a low-tread 50mm wide tire is the way to go for most gravel roads. In my case though I think my sweet spot is a 40-45mm. My gravel rides involve a bunch of road to get to the dirt. I've tried bigger tires and while I like them for the dirt, I thought they felt draggy and heavy on the road. Vroomen's positive comments on 650b had me rethinking things, but I don't want to get stuck holding something I can't get nice tires for. I'd love to see how a small dropbar frame can handle say a 29er 2.25 while still being agile and keeping toe overlap to a minimum. Lauf claims to have done it. My Open is a size small and I've got 700x45s. There's a tiny bit of toe overlap. Admittedly, it's only an annoyance at stop lights when the front wheel flops over, but all things being equal I'd rather not have it happen.