#31
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If anything, I'd say there is more hype/buy-in on 650b than there was a couple years ago. No one is releasing a bike these days without making sure it's at least 650x47 compatible, and moreover, everyone includes their max 650b clearance in their marketing copy. I can recall a couple years back when you either had to test fit or guess for a lot of major manufacturers.
Personally, I love the ability to get puffy tires without crazy wagon wheel effects on a drop bar bike - especially useful if the bike is leaving manicured gravel on the regular. I also love that 3 different wheelsets (650 x 2.0 knobbies, 700 x 40 lightly treaded, 700x32 slick) essentially turns one bike into 3. Last edited by Jaybee; 06-14-2019 at 05:37 PM. |
#32
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Which 2' tires do you use?
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#33
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Bontrager XR0 in the rear, XR1 in the front.
The XR0 is crazy light and thin, and it scares me. I haven't sliced it up yet, but I'm sure it's coming. |
#34
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Yep the XR0 looks very thin indeed.
Both tires in 2.0"? Did you try the XR0 in the front? |
#35
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My 2019 Specialized Diverge Comp handles great with the stock 700x38C Sawtooth tires it came with, but was absolutely transformed when i tried 650Bx47 WTB Horizons on it. I have no idea why Specialized doesn't offer the bike with 650B wheels, especially in frame size 54 and below.
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#36
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Totally agree with that sentiment. Designing smaller frames around 650b makes sense to me. Volume without geometry compromises from a larger circumference 700c tire.
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#37
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Maxxis Re-Fuse Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
#38
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Xr0 is 2.0, Xr1 was 2.0, then I moved up to 2.2 |
#39
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Not so great low trail experiences below..
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Also, when making sharp turns (like a quick right turn), I feel that when I lean the bike, the front wheel wants to turn towards the direction of the turn instead of tracking straight, which causes instability. Folks say they can rail turns on low trail bikes, but that hasn't been my experience. Few caveats: I'm running 650b x 48mm tires. Some folks say that 48mm has too much grip, which causes this phenomena. I'm also not the most fastidious with tire pressure. |
#40
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I feel the same. My Hunter gatherer rides fine with or without load. My other low trail isn't for me, hence me selling.
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#41
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In which way was it transformed with 650B? |
#42
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Off-road, i notice much more "float", comfort and traction (especially in loose dirt, sand and gravel) due to lower tire pressures (27psi front, 30 rear); on the road, ride is likewise much smoother and more confident. Descending mountain roads on smooth 47mm WTB Horizons with Ultegra hydraulic discs is an absolute hoot.
Disadvantages - speed takes a small hit, but in my opinion, totally worth the benefits in comfort and handling. |
#43
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So for me 650b is alive and kicking. So I have a low-trail 650b and a 700c. I'm working on prepping the 650 for sale, but I owe her a few good dates to make sure she knows she isn't being dumped due to pure neglect. I may buy another one that has tubing a step stiffer. I think the one I have, with .7 .4 .7 standard diameters, is too flexy and does not show much life. Where for me the older styled .8 .5 .8 Reynolds tubesets and .9 .6 .9 of the Columbus SL and SLX are nearly always bright and lively, while remaining comfortable. This is even with fatter 32 mm 700c and 35# light touring weights, as well as a 20# steel road bike with feathery 21 mm tubulars. Last edited by Road Fan; 06-16-2019 at 01:13 PM. |
#44
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It's not just the tires. The demands of mountain gravel riding are why the mid-20th-century randonneuring community at the time also drove considerable development in brake design, notably with cantilever brakes and later dual-pivot calipers. And it's why those bikes often featured cranksets with very small BCDs, like the 1934 Stronglight 70mm 3-bolt bolt circle that was soon adopted into the old Rene Herse cranks (and recently revived as the new Rene Herse cranks). Nobody was calling those old randonneuring bikes "gravel bikes" back in the day because "gravel bike" hadn't been invented as a marketing term yet. But they were gravel bikes. The 42mm 650b tires that Jan Heine sells are named after an unpaved mountain pass. The intent has always been that they'd be competent for mixed-surface use. |
#45
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Quote:
Last edited by MrCannonCam; 08-17-2019 at 08:11 AM. |
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