Your suggestions: 650B 47-48mm knobby tires

jambee · #1 02-18-2018, 03:41 AM

I recently got a nice wheel set on the forum - 650B Velocity Blunt SS laced to DT Swiss 240s. Love these wheels.

They came with a pair of almost new Terrene Elwood Ultralight 650B 47mm. On paper these are great - they are ultra light (~430g), very supple and have a nice thread pattern.

After setting them up tubeless and taking them out on a 100k off-road ride, I need to find new tires. The Elwood will be great for dry gravel of any kind, but for the muck, slime, mud and wet leaves we normally ride on, these are horrible. I wiped out on slimey mud three times yesterday where my crew, all with proper knobby tires, rode on.

So I started my search for a replacement and came to realisation that the size and weight of the Elwood is somewhat unique.

Since the rims are so wide, the tires actually blow up to around 55mm. That is pretty much the limit of what my Seven (design for 45mm 700c) and Enve CX fork can fit. So I'm really looking for ideas for mud-oriented 650B tires at around the sub 450g weight, 45-48mm wide and tubeless ready.

weisan · #2 02-18-2018, 03:50 AM

Pacenti quasi moto.
I have it on my mtb, works fine.

https://www.biketiresdirect.com/prod...-650b-mtb-tire

owly · #3 02-18-2018, 03:51 AM

Seeing you have a fairly wide rim, fitting a 42 should blow it out a bit:-

https://www.compasscycle.com/shop/co...pumpkin-ridge/

The Extralight is 420gm.

jambee · #4 02-18-2018, 04:36 AM

@owly i was thinking about that as well. However, I like the volume of the Elwoods a lot. If I go with 42mm at 650B I can just stay with my 700c wheels and use the 700cX42mm....

So strange that there is no tire with knobby and low weight as the many 650B 47/48mm tires without knobbies!

hollowgram5 · #5 02-18-2018, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by weisan

Pacenti quasi moto.
I have it on my mtb, works fine.

https://www.biketiresdirect.com/prod...-650b-mtb-tire

Weis pal hit the nail on the head here. I was running a set on my i23 rims on my Vaya Travel.

They work great. Not ideal for muddy days in that frame because of clearance, but could fit your application well.

There was a set here in the forum for sale that were lightly used I thought. Worth investigating. I can take some measurements as well if you need them, just let me know.

Jaybee · #6 02-18-2018, 08:17 AM

I've got an unused pair of Panaracer Comet Hardpacks that don't fit in my frame. 49mm on a 21mm internal rim. Quasimoto might be better for leaves/mud though, if slower on firm surfaces.

gomango · #7 02-18-2018, 08:39 AM

My wife tried the Bruce Gordon Rock n' Roads on her MAP last summer.

She did a 170 mile gravel trip with us and they worked quite well.

Really, a great tire for the $$$$.

http://brucegordoncycles.bigcartel.c...-free-shipping

weisan · #8 02-18-2018, 08:55 AM

thanks mango pal for bringing that up.

Love the 700cc version, can only imagine how good the 650b is

HenryA · #9 02-18-2018, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by weisan

Pacenti quasi moto.
I have it on my mtb, works fine.

https://www.biketiresdirect.com/prod...-650b-mtb-tire

If they will fit your frame, this is a great answer.

jambee · #10 02-18-2018, 10:06 AM

i’ve got a lot of great rubber for gravel. rock’n’road, compass, terrene. interestingly, when it’s wet and slippery, none of these are useful. So it’s really about finding something that can use the available space. Very interesting that there are no options for knobby tires at 47mm/650B.

Jaybee · #11 02-18-2018, 10:29 AM

WTB Resolute on a Blunt should be in the 48mm range. Not sure if it will meet your requirements for slippery conditions, but it’s an option.

ColonelJLloyd · #12 02-18-2018, 11:34 AM

Wider than you're seeking, but I love my 2.1" Thunder Burt EVO Liteskin. They'd measure ~55mm or so on Blunt SS. Too bad there's not a 48-50mm version.

owly · #13 02-18-2018, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ColonelJLloyd

Wider than you're seeking, but I love my 2.1" Thunder Burt EVO Liteskin. They'd measure ~55mm or so on Blunt SS. Too bad there's not a 48-50mm version.

Yet to use mine in the wet.
How do they go in damp gravel? (won't be riding in muddy conditions).

HenryA · #14 02-18-2018, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jambee

i’ve got a lot of great rubber for gravel. rock’n’road, compass, terrene. interestingly, when it’s wet and slippery, none of these are useful. So it’s really about finding something that can use the available space. Very interesting that there are no options for knobby tires at 47mm/650B.

The Quasimotos have knobs and grip well on wet surfaces. Not so good for real mud. Small knobs, lots of them and proper air pressure work better than many people think.

jambee · #15 02-19-2018, 04:25 AM

This thread is getting very interesting.

As you can see in the attached picture, I have no room to play with wider tires.

Since this is the space left after Terrene Elwood (47mm) was mounted on a Velocity Blunt SS, I do not see that any wider tire will work.

My working assumption is that any bigger tire, will blow up even more which is why anything above 1.85 inch is out of the picture.

So far it looks like there are really no options at the same size of the Elwood on the market. Lets keep the thread going though, really curious about more options.

BTW - Being German, I somehow always overlook Schwalbe. They do not have the "cool" factor the U.S. tire vendors have and are all made in Asia somewhere. Their competitor, Continental, make a lot of tires in Germany, but are missing on that sweet spot between gravel and mountain bike.