Any suggestions welcomed, I’ve seen a cannondale that was 680b cross/gravel bike, anyone know of any others? Just starting to look at the moment.

And open to ideas.

cotic are offering “road plus” which is what wtb are calling their stuff

As above – do you mean road plus i.e. a 700c CX bike with decent tyre clearance, on which you run 650b wheels with plus size tyres? If so, many will.

I think a 650b/700c cx bike should be designed for 650b cx tyres, I.e. in the 30 something millimetres, so if a 700c wheel us used, the bb is a bit high, which is fine-ish. At the moment, it seems the bikes designed for 650b/700c use are designed around 700c cross tyres with the ability width-wise to run some 650b road plus tyres, wbich happen to have a fairly wide diameter too. But if 650b cross tyres (e.g. 33mm) were invented and use in these frames, which I’m sure they will, the bb will be quite low.

Why would you want to design a bike to run small tyres with 650b? Surely the whole point is that the frames give clearance for reasonable 700c tyres and good sized 650b, otherwise you end up with the worst of both – no big volume 650b and very restricted 700c.
3 weeks until my Bokeh lands 🙂

Yes there are such things, but they’re designed for kids cx racing, so guessing that’s not what you’re after

My tripster will run 650b.
I’ve a set of 650b wheels in the garage, still in the box.
Can I find 650b gravel tyres in 2 inch guise. Can I f***…!!

DrP

Was just back from the pub when I replied above…

There is a difference between 2 different types of bike:
a cross bike designed for 700c x 33mm tyres, with 650b tyres in it, which are usually going to be narrow MTB tyres or ‘road plus’, so at least 45mm wide, which as mentioned above, lots of standard cross bikes will fit and the overall diameter of the wheel ends up similar to a 700c wheel with narrower tyre. With these tyres in, it isn’t really a Cyclocross bike any more but a fun 650b monster cross thingy.

Or, a cross bike designed for 650b x 33mm tyres, for smaller riders, which is a tyre size that doesn’t seem to exist yet, but one that would make sense. The closest I’ve seen to this is the 26 inch Cyclocross bikes marketed for kids which use one of the very limited range of 26 inch narrow knobbly tyres.

DrP – Panaracer Comet 650b x 2.0 tyres any good?

aP – I think I’m in the shipment after you – Wk3/4 March.

DrP – WTB Resolutes here soon I’m told

Sonder Camino will run 650b up to about 50mm, will be giving it a try when I can find some decent tyres.

Surly Straggler comes in a 650b specific version…

WTB Resolutes here soon I’m told

Ooo, what’s the whisper on these? Something like the Horizon but with a bit of tread?

I looked at building up a 27.5 wheelset for my Arkose but, like Dr P, couldn’t find a suitable tyre to mount on them if I did.

I have got a set of 650b for my Bokeh which I am currently getting to grips with. Ralph on the front and a Thunder Burt on the back, both in 2.1. I have not had any mud clogging issues, there seems to be enough clearance for the gunk to just drop through.

I have also got some Grails in 700c flavour. I can’t decide which I prefer but, have noticed it is harder keeping up with my mate who has an Arkose/WTB Nano 700x40c combination, when we hit the tarmac. Once we hit the stutter bumps, roots and rocky stuff, I just forge ahead so I guess it is horses for courses.

If you have a Bokeh on order, beware….you might end up not riding your mtb any more. Haven’t touched mine since the Bokeh landed and they are sitting in the shed. I had a Kinesis T5Disc before the Bokeh and thought it was a hoot but the Bokeh seems to be so much better.

WTB have some good stuff on the way. Better imo than the light-treaded XC MTB tyres that for me kill the feel on tarmac as well as being more aggro-treaded than the bike can really handle. I think there’s still a disconnect between what a 650 x 2.1 treaded tyre can handle and what a drop-bar bike can do off-road but they can be excellent at road and light dirt use if you get the tyres right.

In dry conditions a Horizon at 26psi is brilliant on or off-road. The Torino-Nice route was pretty fast and loose/chunky in places and they coped really well. WTB’s new tyres out soon will do better in looser or wetter conditions, I’ve had testers of one of the new tyres on all winter and it’s brilliant for mixed terrain riding, almost managing that impossible balance. Only went back to the Horizon when the trails got wet enough that the MTB handled a lot better – geometry and bars making the difference.

At present I’m running 40c WTB Nanos (700 rims) and they are brilliant.. big carcuss so can clog in real muddy conditions, but lovely and grippy and comfy.
Had them down to about 20psi i realised… (yay tubeless)

Will ahve a look at the above recommendatins for tyres.

I saw the Mason bikes at SSCXEU17 and they had panaracer comet hardpacks on – brilliant tyre, but i can only see them in steel bead guise..is that such a bad thing? for some reason I THINK i want folding – are they lighter…??!

DrP

scrap that – i jsut googled again, and found them at winstanleys at £15 per tyre, 2 inch guise, folding..ordered!

DrP

I think you’ll be unlucky – I had my Winstanleys order cancelled last week for a pair. Ordered up a brace of Schwalbe G-one all rounds from Rose instead.