I'm looking for a 650b tire that rides like the WTB Riddler 700x37c.
I had just gotten into gravel earlier this year, and had some on WTB Riddler 700x37c on an old cyclocross bike I inherited from a friend which is a bit big for me. I recently switched to 650b wheels (Mason X Hunt ASD) for a bit more stand-over clearance and also a bit comfortable ride, but comfort is not a priority. When I had the 700c wheels, the Riddler did exactly what I wanted, decently fast rolling (I ride 50/50 gravel and pavement, decent gravel climbs and a bit of mild single track) and the Riddler had incredible cornering bite on loose gravel.
Now that I'm on 650b, I stayed with WTB and had a set of Resolute 650x42b, but was underwhelmed by their cornering grip. The Resolutes are also really noisy on pavement and felt slower rolling (all that noise has got to be wasting energy somewhere, right?).
Anyone have suggestions on tires in 650b that ride largely like WTB Riddler 700x37c? I prefer something <45mm in size. Currently considering the Gravelking SK 650x43b but wanting see if I'm missing any other options here.
owly wrote:Can't really recommend any, but the new Pirelli Cinturato (Mixed?) 45mm looks a possibilty due to its tread.
Thanks for this owly! Haven't come across the new Pirelli's yet, but seems promising. Their Gravel M (mixed) seems to fit my needs, but I'm hesitant to jump into another set of tires without long-term reviews, but likely need tires sooner (currently bike is sitting without tires...)
owly wrote:The ReneHerse knobby 42mm might get to around 45mm on a pretty wide Inner rim. Or if you have a 22mmInner (or less)
My rims have a 25mm inner, so tires tend to run wider than nominal specs. For example, the Resolute 42 mounted at 36psi ran around 44.6mm on my rims, so probably going to default to smaller size assuming they'll mount larger.
In my personal experience... if you are just concerned about loose gravel. Not dirt, sand or mud, any tread/knobs don't really seem to help, as its the gravel moving around under your tires making for loss of traction. lower pressure seems to have much more impact on traction than any tread, where the tire can conform more to the surface. IMHO
karl wrote:lower pressure seems to have much more impact on traction than any tread, where the tire can conform more to the surface. IMHO
Thanks karl! Definite can see that, though my experience with the Riddler did seem to give me a stronger sense of control over the loose stuff.
It may very well be an unsolvable problem, at least until WTB makes a Riddler in 650b tire in gravel sizes (there is an MTB Riddler at 27.5 x 2.4" / 57-584). Going to give the GravelKing SK a shot and will report back on how they handle once the storm passes!
I have "heard" from people that the resolute is a fast rolling tire - even more so than the riddler. Looking here at Guitar Ted's review, he seemed to like the Resolute. But that is hearsay.
From personal experience, I like the Thunder Burt if I need some bite. Its 54mm though. Does great on single track and rougher surfaces. It tests very low in rolling resistance, although I have to say it feels slow. That feeling I get may be because of the weight, or that the knobs slow it down noticeably cornering on pavement. It is quite fast on gravel though - especially for those long country rides where there is not a lot of stop/start. Most any gravel tire Schwalbe makes is high quality and fast.
I do like the Maxis ramber - fast on pavement or gravel, and tends to be light. Shallow knobs to give you a little bite when sliding, but not big enough to slow me down on pavement.
