Are 650B really more comfortable than 700C?

[TonyM]

Hi!

I just come back from a 3 day trip on some gravel trails with some rocks etc...I used 700C wheels with Gravelking SK in 46mm and the ride was quite rough...
I am thinking of getting some 650B wheels with some bigger tires, 2.1" or even 2.25".

But are these 650B wheels with 2.1" tires really much more comfortable than 700C wheels with 46mm tires? Or do I need 2.25" on the 650B wheels to feel a significant difference?

What is your experience?

[bakerjw]

From my experience with 19" 2.1" and 2.25" tires, the volume difference isn't that much greater. But, going from a 46mm tire to a 2.1 will be a very noticeable difference. I did ride gravel on a rigid fork mountain bike with 2.1 and it shook me to death and was hard on my wrists.

If you are going to try 650B tires, I'd definitely recommend Vittoria Mezcals. I used to use WTB Nanos, but they don't hold a candle to the Mezcals. My wife and I just rode our mountain tandem on a modified TD route from Banff to Kalispell using Mezcal XC-Trail 2.1" and they worked flawlessly. We used the XC-Trail because it has a reinforced sidewall and for tandem usage, it was a must. As we ground over Whitefish Divide, I looked at the sharpness of the embedded rocks and never regretted the decision. The Mezcal XCR is a lighter tire and might work better for your use though.

[Bobonli]

I'm gonna go with "Yes." So much so that I had my frame's rear triangle tweaked a bit to accept the 650Bs.

I went from 700c (usually around 28-32) to 650 x 42 and the difference in comfort was clear to me. I'd analogize it to the difference between sitting on a hard wooden stool versus a comfy couch. The bigger rubber handles cracks, potholes etc much better. I plow over things that I would have swerved to avoid on the 700c wheels. I'm really into dirt and gravel roads now because there tends to be fewer cars, and the bigger tires really make it safe and pleasurable.

My every day commuter, gravel, everything bike is equipped with 42s. I could see a knobby 47 or 2.1 being useful for mountain bike-quality terrain where you still want a road bike platform. After that, you might as well be on a mountain bike!

I am not a performance cyclist by any means. In my experience the bigger rubber has not impacted speed or handling in any adverse way. I won't go back to 700c. About to order a purpose-built 650B machine to accommodate big tires and fenders.

[Tacodelmontana]

I ride a steel 650x47 bike everyday for commuting and work (bike courier). Previously my daily driver had 700x40. I have joint problems, and am beat up. The 650’s are much more comfortable for me. I mostly ride pavement but have probably 6mi of dirt, sand, rocky crap on my commute each day, of a total of 30-60mi per day. Huge difference between 650 and 700 for me. Very much appreciate the 650.

If you hurt like I do, go for it. Tire of choice for me is the specialized sawtooth 650x47, set up tubeless. I ride in Los Angeles county. Dirt roads can be crappy here. Have a good one.

[brambor]

Isn’t 650b versus 700 wheels a question of circumference?

You can still get wider rims in 700 if your frame accepts it?


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[TonyM]

Isn’t 650b versus 700 wheels a question of circumference?

You can still get wider rims in 700 if your frame accepts it?


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My frame accepts up to 46mm in 700C but up to 2.4“ in 650B.
Hence the move to 650B from 700C in order to accommodate some 2.25“ tires.

[Lentamentalisk]

You'll also get a big benefit from setting your tire pressure appropriately. I ride mountain bike trails a lot on my cross bike, which I have set up with 700x38c tires. If you are running tubeless, don't weight much, and are light on your feet, you can get away with 25-30psi no problem. I have friends on the otherhand who always shove 60+ psi into their similarly sized tires and then complain about how bumpy the ride is.

Bigger tires won't make the ride smoother unless you drop your pressure accordingly. You want to be *just* shy of getting rim strikes.