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Post by joby on Dec 1, 2017 9:16:38 GMT
That's a very good point - just a slightly smaller circle after all (although I'm guessing with 650b wheels and 47mm tyres the circle is probably not much different!) I’ve noticed a few gravel/bikepacking set ups now have 700c and 650b options. Seems like a great solution for an all purpose steed. Absolutely. What you choose depends on the intended main usage. I'd say for mainly road with a bit of off-road, 700c plus a 34mm (ish) tyre would be ideal. More off-road, 650b and some fatter rubber. |
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Post by ChrisD on Dec 1, 2017 9:26:32 GMT
I’ve noticed a few gravel/bikepacking set ups now have 700c and 650b options. Seems like a great solution for an all purpose steed. Absolutely. What you choose depends on the intended main usage. I'd say for mainly road with a bit of off-road, 700c plus a 34mm (ish) tyre would be ideal. More off-road, 650b and some fatter rubber. I think I'd need a lesson or two in tyre pressure adjustment for such as set up, as I tend to pump for the road, whatever I'm riding. By that I mean toward the top end of the stated PSI range on the tyre wall. Seriously hoping the new all rounder addition to the BTwin stable, scheduled to arrive in Spring 2018, has the necessary clearance for such a set up. |
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Post by joby on Dec 1, 2017 9:44:48 GMT
Absolutely. What you choose depends on the intended main usage. I'd say for mainly road with a bit of off-road, 700c plus a 34mm (ish) tyre would be ideal. More off-road, 650b and some fatter rubber. I think I'd need a lesson or two in tyre pressure adjustment for such as set up, as I tend to pump for the road, whatever I'm riding. By that I mean toward the top end of the stated PSI range on the tyre wall. Seriously hoping the new all rounder addition to the BTwin stable, scheduled to arrive in Spring 2018, has the necessary clearance for such a set up. I know what you mean. I always go for a very scientific "about 100 psi" approach. It spares me the pinch flats but offers little comfort. I'm sure I could get away with significantly less without too much increase in resistance. New bike will be tubeless, so even lower pressures possible, even on the road. |
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Post by william39 on Dec 1, 2017 10:01:41 GMT
I've got 32mm slicks on my Domane and they are very comfortable at 5 bar on the road. Will get some 35mm gravel tyres next year as there is enough clearance.
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Post by chas on Dec 1, 2017 10:08:44 GMT
The key to running lower pressures imo is good quality tyres with a supple sidewall. With a cheap rigid tyre you get a huge increase in drag and little comfort benefit with a good tyre the opposite is true.
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Post by KiwiBeard on Mar 28, 2018 1:15:54 GMT
joby so what was the bike, and how did you get on. I was thinking similar sort of question about n+1 which has the same 1x11 700/650b options, ie the Merida Silex.
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Post by joby on Mar 28, 2018 8:28:30 GMT
joby so what was the bike, and how did you get on. I was thinking similar sort of question about n+1 which has the same 1x11 700/650b options, ie the Merida Silex. I went for the Sonder Camino Ti (SRAM Rival 1 hydraulic flavour). I'm a big Alpkit fanboy anyway so it was a perfect choice. I haven't touched another bike since. It does everything and I absolutely love it. The 1x11 is 40T front, 11/36 rear, so I've lost a bit of high-end gearing. I can spin it out downhill at around 35mph, but I can live with that. It's fine on the flat. The gearing gaps I was worried about have proved not to be an issue, although I generally ride alone...perhaps you'd notice gaps more if you were group-riding and needing to match pace, but it's no issue for a lone wolf like me. I went for 700c over 650b in the end, for several reasons: tyre choice, mudguard choice, and as I figured I'd be spending more time on tarmac than off (I still can't bring myself to regard 650b as a "road" wheel, but would love to try a 650b wheelset with, say, a 45mm or 47mm tyre at some point in the future - perhaps for my planned South Downs Way two-dayer later in the year). I'm running 34mm tyres (WTB Exposure) at ~55 PSI. Also running it tubeless, which has proved brilliant. I've had a few punctures...all you know of it is hearing a slight hiss of air at first before the sealant kicks in and does its job. The flared drops took a bit of getting used to, and I think I still need to adjust my fit to get them set up correctly. They really come into their own when heading off-road, as the wider flare gives that bit more control. On road they are not really required, although the hand angle on the hoods feels more natural than straight drops. The bike has opened up endless possibilities on my daily commute. The route is still predominantly on-road, but I now have the option to mix in a range of tracks and trails to keep things interesting. Running slick tyres means I've had to avoid anything muddy, so the summer should increase my options even more. |
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