650b VS 700c | The Ultimate Comparison | Cycling Weekly

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[@nirajshr]

lots of inconsistencies and false assumptions. "for every pedal revolution 700c will go further. so it is more efficient". cant believe he said that. with that same argument i can say that a really high gear is more efficient as for every pedal revolution the bike goes further. nonsense

[@gaza4543]

this is just poor writing i think and people not taking into consideration the tyers when writing. The statement isn't wrong, but not right within the context

[@gravelracer295]

No jedna vjec je efektivita a druhá praktické použití 27,5 jsem skusil po 6 letech na 700 a jsem nadšený v lese 😁😁😁😁a na silnici na grevlu stejně chybý převod

[@itsversayce804]

It’s true, on the road traveling distance wise, I found that I have to pedal more often than the person on a 700c

[@hogdog567]

The wheelbase thing is a bit odd. You can build a bike with a shorter wheelbase with 65b but changing the wheels on any given bike won't change the wheelbase.

[@badgerw7997]

It will. If you take off your 650b and add 700c with 44mm tyres, then the overall diameter will be bigger. Due to the head tube angle, there will be a difference therefore in wheel base. It is small and I could never notice the difference I imagine.

[@SvensonGus]

@@badgerw7997 - wheel base is the distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel. This distance does not change when switch wheels.

[@tywitt3351]

Wheelbase is not affected by wheel / tire diameter. Comment in the video is simply wrong.

[@duckacid]

@@badgerw7997 You should stop commenting on the Internet.

[@andrewnorris5415]

What you said would only be true if the fork and seat stay were at 90 degrees to the ground! Try and visualise it in your head or draw a diagram. It increases!

[@Barryens]

The whole point is to run wider tyres on the 650b rims. You chose tyres that were only 2mm wider. It would have been better if the 650 tyres had been much wider.

[@arifazhari7598]

Yeah man, i thought they would use like 650b x 47 - 50 mm versus 700c x 35 - 40 mm. Which are the most range of tyre clearance of multi wheel size gravel bike.

[@robduncan599]

@@arifazhari7598 Is the correct answer. He even said in the video if you run wider tyres they would have the same diameter! Which would make the gear change negligible and all the other tests negligible, apart from comfort and maybe grip . So you are right , a better test would be the largest 700c tyre your bike can take v the largest 650c tyre the same bike can take . That would be why people would switch . That would show up more pro's and con's ?

[@BenLubin]

Agreed. What's the point of 650b x 42 if you were using 700 x 40? Should've tried 650b x 2" or something comparable.

[@just_T4U]

For wide tires no one buying gravel, this is not mtb comparison

[@gvnrchmnd]

@@just_T4U Tell that to most gravel bike manufacturers catering for 2” tyres

[@GoatRidesBikes]

As a "vertically challenged" rider (ie; I'm short. As in 5 foot 6 in). Some other things come into play. For example, 650b gives me just a little more toe overlap clearance. Just enough to make a difference on my XS frame (Orbea Terra #terralacabra).

[@momo.maru-kun]

Obviously the acceleration is faster on the smaller tires, but the top speed will go to the bigger tires in a longer distance. 650b is a good choice for gravel since your speed will keep varying depending on the terrain, while with 700c it is good for road bikes covering paved terrain for longer distance.

[@anonymously241]

Exactly 💯

[@ForGlory1]

Thanks

[@mortenreippuertknudsen3576]

Gweometry: wheelsize will NOT change whellbase!

[@Justinleyte]

Morten Reippuert Knudsen hub to hub, right?

[@awesomexistence]

Wheelbase stays the same, trail changes with vertical distance change of hub to tire contact point of road.

[@monty2078]

For scientific and real world analysis use Jan Heine's work over the last decade (Compass, now, Rene Hearse). He is the world's expert. Secondly, many of us use both sets of wheels on the same bike; A 700c with a 28mm tire has the same circumference as a 650b with a 47mm tire. For mainly road I use the 700c with road pressures and for gravel and off road I use 650b 47mm at 25 to 30 lbs. Geometry is not changed if the diameter of the wheel/tire combination is the same.

[@fadenseiden]

their testing still isnt flawless imo

[@JeremyLawrence-imajez]

@@fadenseiden Compared to this farce of a test, it's far more useful.

[@nikveldkamp8630]

Absolutely agree with you there. To concentrate on the pure rim size, the test might have been ok, if both had equal tire width, but that's not what 650B & wide, supple tires is all about. In my subjective experience a wider tire at the same pressure (both 700c) feels harder, less comfortable, so naturally I run it at lower pressures. Which is not detrimental to speed or rolling resistance, as Jan Heine's tests showed. To get an impression of Jan check out this interview: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmfbZol5Z9N0q6c Plus this test here neglects that a wider 650B tire usually weighs more and thus evens out (or overcompensates) the lesser mass of slightly smaller rim and spokes. All the geometric theories hardly apply when the circumference is about equal. And a wider tire might corner not as agile, but again that's all but in theory, as I've yet to get a 650B wheelset. Plus grip and rolling resistance are highly complex as they are as much influenced by tire pressure, the shape of the elliptical contact patch as the construction/degree of suppleness and and how it reacts to flex, feformation while rolling, i.e. hysterisis. Again, if in doubt, " just" try different combinations of size/width/pressure/profile and test it with a powermeter in longer practical tests.

[@fadenseiden]

@@nikveldkamp8630 I love my 650b wheel set. Running a 47mm slick feels amazing. The cushioning you get is on another level. But in my experience it is slower than a 28 to 32 mm slick (on pavement and a little hardpack).

[@nikveldkamp8630]

@@fadenseiden Well I'll have to try and find out. I switched from 700c-32 to 700c-35 (actually 40 on my rim). The comfort gains are what counts on long rides/bikepacking/gran fondos and lets you push on longer/harder than gaining some seconds or even minutes when you have no soigneur awaiting in the evening and the next day(s) is (are) packed with a ride again.

[@junkandcrapamen]

Umm, as long as your hubs are in the same place, which they will be, changing your wheel size won't change your wheelbase. The only way to do that is with a different fork, or sliding dropouts if your bike has them.

[@thomasmuller986]

Yeah, stupid fail. They meant the length of the bike inkluding tires.

[@patientswim6888]

@@thomasmuller986 the clue is in the name 'wheelbase'

[@NZWozza]

Thank you for doing this with the same tyre on both wheelsets. So many comparisons have different tryes and or different bikes which completely invalidates their comparisons. I changed from the 700c stock wheels on my Sequoia to 650b Hunt wheels mostly due to hand discomfort off road. I did a ride before the switch where my hands were numb for days afterwards before the switch and again after the switch with minimal discomfort. I was expecting the bike to feel slower on straight road stretches, but it seems much faster - but the wheelset is much higher quality. I did use the same tread tyre on the 650b as 700c.

[@kimkrimson]

"With every pedal revolution it will go further" genius physics mate 😂 So higher gears make you faster too? Let's get some track chainsets and go nuts with the extra speed we get

[@brucelangsteiner4599]

Quite interesting and informative. I’ll be purchasing a gravel bike later this year and will now get an extra set of wheels in 650b to make it more versatile. Thanks for the info.

[@danielakerman8241]

A couple of notes (and forgive me if I’m completely wrong): as I understand it (and it’s been a long time since high school physics) acceleration is a function of OUTSIDE diameter (or outer circumference) rather than rim diameter/circumference. As long as the outer circumference of the rim/tire combination is the same, the acceleration should be the same. Same should be true in rolling over obstacles. Obstacles aren’t meeting the INNER circumference of the tire, they are meeting the OUTER circumference. regardless of inner diameter, two tires with the same outer circumference will share the same arc dimensions and tangent angle to obstacles therefore they will roll over the obstacle in the same way (not accounting for tire pressure). What matters for acceleration and obstacles is outer circumference. Therefore a smaller rim with a taller tire should be roughly equal to a larger rim with a lower profile tire. In automobiles this is key, since the speedo and handling characteristics are calibrated to the outer circumference of the tire/wheel combination.

[@gaza4543]

Yep speed is speed and your right the attack angels are the same, i really couldn't see the difference when he was showing that in the B roll. The 650s had more bounce but that's because he had to much pressure in them. What changes is the contact patch which is a little wider and tyer sag which is about 15% (which can feel starnge if your used to running at a 100psi), there's a lot more to it and that people understand. And a lot of the information in the video is null 'n' void as your not really talking about the rims by them selfs. And as shown in the tests 650b isn't "slower" BUT the preception is "slower". Ie they make more noise so your mind plays tricks on you, I can certainly keep up with your normal "roadies" with 650b's. And the weights, well that heavily depends on brands Renes Herse 400 gram 650b switchback hill are lighter than almost all 700c 35-40c/mm rubber by other manufactures. Pair them with a really light wheel combo and there nearly 300grams lighter in some cases. So it's not a close-run thing at all. I can average 19-20mph on a good day with my 650b's. The biggest thing to overcome on "all road bikes" is wind resistance as its a more upright. In general 650b tiers are really overbuilt, look at the tunder burts by swalb and there 400grams(ish) for a 2.1inch, 2.1INCH! so why are wtb horizons with no tred 520 grams? it makes no sense. So I think this is where a lot of the "slowness" thing comes from

[@scotth3354]

As noted. It’s not rim size that matters, it’s the outer diameter of the tire. A larger volume tire on a 650b is nearly identical to a more moderate volume tire on 700c. If the 650b was significantly smaller, such that it “accelerated quicker” or “had less momentum “ , it would cause issues with handling and possibly pedal strikes. The only meaningful difference is volume and traction. Your conclusions on geometry are completely wrong. You don’t change wheelbase or fork offset by changing wheelsize, and as long as diameter is equal, trail is equal.

[@walshman70]

Nice vid. Effective description of the comparative advantages. For me, choosing 650B over 700c is all about the terrain type. Bigger bumps versus faster rolling...

[@awesomexistence]

At 5:20 wheelbase change? No the wheelbase will not change. Wheelbase is determined by the axle center to center and the point of tire contact vertically straight down from each axle being the same. Vertical height may change which will affect the “trail” (image at 5:39 triangle will have a larger or smaller horizontal base determined by vertical height change) which will affect handling.

[@cjharrer01]

Great comparison! Thanks.

[@hardmtnbiker]

I’ve considered trying 650b on my gravel bike that currently has 700c. Most of your references on differences where talked about when 29er MTN-bikes gained popularity. The only things that you neglected to mention is rim width definitely gives off-road advantage and that can be done on either wheel size. The other thing is your stand-over and frame Geo. The tires and wheel size also effect your stand over in addition to your BB height.

[@mattlyone3147]

Nice video. Helped me in deciding on 750 b. Thank you

[@davelovell8631]

A brotha really do be getting roasted in the comments for wheelbase length and efficiency remarks

[@raduovidiu377]

700c with Conti AT RIDE (for me) - speed and good on the road, or gravel

[@joecondron2131]

Love those Stayer wheels, getting some on my Marin frameset.

[@tmayberry7559]

What a comparison mate cheers

[@waynelake9183]

I really didn’t pay much attention when my wife and I bought our gravel bikes. I did notice a difference when we went on our first bike packing trip on the GAP trail in Pennsylvania. I had to pedal quicker or go into a higher gear to keep up. That’s when I noticed the tire size difference.

[@99camaro06magnum]

Great Comparison, thanks!

[@LordFata]

Interesting approach to (almost) eliminate the factors of pressure, weight of rim/tire, and tread pattern from the comparison. However between these 2 exact setups, I'd always pick 700c, since 650b feels much bumpier on firm forest grounds. For that reason, I'd never go 650b without also using significantly wider tires. So it comes down to improving offroad grip while increasing rotating mass and drag. On my Hook EXT I'm running 700c 28mm and 650b 2.2inch. If I had less clearance and only one wheelset, it'd be 700c for the versatility

[@ianiscaratti4924]

tried 700x32 for cx races and 29x2.2 for trails but I personaly prefere the 700x32c for any terrain.

[@ShepdogMatt]

An odd comparison given you state 28mm on a 700c wheel is similar to a 47mm on a 650mm. You should have used those sizes and used the appropriate pressure in each. Also, as mentioned by others the wheelbase would not change but in your comparison using 40mm and 42mm you would notice a difference in gearing. As you did not use the tyre sizes to create an equivalent diameter and maintained the same pressures, the comparison should have just used the same tyre size.

[@robduncan599]

Correct!

[@isonovoso8312]

Thkz for the information!!!

[@feritboisturusnes7674]

You made an excellent video nice job 10/10

[@travischapman6763]

I appreciate such a video, but it seems like mist 650b fans are running 45s or bigger and many frames can fit them. 40 vs 42 seems like it could miss a few marks on differences.

[@travispower3845]

My bike takes both and the wheelsets I have weight about the same. The 650b feel slower to get up to speed and I think it is because of how the tire kind of winds up under force and you lose some of that snappy feel. That said, I really enjoy riding 650b because of the versatility. On road you have crazy grip in corners and you're not afraid of potholes or poor pavement, or debris. The ride is SUPER comfortable. So, if you're just cruising around, then why not have these benefits? On the 700c its more about being faster - so would race these or use these if doing a group ride. Also, I run about 25psi on 650b 47mm. 700x40 is more like 30-35. 40psi tubeless seems like a lot to me!

[@MrRay645]

I bet future gravel bikes will be able to fit 700c wheels with larger tires, I just feel 650b was an easy way for bike manufactures to get larger tires without redesigning bikes much if at all. Pretty much how 27.5/650b started in mountain bikes...wanting more without the hang ups of the original 29ers so we stuffed Pacenri 650b wheels and tires in our 26ers.

[@gaza4543]

Depends with "gravel" bikes they're trying to keep the q factor of the road bike intact, something that very rarely gets mentioned. It why you see "gravel" bike top out "mostly" at 45c on the 700c/29er rims. Not metion they want to keep the bottom bracket road bike low as well

[@DakumaMusic]

Love my 650b tires on my commuter bike!

[@jameslakeman344]

650b on my gravel bike with 1x GRX, usually run 42mm WTB resolute tubeless, perfect for when I ride on the South Downs. Tried 700c but felt like I was sitting too high up on the bike, but have a dedicated road bike if I want a day on the tarmac

[@dwaynepedals]

Was thinking of going with this setup with GRX Di2. How do you like that GRX setup? In terms of wheels I have 700c on my road bike and 27.5 (650b) on my surly adventure bike. I'm building a gravel bike and dunno if I should go with 650b or 700. I figure i'd be more on off road but for when I ride from home it takes me some time to get there on the road.

[@gregshahan7623]

Great video. Thanks

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

The only reason for 650B (27.5") wheels is to mount them on tiny frames for particularly short riders.

[@cyclingmaven]

This video is 12 minutes longer than it needed to be.

[@papavi]

Great video! Just have a question. If I find the frame of my bike is slightly higher than my preference (ie. when I stand with the top tube in between my legs, the tube slightly touches my crotch but not too much as to exert force on the family jewels), do you think switching from 700c to 650c would help? Noted that when you mentioned on the differences, one was on the geometry and also noticed that the height (at least of the top tube) was changing (from 5:04 to 5:11). But you also mentioned that the total diameter would be approximately the same when taking into consideration the tires. This made me confused a bit. Thank you!

[@twatts4436]

Neither is 'better'. They each have pros and cons and will suit different application.

[@dEPICklopfer]

That Test missed out the Real Advantage of 650B Wheelsets, by choosing a only 2 mm Wider Tire. Imho you have to do it again with a Tireset with the exact same outher Diameter/circumference ( and yes, 26" MTB Tire has the Same diameter/circumference Than a 700C Road Wheel

[@hansschotterradler3772]

I would put wider tires on 650b wheels, at least 47mm. 42's I could fit on my gravel bike with the 700c wheel.

[@robduncan599]

That would be a better test , that would be the whole point of switching. So it would be useful to see the pro's and con's.

[@feliperenaultcsp]

What about a mixed-wheel bike? 700 on the back x 650 on the front and vice-versa?

[@slivingston117]

I’m surprised you only jumped 2mm when sizing down to 650b. I would have expected more volume on the smaller wheels.

[@code3xiv]

The wheelbase length should remain the same.. No matter what wheel size u put there. Sigh

[@jgordondean]

Yes. And the diagram shown when he says that is evidence that the wheel size can’t change the wheel base.

[@AmsterDanTheAmerican]

What size and brand of tire is the tan wall you are running on the 700c wheels?

[@williey7663]

Wondering which canyon frame u r testing on mate ?

[@ytpadyt]

Wheelbase remains unchanged, trail as well. Winner is tubeless deep light wide 700c with 45 mm semislick tyres 😎 What is the brand of those wheels in video pls?

[@thomasmuller986]

nope, trail changes!

[@ewolam]

I like the size of 650b, but the tire choices are much less than 700c which makes me annoying.

[@dwb8783]

A good idea for a video rendered pointless by daft tyre selection. Too thinner tyre on the 650b and too wider tyre on the 700c. Should have been 47mm on the 650b and 28/30mm on the 700c.

[@user-yf4ll9bp9t]

Could you use 650b on a traditional road bike with deep drop caliper brakes and 28mm or 30mm tyres? Therefore making it a gravel type bike.

[@targaW3007]

Nice looking wheels

[@markrskinner]

Needs an old 26 inch wheel adding to the test.

[@robduncan599]

And a 29er to confirm the test

[@jonrind]

Thanks for the Vid.. very interesting and informative. One question: I am a tall (1.96) and heavy(104Kg) and my bike is with 700 wheelset, I ride a lot of off-road. 42mm tires, tubeless. and I suffer quite a bit of punctures. would a 650B set of wheels with larger diameter (say 45) have more resilience to such punctures? will love to hear your thoughts.

[@01AceAlpha]

It should certainly help with pinch flats.

[@gusjeazer]

As a heavy rider, I prefer 27,5" because MTB wheels are much stronger. I won't be going downhill racing on my gravel bike, so I should be good on the terrain I plan on doing. I don't really want to spend a small fortune on getting super strong 700c wheels.

[@momo.maru-kun]

When you put two points: A and B, and draw a circle around these 2 points the distance between these points will not change regardless the size of the circles that you have drawn. G E O M E T R Y.

[@grumpynerd]

Much of the information in this video is wrong because it confuses rim diameter with tire diameter. In the real world nobody is going to swap between a 700c x 40 and a 650b x 42; that's almost pointless. In the real world you're way more likely to swap a 700c x 30 tire with a 650b x 47 tire, which as the presenter knows has *exactly the same diameter* and therefore won't affect the geometry of your bike. However it will effectively tailor traction and ride characteristics to different riding conditions. Contrary to the presenter's claim, a 650b tire will unquestionably roll through root gardens better than a 700c *if both tires have the same outer diameter*. Having the same diameter means that the 650b tires won't accelerate any better than 700c in the realistic scenario; in fact they will accelerate slower because they have way more rubber and rubber is very, very heavy. For the same reason the 700c tire won't carry more momentum over bumps; it will carry less. The 650b tire in this scenario will also tend to steer more sluggishly because the higher volume and lower pressure allows tire deformations that counter steering force. So 650b will very likely *feel* more sluggish than 700c, but when it comes to actual speed real world conditions trump any generalizations. A narrow rock hard 700c tire will roll faster than a fat squishy 650b tire of the same diameter on a velodrome. On cobblestones 650b would roll faster. In between, it depends. It's a contentious issue because there's not really a right answer that fits every circumstance. It's commonly *believed* that 700cs roll faster, but an argument can be made that for many people there's very little net difference over the roads they ride. Another thing you probably won't want to do is swap between the same tire model in different sizes. Not only are you *looking* for different ride characteristics, as the size of the tire changes different factors become important. Tire casing flexibility is always important, but the effect is magnified by the greater degree to which higher volume tires flex in normal usage. This is why replacing general trail riding tires on your MTB with light casing XC race tires will make it feel like you're riding an ebike. It's free wattage. In fact possibly a *lot* of free wattage, as much as 40 watts (!!!) if you count both tires. Even so you might not want to do that because the XC tire will be less rugged and probably have less traction. The lesson is: choose tires for where and how you intend to ride. There's an enormous variation in gravel tires because "gravel riding" means very different things to different people. Some gravel tires are practically mountain bike tires, and others are practically road tires. If you switch your 700c road tires for what is essentially a 650b MTB tire, your bike will certainly be much slower on the road, but not because of the wheel diameter. It's mainly the tire casing. If instead you chose an ultra-supple 650b randonneuring tire, you might actually eek out a little more speed if you ride on bad roads.

[@user-os5sd7sz4v]

on the time test, if the track was a bit longer the 700 would be faster right?

[@teridzard1776]

As long as you are not depending on sales of bikes this probably the most overrated question. Go fatter if you do more offroad and narrower if you go more tarmarcy. That should do it technically for 99.9% of us... and then there is "looks".

[@tmayberry7559]

I like the word tarmacy

[@mikecoglione1308]

650b feels muted but more nimble and soaks up the bumps better. 700 makes the bike feel like it has claws especially on road also because you can run a bit higher pressure but ride quality as well as grip suffers on gravel or bumpy stuff. While the pressure difference is only 5psi in max pressure you can get away with a lot lower pressure with 650b whicih helps in slushy stuff, gravel, and some light off road stuff. So more road get 700, if you want more off road capability but don't want to buy a mountain bike too get 650.

[@noelohashirodriguez]

I loved those wheels models. What are their trends?

[@PsychoGirlMagnet1216]

great video.

[@fanutsky]

what about a pair of 650b (rim brake) wheels, can you pls help me find one? tnx

[@karysgriffiths-derose6241]

I have 700c x 40 and I need a tyre which can grip easily over grass/gravel, i don't know what sizes i can use. Any suggestions? My bike is a hybrid.

[@yetifanuk]

This stuff amazes me. The two tyres sizes he discusses here if measured with tyres on are either smaller than or slightly larger than an original 26inch mountain bike wheel that has been around for 40 years. Although a 26 inch rim is smaller than 650b (27.5") after you mount the tyre it becomes bigger. Additionally even only slightly smaller than a 700 (29") rim with a Gravel tyre on. Why has the bike industry just become a false advertising mess.

[@magicalsticker]

You can definitely do a 700c -> 650b with rim brakes...

[@WakizashiSabre]

Did anyone tried this with various tire widths? I can fit 700c in about 44-45mm real width on the bike, so 42mm tires are real safe if wanna have ok space between the frame and really wonder what width could be achieved on 650, cuz seems i like to use my gravel bike as my "mtb" one. I think that difference in video tires are quite useless due small difference in the width...

[@fadenseiden]

i wonder why you have used "small" 42 wide wheels on the 650b set.

[@steveco1800]

Yeah, not used 42c but in theory that's a small difference to a 40. I can fit them in with 700c wheels.

[@JonFairhurst]

I would have expected a wider tire on the 650B with lower pressure such that the tension would be the same for both tire sizes. Also, the rolling resistance test results might vary on smoother/rougher surfaces. Still, cool test.

[@acousticgearhead7820]

Looking at the video, apparently the Grail AL just can't fit any wider. Way too many issues in test setup overall to hold any weight tbh :-/

[@Craggy-Goes-Outdoors]

The choice of tyres made this test entirely pointless, unfortunately. The idea is that you make both wheels the same overall size - but that the 650b tyre is significantly wider. The minimum difference should have been 40 / 47 Also running each test only once made them even more unreliable. He could have chosen a slightly different line for each test which would have more than made up for the difference. Shame overall.

[@paulb9769]

Did you use the same hubs and wheels for these tests?

[@johnjefersonablog1198]

Can i use 622x47 or 28x1.75 tube to a 584x42 or 27.5x2.10wheel?

[@michaelhill7045]

Wheelbase changes when you change wheel size? No. Peddle strike can be an issue when changing to narrower tyres and smaller wheels.

[@pavelcekal2917]

Hello, I would like to get on my bike: Triban GRVL 520 Sram Apex 1x11 buy rims DT Swiss G 1800 Spline. And according to the manufacturer, I can use 650x47 or 700x42 Please advise, What option would you choose from my options?

[@09areFish]

Could the freewheel test be influenced by hub variances or line taken?

[@fadenseiden]

yes, also overall weight!

[@stasiunanime3943]

folding bike with 16" sometimes is faster than 650 or 700. so, can you describe it?

[@TeeFunkable]

Physics/geometrical errors aside, this video misses, exactly like every other video I've seen on this topic, what I feel is the most important benefit of the tyres available for 650b: Versatility instead of focus on one single area. As an example, my case: 10 miles to work. Tarmac most of the way. So fatter 650b tyres might not be quite as good, but on such short distances the difference is meaningless. Last mile in the city center is mostly cobblestone. Here the 650b47 absolutely murders the skinnier tyres, the difference in comfort is night and day. On weekends I like to explore the trails in nearby forests and beaches and the semi-slick fat tyres get me there easily and work well enough on loose surfaces as long as they are not super wet. This, to me, is by far the biggest advantage of the tyres available for 650b. They can do an adequate job in most circumstances and be downright awesome in cities and some rough surfaces. I don't want to waste money on multiple bikes when I can get one that will do well enough in relevant (to me) areas. I was happy enough with skinnier tyres, but once I got to try fatter 650b's on the cobblestone that I endure daily, I was sold.

[@danfuerthgillis4483]

Severe incorrectly said there most if all rim brakes without sliding in pads can be used on 650 wheels. Only the sliding pads have shorter calliper brake pad mounts. My older bike can fit up to 32c even on a 650 wheel.

[@stephenjeffreys4219]

Interesting that for road biking the argument is for considering smaller wheels, while in mountain bike circles the fashion is to have bigger wheels - confusing

[@fadenseiden]

because you can ride with wider tires without going to slack/ losing nimbleness.

[@garypostell5268]

Is the 650b the same as 27.5 plus tire ?

[@davehoover8853]

What about high speed cornering on both the road and gravel? Changes in geometry must also come into play here? I like your testing protocols, but think the above question has bearing on a final decision. Thank you.

[@Insolation1]

If the terrain was such that it demanded 650 then I would just use my MTB

[@ultimatist]

Good production and some worthy questions here. However, some massive flaws! You don't ride 650b's with 42mm tires! Also, you don't match the PSI on different size tires!

[@irvhh143]

Fatter tire has more coning torque, more stability.

[@cyclingbrad4201]

Good info. But something to consider for serious gravel race competitors is that the top finishers in the 100 and 200 mile gravel races race on 700c and many on aero carbon road rims. In these very competitive races aerodynamics means many minutes of faster finishes.

[@garypostell5268]

In my area combination of tarmac and gravel single track

[@jkk916]

Wrong. Smaller wheels should be faster on tarmac because of smaller aero drag and minute difference in rolling resistance. Surely larger tires would negate the aero benefits of smaller rims, but I still don't understand why people get this so wrong. If gear ratios are the issue then just put a proper big ring on a bike and forget about silly small mtb 1x. Problem solved.

[@landervanmayol884]

Can a 650c tire fits to 650b rims ?

[@angelxmoreno6477]

For the rolling resistance test, isn’t the fact that the 700 wheelset rolled for a longer amount of time a good thing? maybe including how far each wheelset rolled would’ve been helpful.

[@jonpoon3896]

AngelxMoreno a 700c tyre would have better rolling than a 650 of the same volume. But for a multi-wheel size bike, you’d use a wider tyre for 650, so it absorbs bumps better but 700 would be lighter and more aero

[@angelxmoreno6477]

Jonathan Poon so which would roll for a longer distance? that’s my questions

[@gaza4543]

@@angelxmoreno6477 if they have/had the same outside diameter they would be the same BUT as he was using a 40mm rather than a 28 on the 700c, the 700c would rollout/travel further for its given speed. Basically negating his comment about effeintancey on the road as he skewed the result in favour of the 700c but the 650b still proved faster over that distance so go figure so they might of still got to the same point at the same time.

[@luckyyou774]

650b2.3 will fit 27.5 2.3?

[@garypostell5268]

And the 700x50 c ? Best of both worlds?

[@KOL630]

I have a Canyon Grail like the one in the vid and I asked Canyon about fitting 650b wheels and they said you couldn’t on this bike (size L) 🤨

[@and2244rew]

Practical difference is that you can find tire for 700c.

[@JM-zi4in]

What brand were the rims featured?

[@jamesbracey6560]

Jeremy Matthews Stayer

[@freelancehugh6919]

You don't mean "This isn't scientific per se." What you mean is "This isn't scientific."

[@irisperseveranda5890]

How wide is that tire? 650bx? or 27.5x__?

[@chm2]

Imagine if you fit shopping cart casters on your bike. Does the bike's wheelbase change? C'mon! Do you have an alternate definition of wheelbase?

[@garypostell5268]

Do same test with 700c x 50

[@garypostell5268]

Bb height? 650-700?

[@KamikazeCommie501]

Why test them in identical conditions when they're not often going to be used in identical conditions? They're different tires for different purposes and you've made them basically the same. How will that show how they're different?

[@davidwoodward9528]

A "noticeable" difference that required a stopwatch.

[@shabazmcclaine]

Dude changing the wheel size will not effect the wheel base what so ever which is set by the frame!

[@fennec13]

Yeah, sorry mate, but wheel base - the measurement from center of wheel to center of wheel - does not change no matter the diameter of wheel on your bike. It's a fixed dimension of your frame, not the wheels. You are also tap dancing around the fact that 700c and 29" wheels are analogous to each other with on a road bike vs a mountain bike. Same for 650b and 27.5". 650b is no new thing to gravel riders. Tire size and (generally) the capacity to run fatter tires is the only difference between 29" and 27.5" compared to 700c and 650b. Obviously its important to know if your bike was designed to take 700c either/or 650b wheels. Most gravel bike manufactures give you a range for what wheel and tires sizes sizes will work for your bike. I run 27.5" rims with 1.75" wide tires on my adventure bike. there is no difference to using a 650b wheel with (approximately) 44.5mm wide tires.