I tried narrower tires on my rando bike

[@StanEby1]

Like an Olympian, go for the gold. Hope you get the big bucks for these videos. They are golden.

[@MonoLake02]

So you could say that the narrower tires are the bee’s knees

[@ryno78]

That GH SHIRT is priceless! Want!!!!

[@davetbassbos]

Sorry about the sting, it does remind of one of the coolest things that ever happened to me on a bike however, A couple of years ago I was just coasting along a flat street in a residential area and I noticed a honey bee (I think) was flying along parallel to me a couple feet from my shoulder. It stayed perfectly even with me for about ten seconds, like a UFO, then veered off. Magical!

[@robbchastain3036]

On the bright side, Henry, you could now be the Sting of cycling presenters.

[@Henrywildeberry]

😆 Ha! When you watch a henrywildeberry video it feels like you got stung by a bee.

[@PathLessPedaledTV]

Ha. Can relate to the sting in the mouth. Got stung mid review in this vid :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/gIO2k3RnedR4na8

[@mikemaxwell2591]

Not a "One Upper" but I have that beat Mr. Wildberry. I had been driving down a bike path through town at a good clip and I saw this little blob heading at me and then it became lodged in my right nostrail. Time stood still when the intruder starter doing summersalts inside of my nose and the buzzing was incredible and oh sooo loud! I panicked and started breaking thinking it was curtains but I got stopped. Now what? The conditions had not changed so I did what? I tried to blow the offender out of my nose and to freedon. Fail! My God that hurt as my vision blurred and my nose grew and grew. I had to walk the next mile unable to ride pushing the bike along, eyes watering (not crying) with blurred vision. I commend you and your hard bark but none understand a sting on the inside until it happens. A badge we never wanted. Great recovery mister. True story, family still laughs.

[@Henrywildeberry]

Of all the possible places it could have landed it made inside your nose! Now that's bad luck! I'm glad you survived to tell.

[@kdstoffel7574]

42’s are the sweet spot for me. I’ve found that I can go wider up to 48-50’s but the tire has to be heftier with a more substantial sidewall to fix the wobbly ride. Of course, the heftier tire means heavier weight which IMO isn’t worth it because the ride isn’t that much better than the 42’s!

[@jeffb8331]

Great timing with this video. My gravel bike had WTB horizon road+ 650b x 47 tires. I ride mostly on poor asphalt with maybe 5-10% gravel roads or packed gravel trails. I had the same feeling as you about running these tires at low pressures that the handling feels wobbly. I started running higher pressures to counter this. I just replaced these tires with Panaracer Gravelkings 650b x 42 slick tires. These tires feel great and handle well. I haven't really noticed the substantial weight savings (330 gms total). I also haven't noticed a difference on gravel with the narrower tires but I don't typically push it too hard and its all non-technical stuff. Thanks for the vid, keep them coming.

[@AK-ic1yj]

OUCH!!!! Bravo for still completing the vid. You're a trooper for real! You rock! :)

[@Mike-vd2qt]

I've been rocking Terravail Washburns, 700X42 at 35psi tubeless. On pavement they are super fast like Super Fly, and groovy smooth comfortable. On the packed gravel up in here at 5,000' they roll along well on a smooth center over any junk. I was thinking of going 650b X 48 at first, but I have a nice light cross country hardtail 29er with good wheels and 2.25" Maxxis Crossmarks. In the end, I leaned more toward road wheels and tires for my gravel, coffee ride, light touring bike. Horrors, I even went 2X11 to get some low evenly spaced gears. Nice video, thanks for comparisons. Long live the front derailleur. 🙂

[@Henrywildeberry]

I haven't tried the Terravail brand tire myself, but it looks like they have a nice selection. The 700x42 is a great allrounder tire. Going to a 650x48 isn't going to gain you a whole lot anyhow, and it seems like then you might as well go all the way and get a 650bx55. The only reason I wanted a 650bx55, besides just wanting to try it for myself, is this tire size makes for a nice rigid drop bar bike for dirt exploring, and with a smaller frame (Ms. Cools) it helps to get more volume without having to go to extremes with geo.

[@wogahboy]

Now I will never use 650x42. I'm allergic to bees

[@tormentisaeternum]

Man, take care of that sting. Perhaps that also concludes that narrower tires aren't any faster to avoid the bees.

[@christopherwebb3517]

The same thing happened to me back in college. I was talking to someone and drinking a soda in between classes, and I didn't notice the bee that landed on the rim of the can.

[@brianturner1575]

I’m riding a GB Aspin and love it. It feels just slightly narrow than my old broken-in B17 Special, but so far so good.

[@davex5424]

I switched from a Soma casadera 700/38 to a Somacasadera 700/50. The difference was day and night. The 700/50 was so much more comfortable and when riding on the side of the road through all the sand and junk it felt much more stable. I told my wife the wider tire was much safer, better traction.

[@peterharrer3261]

Henry, Henry, Henry. The trouble you go to. And a fat lip to boot. Here you discerned differences in tire (and saddle) widths that I've merely suspected. -- Oops! A yellow jacket. Must go.

[@davidsonvillain]

So you sized down to a 42mm tire and up to a 55mm lip! Yellow jacket stings, especially to the face, are the worst! 🐝 I hope the pain and swelling subside soon. Thanks for the comparison, which confirms my hypothesis. I too ride 650b x 48 and was initially frustrated with the inadvertent tracking near white lines and other road features. I will definitely try some 42s when these wear out.

[@Henrywildeberry]

I've been averaging about one yellow jack sting a year, so hopefully I'm covered now. Maybe give a 38mm tire a try too. The 42's were noticeably better, but a 38 might be a good option for a mostly road ride.

[@thedocbradshaw]

@@Henrywildeberry I run 38's on my rando setup and love it.

[@mikesiemens4145]

I recently switched from WTB Byway's to Panaracer GravelKing slicks in 42mm. On my 21mm internal rims the Byways measured just over 48mm and the GK's measure 44. Both tires where run tubeless. The difference between the two tires is night and day in favour of the GK's. I won't hesitate to recommend them.

[@sparkyvespa]

I use Specialized saddles, authorised dealers have a gel pad that they can measure your sit bones on so that you get the correct width saddle.

[@Quevallyn]

I’ve had that tracking issue myself. For road, I run Panaracer Gravelking slicks in 700x32mm but have run the same tyres in a 38mm and found that the wider tyre does tend to tramline quite a bit. The 38mm will find any kind of depression in the road and roll into it and I found it quite unnerving at times. As most ‘gravel’ in the UK tends to range from mud to really chunky, flinty rock, I just run my Pirelli Cinturato Ms in 40m for mixed terrain rides and put up with them being a bit draggy on the tarmac (sorry, asphalt).

[@matthieumoreau5125]

I have changed my mtb tyres with "trail" walls for the same models with thinner "race" walls for a small gain in weight ( I was more curious than hunting for marginal gain ) but I can tell you I felt the difference right away on climbs. I am pretty sure going from a 48 to a 42 makes a big difference ( and of course even more if you are using tubes ). Hope your lip gets better quickly!

[@noteon]

You couldn't feel the difference between 48s and 42s; I run 42s (those same Pari-Motos) and can't feel the difference between those and 38s. And they both get squirmy on slightly recessed painted foglines, though I don't know how a 700x23 would compare in the same location. So for whatever that's worth... (It's also funny to me that a 42 is being called a "narrower" tire here, since when I built up my Grand Randonneur in 2014, it was so I could get the widest rando-friendly tire available. (The only way to go that wide was to get a 650b bike.) Cool video. Thanks.

[@Friday1970]

LOL, you got stung too. I did a short rando ride with the Detroit Randonnuers, scouting out the route for our annual picnic ride. About 30 miles in, same thing, stung by a yellow jacket. My bottom lip swelled up to look like Bubba's bottom lip from Forest Gump.

[@Henrywildeberry]

It's one of the hazards of rando!

[@bgymr9722]

This might be the best video on the internets

[@mlake07]

I just switched out my 650b*48 Panaracer Gravel King slicks for 650b*38 Gravel King slicks. Saved 200 grams per a wheel which is super noticeable. Running the 38s at 40 psi. Feels like a road bike again. I'm loving it. But I refuse to swap tubeless tires on the regular so now I have to build up a second set of wheels for my more gnarly gravel rides. :)

[@desert.mantis]

You can fool some of the some of the time, Henry...but I don't fall for that "yellow jacket sting" story. I suspect that Ms. Cools walloped you with one of her high heels when you forgot to bring her coffee light 'n sweet.

[@Henrywildeberry]

A bee sting is a good cover story.

[@reehren]

My rSogn can fit really wide tires (like 58s), but I've been running 650 x 42. For me, the 42s are plenty comfortable and provide lots of grip with no bounciness or tire squirm. But then, my rides are usually mostly on pavement with some off-road excursions. The 42s also hold up well off road, too, but if I were riding mostly rough stuff, I'd probably go up in size. And speaking of attacking insects, last month a large bee smacked me on my left eyelid while I was riding at speed -- despite wearing sunglasses (I was leaning forward at just the right angle to expose my eyelid). Anyway, it hurt like hell -- it felt like I got punched in the eye. And later in the week, an infection developed in that area, so I had to go see a doc!

[@blondinlux9631]

I have the Pacenti 42 for 3 years now and I love them! Got them in 38mm too and still comfortable too. Tread pattern are different between the two sizes ; the 42 are slick and the 38 have diamond pattern on the rolling part. Both have the cross section on the sides. Hope you're ok with your lips

[@Henrywildeberry]

Good to hear your experience. The 42's I have also have a slick center tread. They are also very thin. I wonder if I have a set from an earlier mold? The wider 1.9" version came with a diamond tread like your 38's, similar to the Gravel King slicks.

[@blondinlux9631]

@@Henrywildeberry yes that's it exactly, like the GK slick. The slicks are thin but really resistant, I don't know how much km (miles :) ) They have but never been puncture in 3 years even on gravel road! Ok I'm living in Luxembourg 🇱🇺 and we have some very nice and clean roads 😁 But still ! I thought the tread difference was due to the sizes but do you think slick ones are an old version?

[@allrounderbicycle7193]

Oh my. We’ve each gotten two bee stings this month here in Michigan, actually Naomi a third time this evening. Glad the swelling is down now. I’d love to see you compare 700x42 tp 650x42 next. Might be hard to compare though unless you’ve got a disc brake bike? I enjoy the feeling. Of changing up tires, almost like music, just different tracks and vibes, but my stand by is 700xx40-42.

[@Henrywildeberry]

I'm sorry to hear about Naomi's bee sting, and yours too. They can really hurt and the stinging lasts a long time. I hope she got an ice cream cone to help soften the swelling! It's good to switch things up once in a while. The 48's are great for mixed terrain, but they don't have the same zippy feel as a narrow tire. The 700x44 feel similar, but I'd like to test out a 38-40. The new fork will accommodate up to a 700x55 so I'll have options for future experimentation.

[@troycarpenter3675]

Again, that is a cool bike!

[@Henrywildeberry]

Thanks!

[@matthewperry7812]

Aw man, I’ve been stung in the lip while riding down a mountain as well. It hurts! Hope yours heals up soon. Trying out different tires is fun! In addition to the speed, feel, handling, etc how they sound is always something I’m interested to find out. Some are nearly silent, some drone, some pop/crackle over rocks on asphalt. Most are not better or worse, just different and it’s fun to experience something different for a bit. Really enjoying your videos 👍

[@davidgriffin8717]

So the tires got smaller and the lip got bigger. Dang! Hope the sting wasn’t too long lasting (it can hurt for days).

[@booyahsunshine]

“I don’t know if you can notice…” uhhh yea, ouch. Bee careful (sorry)

[@you43584036]

My theory on bees is avoid all colors but red. Seems to hold up. You could experiment around that!

[@Henrywildeberry]

I'll keep that in mind for next time.

[@ruudsmith3836]

years ago, rolling north downhill into Pt. Arena, I got bit/stung on the thigh...most painful

[@Henrywildeberry]

Oh yeah, those hurt the worst and last a long time!

[@jkeiffer]

My bike frame geo probably won't like a smaller tire. I run 650Bx48's as well. My tire pressures are 31F and 33R on 23mm internal rims, but I weight 190lbs.

[@CanyonWanderer]

I reached more or less the same conclusion going from 50mm heavy Schwalbe Big Apple Plus's (with 0 punctures in > 13000 km's t.b.h ) to lighter 42mm pathfinder pro's, same comfort, less sketchy in sandy conditions (more profile along the riding direction) . I did save over a kilo 😁 BTW, I also had a recent encounter with a wasp on my lower lip -on the outside fortunately- at the beginning of a ride... It freaked me out because it was physically stuck to my lip, could only swipe it off with the third blow, a bit scary t.b.h. I did decide to go on with the ride although my lip was swelling. The weird thing was that when getting home about 2.5 hours later, there was hardly any swelling left, but there was a tingling sensation / borderline pain stil hours after. First time this ever happend to me (I'm 56 now)

[@dougcohenmiller]

Oh man what a place for a bee sting. Sorry to see it. Hope it didn’t last too long.

[@bgymr9722]

I love my Soma Cazaderos.

[@mistersmith158]

wow that bee/hornet jacked you up good dude ouch!!! hope that swelling goes down fast HWB what dedication to your YT channel

[@tmagee27]

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee... trying out different tyre widths for 650b.

[@tmagee27]

Sorry...

[@denverspin]

You did well to stay upright with a yellow jacket in your mouth while riding. I would have been freaking out. I hope it eases soon.

[@grahamstory]

New subscriber enjoying your content, slightly jealous of the scenery. Some insight into uncomfortable saddles on Francis Cade youtube posted today.

[@Henrywildeberry]

Thanks for subscribing. I watched the video and it had some good tips on getting a bike fit, so thank you. I've had a couple of professional bike fits in the past and don't normally suffer from saddle sores (per se), but have suffered from an uncomfortable saddle on really long rides. I think he's talking about saddle sores which are a kind of skin abrasion caused from perhaps rubbing in one place or sitting to one side of the saddle. My experience is slightly different and is more of a deep tissue pain and not a skin lesion. There's probably any number of things that can cause saddle problems, but I do know that I'm generally fine on rides up to about 150 miles with the saddles I currently own. I think it's partly time in the saddle that helps build up a tolerance, but also there comes a point where being on a bike for so long just isn't natural. Where I have run into trouble is pushing past that mileage and because I just don't ride that kind of long distance often enough to build up my saddle toughness, I get to a point where life sucks. I appreciate the tips and I definitely think bike fit is very important.

[@bicycleutopia]

oh man!!! -- bee sting!!! poor guy. pretty funny thought, and ive had this happen as well as seen it happen in other people. it hurts! -- but it doesnt last. unless youre allergic...hahaha. btw: i use a 42mm Pacenti tire on front and a 48mm Gravel King on the rear...at 20psi, since the road surface in the USA sucks so bad. it's a smooth ride...

[@tomcruz3774]

I run a really grippy 700x40c tire in the front and semi slick 700x38c panaracer in the rear and tracking is a big problem with the front tire. I stick with it because I'm paranoid and want all the grip in the front lol

[@BluecollarBackcountry]

"Ouch" I mean ""OUCH! That has to hurt. I think we've been bombarded with wider is better for a few years now and granted it has its benifits but one of my bikes is an old Centurian with 25 mm tires. I weigh 190 and I run 60 psi in the back and 55 psi in front and I still get a great ride even with such a narrow tire. There are so many combinations it boggles the mind. Especially if your simple minded like me. Hahahaha

[@Henrywildeberry]

Yes, and admittedly I've been part of the wider is better camp. For most road rides there's a point of diminishing returns. However, if you like to mix up the route with a little gravel and single track a wider tire will give you a little extra suspension.

[@ahmadzuhairi]

Are there any significant geometry difference between the two? Obviously the 42s make your wheel's diameter smaller.

[@themoodyteam]

Nice cap! 🧢 Swift Industries?

[@Henrywildeberry]

Thank you. This one came from the Rough Stuff Fellowship.

[@derosa1989]

pronounced Ga - Lib - E - A :). sorry about the bee sting!

[@Henrywildeberry]

Thanks!

[@olfnarr]

title pun or typo? :^)

[@Henrywildeberry]

Typo! But it works:)

[@StanEby1]

Just watched the video again. I don't think that on pavement you get that much more compliance going wider than 40mm that you couldn't get just by adjusting the pressure, especially with 650b's; plus, you gain weight and lose nimbleness/performance. The big gain, and I agree with others who have said this already, is that if you get off on a soft, sandy shoulder or on a sandy road, you will get better performance with a wider than 40mm tire because it does not tend to sink into the soil so much. Once the tires sink into the soil, and I know I'm being Captain Obvious again, you get greater roll resistance, less steering control, and it feels like you lose traction. There are times on loose soil, like going around a sharp turn on a descent, you probably wish your tires did dig in, but you can't have everything. Then you have to consider tread, being able to change tire pressure on the fly....all that stuff. Thanks, Henry (and Ms. Cools), for enriching our lives.

[@CL-dh2mf]

Dear Henry, it's interesting how I often go through the same processes as you. Had also the Galibier saddle and gave it a long try, but never felt comfortable, even though I always rode narrow saddles like the SLR. In a bike fit the saddle pressure was measured and it was very high. A Fabric Cell Radius was recommended and I gave it a try. Have you ever heard of that one? I was sceptical, but after at least 3000km with a 300k and a 400k I still really like it. Do you consider trying out a wieder GB saddle, like the Solour? I'm still at the fence of trying one as I love the aestetics. Greetings from Germany! Christian

[@Henrywildeberry]

Thanks Christian. I haven't heard about a fabric cell radius. I'll have to check it out and see what it's all about. I've had good luck with the GB saddle for the most part. The saddle I was using before it on my touring bike was a Brooks Professional which runs wider than the Galibier. I've also run a wider Selle Italia. The Galibier is the narrowest saddle I have used in quite a long time. I might consider a wider GB saddle one day, as they are very well made. For now, I want to experiment with lighter synthetic saddles, and see where that takes me.

[@jmdavis45]

I hope that sting is better.

[@Henrywildeberry]

Thanks!

[@DudeLebowski-y1p]

Le Grand Galibier is a french summit and the Col Du Galibier part of a stage of the Tour De France. So please pronounce and write it right when you talk about the Gilles Berthoud saddle :)

[@WWB9mm]

Bee stings are the worst! Especially when they get in under your clothes or up in your helmet, ugh. On the tires, wouldn't also be helpful to note the performance over a variety of pressures? I ride Rene Herse tires on my bikes now, 700x38 and 700x44, and find that 35 psi is a different ride than 40 or 50 psi.

[@guylevan91]

Not sure what the deal is with your Gilles Berthoud, but maybe give the Aspin model a shot - 155 mm width. That Galibier is really narrow. Are you disappointed with it?

[@docthecountryvet6260]

Narrower tire... isn't that blasphemy in some circles... LOL.. Ok now I can finish the video. :) ....Sorry about the sting!

[@paulm4113]

Yellow jackets are the worst! Seems like every summer I manage to ride into one of the guys with some part of my face, which ends up being painful and swollen for 4-5 days. Take care!

[@gothic.cyclist]

I know how that feels; painful 😣 Your able to fix the type-o in KZbin Studio

[@Henrywildeberry]

Thanks! All fixed. Well, the typo any way...

[@gothic.cyclist]

@@Henrywildeberry Your welcome lol; glad I could help with the typo

[@EnligUlv]

Just when you hit $99 dollars on your ad rev, you need to spend it to go get a Benadryl shot 🥴

[@Henrywildeberry]

One step forward two steps back is the HWB way.

[@kd6989]

Interesting! What handlebars are you using by the way?

[@weisanhui1531]

HWB, I think you looked kinda cute with the puffy lips, actually it matters not what I think but rather how does Ms Cools feel about it? Did she notice a change in texture? Wait, are we still talking about tires here?

[@nickporter3531]

Hi, quick question. What rim and hub combo are you running? Rim brake 650b are quite tricky to get hold of, and I am considering a build next year.

[@mindthirsty9538]

narly rubber rough pavement intention as the earth tempers all your earthly vibrations

[@blackdogwildtrails3123]

I guess Yellowjackets are what you call wasps in the US? Sounds like a wasp as it would ram its sting into your skin and leave it there, unlike say a honey bee which would just give you a painful jab and withdraw its stinger.

[@jameshuggins4300]

Yellow jackets are a smaller Yellow and black type of wasp. I'm not how many different types of wasps that we have in the US but they are one of the smaller ones.

[@royalmoline9197]

That lip is fatter than your tires, bro!

[@Henrywildeberry]

I measured it with my calipers and you are right!

[@kaffeemitcola6506]

It looks like the left side of your face has not the happiest times. I am one of the Cyclists here in germany who loves the cold and if its freezing. So in summer and spring I always have to open the zipper of my jersey as wide as possible and as wide as its appropriate, because 25Celsius is already tooo warm. And over the years different wasps and so on fly in and left their sting in my skin on my chest. Certainly not as painful as in the mouth but always a special riding experience. I do not know what a yellow jacket is but i will find out. I guess it are the persons from france who are against everything. Yellow Jackets or so… ☺️… Good luck and good you did not swallowed it deeper because i am sure this video has not been finished in that case.

[@StanEby1]

So sorry about your getting stung. Take anti-inflammatory meds and antihistamines.

[@davidmailander8165]

Benedryl