bonsai171

I like riding Singletrack a lot, and currently run 700x40 tires. The bike is a Salsa Warbird, and can take up to 700x45 tires. It can also run 650b wheels, with a width of 47-51 mm. Would it make a big difference in my comfort running 650 x 50 mm tires?

Dave

Noonievut

Set up tubeless at the right pressure, and the right tire, I think it would add a degree of comfort for sure. But a 40mm with good technique should be fine and if you’ve found it decent enough, than I’m guessing a wider tire wouldn’t add to your enjoyment. But I hear you, it’s like n+1 but cheaper

franswa

The answer is always yes.

bonsai171

The 40mm tires aren't bad, but sometimes I go thru some rough rock gardens, so it would be nice to have some larger tires. I was thinking about getting a hardtail MTB, but then realized the Warbird can run 650b. I'm sure the MTB setup tubeless would be a LOT better than running 650b, but that's a pretty big price difference. Most of the time I don't mind the 40mm tires, but sometimes want more. Maybe it would make more sense to get some 700x45mm tires and see how that feels first. I'm sure going the 650b route would push $500 easily (wheel, rotors, cassette, tires).

Dave

Steve B.

I dont have handling issues with 43mm tires, I have issues with no front suspension. Makes it harder to get thru roots, means you really have to have a death grip on the bar. HT with a shock fork and 2.4 tubeless tires is a much better choice of bike for my local ST.

Russ Roth

Really depends more on where you're riding, there's some local trails to me that I love racing through the singletrack on my cross bike with 33c knobbies, even the worst of the singletrack in there is tame enough to not matter. There's some singletrack that has so much roots that even what I have for a mtb is miserable and one trail so bad I won't ride it again. Rode some trails up in CT that with all the rock gardens I'd much rather be on a 50c tire or bigger.

pbass

My 650bx47 (tubeless) bike just feels more maneuverable in the rough stuff than my 700cx40(tubed), and I think that in addition to the extra cush translates to feeling less worked overall.

mstateglfr 

If you want a larger tire, get a larger tire. A 50mm will for sure feel different from a 40mm.
Going from 40mm to 50mm is the same % growth as going from 32mm to 40mm. I can absolutely ride some surfaces better on a 40mm than a 32mm.

Chilepines

I’ll bet your closer to $1000 by time you’re done. Then the question is how much better your ride will be with wider 650b vs narrower 700c. For me it would not be worth it partly because I enjoy the challenge inherent in riding a skinnier tire gravel bike on single track. But that’s just me.

tdilf

I can tell the difference on singletrack between a 700x40 and a 700x43 for sure.

cyclezen

The 'kind' of singletrack would be a consideration also...
so, not just considering tire width/pressure - which is of course important.
suspension could also be part of an answer...
most singletrack in my area, coastal central Ca, is quite lumpy/rocky, not smooth forest flow. So you can only reduce pressure to a point where hits will burp a tire or ding a rim.
and there seems a point where airing down makes the handling wonky.
width helps
but on my current gravelish ride - Older roubaix with max 700x32mm tires, I won't gain much by going 650.
I'm also ok with the 32mm for handling, having some years of riding CX ... So it's a balance of comfort/handling/'light' feeling which is hard to find the locus of.
I am going with a wider 'gravel bike' (alu frame Carbon fork) though and plan to add 'suspension'. 1st thoughts were the new Rockshox gravel fork. But then I'm almost into MTB bike territory...
so, what I'm now certain to add to the new gravel bike is going to be: Redshift Shockstop suspension stem and either their seatpost or a rockshox post I already have.
I think this small amount of suspension, with 40 or 42 width will be the sweet spot for me.
some good youtube on the Redshift stuff: & Ride On
Yuri

Noonievut

I used to mountain bike, and on this particular trail system many of the mountain bikers found it boring (not technically challenging). For me, on a hard tail and later a FS, it was fun and still challenging. Years later I tried it on a 650bx47 on my gravel bike. After 45 minutes (on the easier sections) I was throttled. I just didn’t have the skills for the rocks, roots, and 20+ grades rolling over rocks and roots, to relax. I’ve learned that if I ever want to ride those trails, and for sore anything harder, mountain bike all the way

chas58

Huge difference on single track for me. I run 700x50 up front (or larger) on my bike. I can just blast through rock gardens and roots that I have to carefully pick my path through on 40mm tires. Better flotation too if that makes a difference.

As for comfort, that is all in PSI. For instance, at 20psi, you'll get the same comfort on 40 vs 50mm, you'll just bottom out more on the 40mm tires. ;-) So, going to 50mm, what is going to be your pressure change???

bonsai171

The pressure I run depends on the Singletrack. I rode some singletrack with just a little bit of roots , and got away with 35 psi. The tires probably could have been run lower as I didn't bottom out at all. There was one small rock garden, but barely worth noting. Had a total blast on that ride.

My usual singletrack is quite a bit more rooty and rocky. 35 psi is doable, but i probably wouldn't go lower. I can run up to 45mm wide tires on this bike, so I'll probably get wider tires first and see what difference it makes. If that isn't enough, I might check out the Redshift stem and seatpost. Beyond that, maybe I'll go to 650b wheels, but it is so expensive.

IIRC the Maxxis ramblers I'm running now are only 60 tpi. Got a new Gravelking sk (38mm) sitting in a box, which is 120tpi. For now I'm going to run that in the rear, and maybe the 43mm Gravelking sk in the front.
Dave

chas58

Dave, I find on my bike I can put up to 700x54 on it. Maybe going bigger on the front is an option?

That bike is designed for 33mm tires - and does a max of 38mm in the rear (maybe a small 40mm). With 50+mm on roots and rocks in the 1-2" range I can just plow through them like a (ridged) mountain bike as the tire will absorb the rough terrain. With a 40mm tire on the front I find myself being very very specific and precise with my line to find the smoothest route - and occasionally getting a tubeless pinch flat. In my case, that 10mm makes a huge difference.

FYI, I had the ramblers (120tpi) - lots of size choices - 38, 40, 45, 50, etc. With a 54mm tire I've gone down to mid 20's psi. As low as 17 on a smooth race course (although that really screws up the steering on tarmac).