There have many technological developments in road cycling over the past few years, and keeping up with them all can be a tricky task. One trend that has emerged and one that many cyclists seem keen on, is the shift towards a wider tyre. Our roads aren’t getting any smoother, and bigger volume tyres provide a smoother ride.
WTB has just unveiled its new Horizon, a 47mm wide tyre for a 650b rim. It’s decided to go with RoadPlus as a way of categorising this new tyre, but it’s not doing anything new here; a lot of people in the industry that we’ve spoken to have been speculating on the rise of RoadPlus for some time
– Is 650b the future for road bikes? road.cc investigates
Where does RoadPlus fit in? Endurance bikes accommodate up to 28mm tyres and gravel/adventure bikes go up to about 35-40mm, on the same 700c rim. You can only increase the size of the tyre on the same rim size so far until you eventually encounter issues with geometry and clearance. However, decrease the size of the wheel and you can fit a bigger tyre while retaining the desired geometry.
– First ride: Cannondale Slate
That’s the thinking behind the bold new Cannondale Slate, which rides on 42mm tyres shod onto 650b rims, while retaining pretty conventional road bike geometry. The smaller frame builders have also been exploring RoadPlus, with Richard Hallett talking us through his reasons for using 650b wheels on his latest steel road touring bike.
Anyway, back to WTB’s new tyre. The US company says the Horizon Road Plus tyre “brings supple plus-size traction and smooth riding characteristics beyond where the pavement ends. Ride it on tarmac, take it to the dirt as well,” providing an indication of the riding potential it has in mind for the fat rubber.
The tyre is 47mm wide and fits into any frame that can take a regular 28-30mm tyre, so that’s some endurance bikes and most adventure bikes. You could also fit it to a cyclocross bike. It has a list of compatible bikes here.
– Why you need to switch to wider tyres
The tyre has a smooth centre section and a herringbone tread pattern on the sides with “cornering channels”. It has a claimed weight of 415g. Oh, and it’s tubeless-ready as well. The Horizon tyre will cost $67.95 and be available in July this year. The tyre is being launched at NAHBS this weekend so we’ll hopefully get some more information after the show.
What is 650b?
If you’re wondering what 650 is, well put simply it’s a French wheel sizing system, with a letter designation indicating the tyre width. 650b, with a 584mm outside rim diameter paired with a 38mm tyre, has the same outside diameter as a 700c wheel with a 19mm tyre. 650b was extremely popular in France half a century ago with traditional touring and utility bikes.
Benefits include additional cushioning from the bigger volume of air, providing a smoother ride, and a larger contact patch which boosts traction, ideal for mixed terrain and slippery roads.
3 thoughts on “RoadPlus gathers momentum as WTB launches 650b Horizon tyre”
Could be just what I need to
Could be just what I need to turn my 26″ mtb into a 650b “road plus” tourer. Up to now couldn’t find anything except knobbly 650b mtb tyres which I was concerned wouldn’t fit.
1961BikiE wrote:
You’ve got a quadrillion of tyre options for 26″ wheel size… especially for touring/commuting. You don’t need 700c or 650b to go fast and/or long distance on the road (based on experience – 26″ drop bar franken road bike)
Nice that WTB are serving the
Nice that WTB are serving the 650b market but it’s funny how the ubiquitous 26″ (or 559mm) rim is suddenly so uninteresting, particularly for wider tyres.
If, as the linked article states, “a 42mm tyre on a 650b rim provides about the same outside diameter as a 23mm tyre on a 700c wheel” then surely a 42mm tyre on 26 inch rim isn’t going to be a lot smaller? 650b rim is a mere 25mm bigger than 26″.
Looking at this MTB tyre size chart, I can’t help but think that the differences are less significant than the marketing bods would have you believe.