It's on a 40mm rim and the shoulders appear to be quite steep. I think it would maybe work better on a wider rim (hugo etc) to slacken the shoulder angles. It might self steer less.
Not too many tyres out there to play with, I want to try the maxxis offering.
Out of interest what pressures have people tried? I'm 11st 3 and have used 16 psi front and 20 rear, but I might up the front to try and reduce the self steer.
Ive not been out this week to have more of a play with pressures, only a rip round the garden. It's amazing how nimble the bike feels for tight turning.
I'm more like 17st and running 15-18psi front and 20-25 rear.
Cheers nemesis.
I've had a play tonight and I found the self steer was being triggered at about 11psi, above that it was ok. The shape of the tyre appears to have changed shape a little, maybe stretched and the effects seem to be less
Nemesis, you running tubeless with those rims and pressures? Currently have same set up but with tubes (although haven't ridden yet due to broken shoulder blade 😥 ).
Forget my last ^^^^^^^^. Stupid question!!!! 🙄
No stupid questions 🙂 (yes, tubeless)
[url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/734/20601252694_b30edf8066_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/734/20601252694_b30edf8066_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/xosNFY ]image[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/76713491@N06/ ]niksnr[/url], on Flickr
Charge Cooker (steel), Manitou Tower fork, SS DS25 rims and WTB TB's 2.8. First time tubeless. Was worried when the rim was leaking air on the seam on first inflation but seems to be holding well now I've added sealant and done the usual shaking like a madman! There's loads of clearance on rear but wouldn't want any wider rim on front as Tower is not so generous.
Mine leaked a bit at the seam on the first ride too. It's been fine since though. Your charge looks good though. It's amazing actually how normal it looks and how skinny standard 29er wheels look.
I went out on standard 29er wheels today to compare - did the same route as at the weekend. According to Strava there's basically no difference in speed on the flat/climbs (and again, this is borne out by several rides) - certainly not enough that you'd notice (I did set a PR by 2 seconds over the PR I set at the weekend on a 7 minute climb today) unless you're a serious racer.
I really noticed the difference DH though - It's the first time I've ridden an mtb without b+ wheels for at least a month and it felt really quite sketchy on the front even though I was riding my much more capable bike (lighter, dropper and front sus).
It's made me think that I might actually change my front 29er wheel for a b+ one permanently
That reads as if you had two different bikes, not the same with 2 different wheels. How much was the wheels and how much the bike do you think?
Yeah, two different bikes so it's far from scientific but the point is that the more capable bike which I rode today (lighter, front sus, 29er wheels, dropper) was only fractionally quicker on the climb and markedly worse on the DH.
I've also ridden both bikes with 29er and b+ wheels and again, don't notice any difference on the climbs/flat.
Again, not scientific but for me, showing (along with many other rides) that b+ wheels don't seem to be inherently slower on the non technical stuff despite perception that big tyres will be slow. Again, I think that a lot of it comes from big tyres having always been FR/AM/Enduro/DH focussed and built as such - tougher sidewalls, big knobbly treads, etc whereas b+ tyres are scaled up trail/XC tyres rather than DH style.
The real point being though, if you're a similar pace to your riding mates on 29er wheels you'll probably be much the same on climbs/etc if you switch to b+ ones, unlike say a proper fat bike which IME is noticeably slower on climbs.
My bike isn't slow I am, I was / am looking at b+ stuff for a bit of confidence at the front and cushioning at the rear so knowing that there is little performance difference gives me even less excuses to not buy stuff
I'm much the same. The point is that b+ isn't making me any slower on the bits that I'm worst on (the climbs). If I got a fat bike, I'd be getting left way behind on the climbs compared to other riders I ride with which would piss me (and them, probably) off.
Right then, the Spec Purg 3" is too much for pikes on 45mm rims. Too much rubbing. So what 2.8 options apart from trailblazer are out there with decent amount of grip?
My Chubby Solaris.
[url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/529/20214459009_0ee19dc913_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/529/20214459009_0ee19dc913_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/wNhopk ]IMG_20150808_155042[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/tootallpaul/ ]Paul Stanley[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/507/19780163303_ebf6d7ff73_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/507/19780163303_ebf6d7ff73_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/w8Uvqk ]IMG_20150808_155007[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/tootallpaul/ ]Paul Stanley[/url], on Flickr
More fun than a bag of ferrets.
Spec Purgatory on 45mm Scraper rims comes at pretty much spot on 80mm edge to edge. Hope that helps those who asked above
Variflex - I have Panaracer Fat B, 3.5 on 45mm rim which fit in Revs with a few mm either side. Grip seems better than the WTB TB, but side walls are light and I've not managed to seal them tubeless (not really tried properly yet). They stretch a few mm after inflation. Much rounder profile than the TB on wide rim, so nicer steering.
Where can you get Spec b+ tyres?
Thanks boxelder, also looking at Trax Fatty 2.8.
Spec b+ from any Spec dealer. My LBS got it for me. Circa £45.
Mine may well be for sale later this week if the Trax Fatty works. Will be up for £29 posted. Only done 2 rides.
I may take/swap that if it fits. I think the weight of the trax put me off.
Have we confirmed a normal on one parkwood takes 650b+? Seem to recall a picture on their facebook page or on here but might have dreamt it?
By my understanding [i]any[/i] 29er will take 650b+, it depends more on the width of the rim you want to use... the wider you go the less likely it is to work
Not all will take it. If you can get a 2.4 rear tyre on a 29" you have a good chance, but it really depends on how the chainstay is formed. The on one lurcher for example doesn't have the clearance.
Vee trax fatty is a far better front tyre than the wtb. I'll keep mine until I can get a maxxis offering.
I've lowered by bars a touch and that coupled to the lower bb and extra grip has resulted in some awesome tight handling characteristics.
By my understanding any 29er will take 650b+
No chance on a Scandal.
Yeah, I should keep my mouth shut. I just measured my honzo and I've got 68mm max at the chainstay. Not going to get much b+ in there.
I did wonder about a 650 rim and something like a 2.5 tyre but I'd imagine the diameter wouldn't be big enough
Another ride today and I'm sold on this set up.
The vee Trax front appears to have stretched and isn't self steering anywhere near as much.
I had an absolute blast on it today and ride the natural wyre trails like a hooligan (or it certainly felt that way).
Doesn't appear to be any slower climbing or on the flat too, over the 29" set up.
Significantly reduced chatter on the rear, stupid amounts of grip and the lower cog makes for nice handling. I'm sold
Tootallpaul, your Solaris looks great, exactly what I'm in the process of doing, just waiting for my rims. How much clearance do you get on that front mech?
OK, got mine all sorted now too.
Front: 45mm Velocity Dually with 3.4" Panaracer FatBnimble = 70mm wide, giving just 3-4mm at either side in RS Revs.
Rear: 30 Easton Arc rim with WTB TBlazer = 64mm wide, giving 8mm clearance to the chainstays and 11mm to the seatstays on an XL Solaris.
How much clearance do you get on that front mech?
No front mech issues on 2x10, but I wasn't expecting any as the mech never shifts 'inboard' of the chainstay. I've no doubt the FatBnimble/Dually combo would easily fit on the back too.
With 180mm cranks, there's 138mm clearance to the floor and the BB clears the ground by 310mm.
First ride in the morning.
For comparison, I've measured the widest 29er tyres I run:
2.4" Hans Dampf on Flow EX = 59mm
2.4" Geax Goma on Alex XC rim (25mm) = 59mm
The B+ wheels are, as expected smaller radius by around 15mm - can't be arsed measuring as it won't affect folk wanting to know if B+ combinations work.
Looking forward to the Nobby Nics coming through. Would like to run the Spec Purg etc, but they aren't going to fit those forks.
Front: 45mm Velocity Dually with 3.4" Panaracer FatBnimble = 70mm wide
That seems quite narrow for being marked as a 3.4" 😕
The Trailblazer 2.8 on Scraper comes out at 71mm.
I know the Scraper's wider than the Velocity but only a few mm.
That seems quite narrow for being marked as a 3.4"
Sorry, typo - it's marked as 3.5"........ Glad it's no wider, or it wouldn't fit. the Panaracer is a light tyre (~800gms) with thin sidewalls - haven't managed to seal it tubeless, though haven't tried too hard, as it's so 'puny'.
I bought it instead of another TBlazer, as I didn't like the squared profile of the TB - especially on a wider rim on the front. The FBN is a much nicer, round shape with side knobs, err, on the side.
The WTB went tubeless no problem on both rims.
Sorry, typo - it's marked as 3.5"
That's even worse.
How can they call it a 3.5 when it comes up smaller than a 2.8?
Most odd.
I didn't like the squared profile of the TB
I'd not want to use one on the front either.
I could try my scraper/trax fatty 2.8 combo in a Rev for you to see if it fits?
It's definitely wider than the TB (which I was running on the Dually at the front) and the tread covers all 71mm, unlike the TB, on which the tread isn't as wide as the carcass, even on the 30mm rim.
FatBnimble = 70mm
It's definitely wider than the TB(which I was running on the Dually at the front)
I'm a bit confused here as the TB comes up at 71mm. 😕
So the TB should have measured around 69/70mm on the Dualy
I'm a bit confused here as the TB comes up at 71mm.
Mebbe yours does, but on a 30mm rim, mine measures 64mm. The seatstay 'gap' is 75mm, so much wider wouldn't be great.
Could you measure the TB mounted on a Dually for me please?
I'm looking for a bit more clearance for another frame and my TB/scraper setup it a little too tight to fit in there.
No, sorry stu - it's set up tubeless and would mean removing and refitting both tyres. It stands to reason that it was wider than it's current 64mm, but was certainly narrower than the Panaracer at 70mm. I'd say 66mm.
I'm tempted to pick up the 650B wheelset pack from Cotic (they offer it for 6 months 0% too btw).
1. Do we think the i29 rim with the 2.8 tyre will fit in most 29er frames?
I've got a Whyte t129 SCR and mud clearance is very poor with a 29'' 2.2 conti- worth the risk?
2. Whats the height difference between 650b+ and a 29'' wheel with 2.4 tyre? If the 650b+ dosen't fit in the back I'd still like to run one on the front and put the rear on the Stooge.
Check your minimum clearance, I was planning to go b+ but most tyres on reasonable size rims seem to be around the 65-75mm wide mark. I didn't have that much room.
1. Do we think the i29 rim with the 2.8 tyre will fit in most 29er frames?
Most? probably not IMO. You'll need to do some measurements to check but you really need a frame with chain/seatstays with decent 29er clearance (so 2.4" tyres ish, probably) that don't narrow in after the point where 29er tyres fit - that's going to rule out quite a lot of frames.
2. Whats the height difference between 650b+ and a 29'' wheel with 2.4 tyre?
Depends on the 2.4" tyre but I'm going to estimate around 1-2cm difference. It's about 7mm on my 29er but my tyres aren't as big as 2.4
The 2.8 trax fatty has a width of approx 74mm on my 38mm rims. It doesn't leave much room to the bulges on the revelation forks (side to side clearance) . I've had no contact but I would not dare go wider. Lots of room elsewhere.
The wtb on the rear also comes up surprising wide, circa 70mm when I did a quick measure. I thought it was going to be less.
nice selection of plus sizes in the bike shop today, good to see someone actually stocking some
[img] 
[/img]
Looks like Maxxis have come up with the goods. 2.8in and exo casing, tread pattern looks good on the Rekon here...[img] 
[/img]
Hopefully they won't cost £90 apiece.
Rekon will be on my shopping list!
Right, first post, my build is work in progress (rotors and cassette to add), but just managed to fit B plus set up to a bizango frame no problems and get to run drop outs at shortest setting (can't be done with 2.4 x 29 conti). Just trying B+ for comfort really and hopefully keep playfulness. Not gonna get ridden for another week... will report back. 2.8 trailblazer rear (on superstar DS25) with ~4mm clearance either side of chainstays, 3.0 Purgatory front (on Roval 29mm ID rim). Plenty of space in Suntour Epicon fork. Profiles of tyres look great to me, but as I say, yet to ride. I will attempt to attach a pic...
[img] 
[/img]
That looks good. Will be interested to hear how you get on with the rear as I found that sort of clearance a bit tight for my lurcher.
Anyone tried 650+ in a Lynskey Ridgeline? looking to give a 2010 frame a new lease of life...
WTB TB on a 30mm rime easily fits the rear of a SC Tallboy Mk1.
Looking further up the thread, alexh has kind of covered this (in fact I copied you, cheers dude :D), but WTB TB on Blunt 35 rim fits with room to spare into a CB Yelli Screamy, despite CB themselves saying it's "not recommended" on their website. I probably have 6-7mm each side with a slight dish offset.
Also squeezed a Vee Trax Fatty 2.8 on Dually 45mm rims into an X-fusion trace. Although clearance on that is 4mm and shrinking. The tire seems to have grown on todays ride.
Just wish I'd gone for carbon instead now, the light bicycles stuff is barely more expensive than ally. Buy right or buy twice as they say
[img] 
[/img]
Rich, nice yelli! Thankfully I wasn't doing it off my own back. My lbs built up some rims for me to try and assess clearance. Tyres do grow a touch, my vee has stopped thankfully or I'd need new forks!
That depends on how long the carbon rims last! Touch wood they are ok for now and I did go for a stronger lay up.
As its been dry all week I dusted off the full sys and I didn't ride mine today. I missed it.
I'm going to try the bike with a 29" front slapped back in.
richw927, what does the Trailblazer measure at on a 35mm external rim?
I'm assuming here that those above talking about 30mm rims are also talking external width.
Cheers alexh! Was a lucky spot on Pinkbike, so impressed with it. My Vee tire is another story though, on any surface that's slightly dry or hard it just feels unpredictable. Will play around with different pressures I think. Have you settled on a pressure that works well? I'd almost say it might work better with TB on front and Vee on rear. Has anyone tried that?
Ctznsmith it's in the shed at the moment but I'll have a measure and post it ASAP
Yes Vee Trax Fatty almost self steers on tarmac. Ok on everything else apart from hardpack. Im running it at about 10psi on 45mm rims. Waiting for the Maxxis Rekon+ as I reckon that will be a perfect replacement.
Same here, waiting for the reckon to replace the trax fatty.
I've found it steers less above 15 psi. I've ran mine a touch harder of late and I've not noticed any performance issues. I'm not brave enough to try 10 psi on the carbon rims with how I ride
Ha, maybe I'll try around 10 so I can bin my rims and get some carbons! Hopefully there'll be a lot more choice in 6 months, when hopefully the trax will be worn enough to warrant changing. Schwalbe RR and NN are definitely on the horizon.
My TB is approx 65mm wide on a Blunt 35, at approx 18psi. Thats by eye so may be a mm or 2 either way.
anyone bunged a wide rim and + tyre in the back of a kinesis FF29?
I meant a real person who can show the tyre clearance not a showroom side picture
I hope they have sorted out the clearance issues on the ff29 running 650b+, saw one at a race earlier this year and mud clearance was non existent, yes the tyre fits in the space, but that was about it.
@richw927 @alexh - what's the current best practice on a mk 1 Yelli? What rims/tyres have you been getting away with while still having a little space for leaf muck etc. I need a North Downs winter reasonably viable setup (tho actually I spend most of the time on the Greensand - Leith Hill, Pitch, Winterfold etc).
My email in profile if you're OK to chat.
Ta. Up the Yellis!
matt.
Be aware that very early Yelli's have very little room for a B+ tyre.
Later mk1's are ok and mk2's are fine.
I'm not enjoying the cornering lack of grip on my trailblazers with lb 30mm id rims. Might try a spec purgatory in the front with my Reba. If it is tight on a scraper in a pike, I hope I will be ok. Anyone done similar yet?
ssstu thx, mine is a late 2012/early 13 I think, serial start P12. (I bought 2nd hand spring 13 but it was pretty new). A Trailblazer goes on OK on a Flow, but really a wider rim is needed to make the best of b+ I think so trying to figure it out. (have mailed Canfield to see what mine is).
The later mk1s will fit a trailblazer on a scraper with very minimal room.
mk2s have a little more room.
After todays muddy ride i'm either going for a narrower rear rim or sticking 29 wheels back in my mk2...
yeah I'm thinking Scraper isn't going to fly too. 30mm internal might.
there were enough benefits just on a Flow that I want to find out more.
I'm using a light bicycle 38mm rim with trailblazer rear and vee track (both 2.8). My yelli is a mk1 but 2013. Mud clearance on the rear has been fine so far. The trailblazer having no tread on the side doesn't appear to hold mud on the sidewalk (the main pinch point to the stays in the rear).
I'm going to build up my 29" wheels again
2.8 Trailblazer on 45mm Dually, in the back of a SIR.9
(Not exactly known for big clearance).
Was fearing it wouldn't fit but runs just fine.
(No tape hence ghetto, & not got round to trimming yet).
[url= https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5730/21876095323_4ff5b0e996_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5730/21876095323_4ff5b0e996_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/zk7GZi ]Untitled[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/takisawa2/ ]pten2106[/url], on Flickr
@alex thanks, don't suppose you're anywhere near Surrey Hills are you? (I think I 'probably' have a later Yelli Mk 1, but it could be an expensive mistake).
@taki wow good result, and it's refreshing to see a different pic of your SIR9 after all these years.
Anyone "plussed" a Singlar Buzzard yet... Looks like masses of clearance on my new s/h frame, so am fairly confident it will be fine?
Sadly not, Midlands based.
Doubt you'll get Spec 3" tyre in Reba's. I'm told they measure up correctly at 80mm+ - someone on here was selling one for that reason.
I'd agree with that - my 64mm wide Trailblazers fit fine but there's only 5mm or so clearance either side.
I've got a Panaracer 3.5" FatBnimble in Rebas (measures 72mm) but wouldn't go wider.
Anyone plusssed a Merlin made Jones Sapaceframe?
boxelder - what rim is that on?
Nemesis - Dually 45mm.
p.s. - those forks working out for you?
Yeah, no issues with my wheels in the Reba.
I meant are the ones you bought off me working OK?
😳
Oh, right, yes, they're on the other bike. Only ridden them a few times but they seem fine after the service. 🙂
Anyone plusssed a Merlin made Jones Sapaceframe?
No but i've had a Trailblazer/Scraper combo in the rear of my steel spaceframe.
The steel spaceframe has a tad more room than my old Merlin/Jones.
