I put a pair of the Compass 700C x 32 Stampede Pass tires on my vintage 1978 Trek TX700 and WOW, what a difference from the GatorSkins in had on the bike. Narrow chainstays prevented me from going wider but even at 32's the right tire can really impact the suppleness of a ride. Great content as always
Russ good stuff! I have a urban bike I bought used (read: ready for the trash) as a project bike. It initially has 700x25 tires and I hated them. Switched to 35mm Kenda small block 8 with 120 tpi case and it has boosted my avg speed by nearly 10%. Our roads in are some of the worst on the continent so that extra suppleness is a god-send. I was surprised how much faster they were for my riding style and short trips around the city. I just don't have to slow down for the road imperfections nearly as much.
May have to give those other tires a look. I’ve got the GravelKing SK in 43mm and they’re sweet. I’m on a 2019 TCX, not primarily a gavel bike, but it does the job for sure. I’ll definitely look around to compare, especially the Teravail tires.
i have compass 650b x 38c on a converted fuji espree frame. i'll never forget that feeling when i hopped on the bike for the first time after changing the wheel set. so dreamy.
Been riding on Panaracer Paselas (700x38) forever because I can't bring myself to spend twice as much on the Compass. Have you ridden the Panaracers? I'd be interested in hearing a comparison.
Anthony Holden Paselas are the OG supple :) Use to ride those when we first started until I blew a sidewall on a few of them (we were touring really heavy). From what I remember, they are probably a bit heavier than the Compass equivalents, but are probably pretty close in suppleness. Would have to grab a new pair to really see.
Discovered this yesterday. Did my commute for the first time in my winter bike (with 2" wide tires at 70 psi) and my commute was the same time thanwith my summer road bike (18mm wide full rubber tires ment to simulate 110 psi). Guess the poor road conditions really slow me down when I have hard tires
I used to do all my off road riding on a rigid 29er with 29x2.4 tires and on a rigis fat bike with 26x4.8 tires. Yesterday I got myself a gravel bike, a Trek Checkpoint ALR 4, it came Kenda Flintridge 700x35c tires. Just by looking at the tires I thought they'd be super harsh But I was wrong on my first off road ride on the Gravel bike it felt very smooth, I only felt underbiked on rockier downhill sections, loving it.
I recently bought the Trek Checkpoint SL5 and love it!! I have already put a ton of miles on it in a month and a half. I went with WTB Riddler 700X45c.
For me, the greatest boost in overall speed comes from not having to stop to fix a flat beside the road. That means a tire with an anti-puncture strip and heavy thorn resistant tubes. My commuter has Schwalbe 27.5x1.4 (26x1-3/8 650B) tires and I haven't had a flat since. They're the fastest tires I've tried so far, and they soak up road chatter better than the 1.75" Vittoria Randonneur tires I had before.
Mate, I love how you're changing up the format, it's great to have a different background as requested by peeps and you really listen to your fans. I've been curious about Jones bikes for a while and been hoping someone apart from Jeff himself would do a decent review. SUPER excited to see what you have to say about it.
Russ, I know you and Laura have had the Salsa Vaya in your stable for many years now, and probably did a review of it long ago, but I'd love to hear an updated review, especially in light of all the Q bikes you've been reviewing lately. Cheers
Hey, just a content idea paired with a question. Maybe do a regularly scheduled Q&A video, like weekly or biweekly. I always have questions pop up, as a new person to the world of riding bikes, and even newer to actually caring about the bike, not just riding the one that happens to be in the garage. My question is this: I'd like to go tubeless but I'm not sure if it's worth it. My bike only has clearance for 700x38, so I'm thinking if I switch to 650B then I can run a bit bigger, but it will mean buying new rims and tires, as well as caliper brakes and doing a ton of work to the bike. Getting a different bike is out of the quesiton at the moment. My guess is that this project isn't going to be worth it, but I'm curious your thoughts. I've already had fun and great success converting it from flat handlebars to drop bars with a bar end shifter and I dig the DIY tinker stuff. One last thing that is probably relevant, I'm 6'5, so the only advantage to going smaller tires is more rubber, not toe overlap or anything. Thanks for all the great content!
Great idea for a segment and something we’ve considered. Might give it a go. That conversion sounds like a money pit :). I would suggest trying a compass tire or Soma supple vitesse in the 38-40mm size. Was really surprised how it felt on the Spooky we have in to review.
Thanks! Right now I'm running Trigger Pros, which I think fall into the world of "durable commuter tires" that Russ was talking about. I'm happy enough with them, especially because I do commute about 20miles a day on my bike so flat protection is really important. Whenever I have a real reason I'll look at something from the Panaracer factory.
Excellent advice from Russ. I got into tubeless three years ago, when I got my first MTB. I then decided to try it on my Surly Straggler with 42mm tyres. It was fine, and saved me a couple of punctures over a 9 month period. My tyres (Specialized Sawtooth) weren't very supple at all, though they were very comfy. I've been fitting my own tyres for over 35 years, but these were so tight that they were an utter bitch to fit (it took several hours, swearing, and blood). I bought some Compass Snoqualmie Pass (44mm, superlight casings) at great expense when they first came out. I've never inflated them, and probably never will. Why? They're very difficult to get onto the rim. They're not a tyre for all conditions (regardless of what Jan thinks, they're no good whatsoever in wet UK dirt), and I'd need to take them off before going on an off road adventure. If that were easy to do, I would. The Straggler is a very versatile bike. With a light 35mm tyre on it feels nimble and comfortable, and is fairly quick on the road. This is how I usually run it. Put a knobbly 42mm tyre on, and it becomes an entirely different animal, capable of some fairly gnarly off road adventures. By contrast to tubeless, changing over tyres designed for tubes takes about fifteen minutes all in, and doesn't feel like a chore at all. That's because tyres designed to run tubes are easy to get on the rim. I now dread the idea of fitting tubeless tyres at this width (and it's not just Compass, and it's not my specific rim; they're all tight to varying degrees). The lack of a single size/standard across manufacturers also makes choosing rims and tyres a bit of a lottery. Some combinations are harder work than others. So in order to be happy running tubeless at these widths I'd need to have tyres permanently setup on multiple wheelsets, and I don't feel it's worth it. I'd rather spend the money on trips. I also find a nice lightweight 38mm tyre with a decent tube in to be really comfortable, and quick (I even enjoy 35mm at 35PSI a lot too - sacrilege!). I always assumed that tubeless had a much lower rolling resistance, but when people have measured it they find the liquid does actually create (comparable) resistance of its own. I suspect the test results can be found on (from memory) bicylerollingresistance.com. So yeah, depending on your priorities, tubeless might not make sense for you. I'll always run tubeless on 2" and wider MTB tyres (to save weight of heavy tubes, and avoid flats), but because I value flexibility I'll never try it again on 42mm and below (where tubes are lighter, and good puncture resistant tyres perform well). And just to clarify, for those that haven't tried it, fitting wider tubeless tyres isn't very difficult at all. They're much easier to get on the rim.
Great video as always, Russ. I'm curious what your thoughts are about the limits of supple tires, particularly in the 38-42mm range. Specifically, if you were to do a 2,000+ mile tour that involved a variety of unknown road surfaces, would you ride supple tires or go for something less supple like a traditional touring tire?
Great video, I've learned quite a bit about these tires,thanks. Can't wait till you test them on a ride. Love that Velo Orange ike,thinking of having one Built soon.
I really like supple tires but i also hate cuts in sidewalls. So a B+ tired without sidewall protection is suited for riding to your local pub and not for mountainbiking. And i killed a lot of these supple tires in the past, e.g. Panaracer Pasela in several sizes. You have to choose the right rim for a more balloon-like section of rhe tire to keep sidewalls away from the ground. If the rim is too wide, the sidewall stand in a veritical angle and are easy to scratch. So for me: if i want to go mountainbiking or gravelling with some rocky stuff i will choose tires with rubbered sidewalls or sidelwall protection. But on the road i love the supple stuff. My favorite tire is a Vittoria Open Corsa 320 tpi - fast one!
I don't have it now, but I had a Spooky Havocstaff (their old road racing model) for a number of years and it was the best handling, best riding pavement bike I had owned. I sold it to build up an all-roads bike (sadly, not a Spooky, like you said the gas mask is a bit pricy, particularly for a public school teacher)
This was a great new look, flipped the camera around but the slightly longer video and heavy duty nerd tyre talk really work for me! 👍❤️ Looking forward to some information about the Teravail B+ rubber 😁
Hmm, I like the comfort but flat protection is a must (or robustness if you prefer this term). After all it is no fun struggling with the tire/tube when you could ride on more solid tire. At this weight range (>1 kg, correct?) I would go with Schwalbe Marathon (28x2.0"), I used Schwalbe Big Apple and Fat Frank, and they served me well. For this year I chose something lighter (and more expensive) -- Specialized Sawtooth, when they wear out I will check again Schwalbe for something less than 1kg. And btw. 650B does not mean supple, it is the problem with bicycle manufacturers that they are still building pretty narrow frame/forks, fortunately it changes, you can put some wide tire for 700c/28" size.
Like I said in the video it depends on what you prioritize ride feel or flat protection. I didn’t say one was better than the other, but there differences and you have to make your own choices. Also, I didn’t say that that 650b means supple. In fact I talked a lot about the 700x38 Compass tires on the Spooky bike in review and how supple that felt :)
Another thing to consider is stiffness of the wheels itself. I converted my alloy/carbon cyclocross from 33-700c to 47-650b Byways and its remarkable more supple than my old rigid steel MTB with 2.25x26“ with about the same tire pressure. The key difference are the wheels in my opinion as the 27.5s are pretty flexy light 28 spokes and the 26s are stiff build 36 spokes which even outweights the stiffness of an alloy race type frame.
Thanks, that was a lot of good info. I don't care what backround you use. All of the talkshow hosts use the same set, so it would be okay if you do too! The Compass 700c tires do give a comfy ride.
Thanks for the video. Here's a general question for anyone who may know: If a thin sidewall is key to a supple and more comfortable ride, how do you determine this quality when shopping for tires online? A follow up question: Is it best to shop for tires in person and compare firsthand or are there alternatives?
Any idea if there is a link between TPI and suppleness? My understanding is that a higher TPI is generally associated with a smoother, faster rolling tire. The Terravail tires are 60 TPI, while the Panaracer GKs are 126. So on paper, I would've thought that the Panaracers would be the more supple tire.
It's complicated. Different versions of the gravel kings have different sidewalls. Some are rubber, some are similar to the Terravails. The 650b x 50mm ones I have that have the rubber sidewalls are not as supple as the Terravails. Also, the terravails come in a few flavors. You really have to compare on a tire by tire basis sometimes.
I recently purchased a set of Panaracer Gravel Kings almost immediately got a flat was able to ride for a week really liked the suppleness but then got another flat so they are put aside until I get some tire protection liners.
Review request for the following bikes "Surly Bridge Club" a on/off road 27.5 plus touring bike, "Marin Pine Mountain 1" a hard tail 27.5 adventure bike, Jamis "Dragonslayer Sport" a hardtail 27.5 adventure bike.
I had the Compass tires on my Cross check and they did feel very supple , however, I had a blowout on the rear tire , first ride out . I probably should give them another shoot , but I ended up going with Maxxis Re-fuses . They aren’t quite as supple and a little heavier , but still they give my ride a great feel . In addition, the Maxxis re- fuse has a great reputation for wearing well and not having flat issues .
I couldn’t find any damage to the tire , but I believe this side wall was punched, just too small of a hole to detect. I was turning going over a railroad crossing. The side wall probably made contact with the tracks , as I was leaning into the turn . It happened so fast , there was no time to save the back end from washing out and crashing.
Loved the format of this video. Bit more informal. Also, your mention of maybe buying the Velo O made me wonder what you have in your stable now. What do you ride most? What is your current favorite? Do you find yourself selling bikes to make room for new ones? Thanks.
Ha. We have too many bikes. The bike we ride the most are our Vayas which we use as daily commuters. I'm trying to sell bikes to fund new ones, but the market here in Missoula sucks.
Selling bikes without a good market is hard, especially when they would obviously sell fast elsewhere. I live in rural Mass and there is a market, but it can be slow. Almost makes me want to live somewhere urban ;)
Hey Russ, thanks for all the sweet content. I've been looking into trying out a set of supple 700c tires, but can't decide which ones to go with. I ride a Kona Rove ST that can accommodate tire widths up to ~45mm. I mainly ride pavement, but it's sometimes pavement in sub-par condition. I occasionally ride gravel but very infrequently. From researching online, I'm most interested in the Teravail Rampart 700 x 38 Tires, Soma Supple Vitesse 700 x 42 Tires, and the Compass Snoqualmie Pass 700 x 44 Tires. Trying to pick the tire with the best balance of fast rolling performance and puncture resistance. Would you recommend one of these/ recommend one over the others? Is there another tire out there I'm missing that I should check out? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Teravail Rampart 700x38: teravail.com/tires/rampart#TR7275 Soma Supple Vitesse 700x42: www.somafab.com/archives/product/supple-vitesse-ex-700c-clincher-tire Compass Snowqualmie Pass 700x44: www.compasscycle.com/shop/components/tires/700c/compass-700c-x-44-snoqualmie-pass/
Try riding tubular, sew-up, tires. The side walls aren't stiff like clincher tires. They will smooth out rough roads. Get are pair of 'Paris-Roubaix' tires and compare the weight and compare the ride to clincher tires at the same inflation pressure. Ride down cobble stone streets, A number of Pro's still use tubulars for a smooth, efficient, long distance ride.
Yep, Russ knows the deal for a supple ride. The opposite end of the spectrum is Schwalbe Marathon Plus, almost flat free indestructible, but heavy and dead feeling.
I know you’re a big fan of WTB Horizons and Byway, but have you ever tried them in snow conditions? Like on a firm snow track? I know that many people would like to ride in snow without switching to a fatbike
If there’s any ice, it’s no good. I personally wouldn’t ride it. Also, depending on how fresh the snow is you’d probably just cut right through. It doesn’t have enough float.
Path Less Pedaled I also had issue with sealant seepage for the first month on them on the sidewalls. Very comfy tires I just found them to not hold up well.
Hey Russ, do you ever run any of your tires with tubes in them? If not, is it because they are less "supple" with a tube rather than running them tubeless? Thanks for everything. Love your channel!
Very interesting vid, as usual, I'm liking the look of the Compass tyres hard to get in UK though. Thinking 38mm 700c on my Kinesis atr and 48mm 650b on my 3T exploro any other thoughts on other brands. Many thanks
I ran Compass Bon Jon Pass tires, front and rear on my Specialized Sequoia. Super supple tires. When the sidewall got cut on the rear tire, I replaced it with Gravel King Slick 700c x 38mm tires to save costs. Because it is less supple, I ran the GK at 28 psi to get the same feel as the BJP at 35psi. I don't notice any difference. So this makes me wonder whether you can make any tire supple by lowering the pressure on any tire, even a commuter tire like the Schwalbe Marathon, until it feels smooth (the bike stops bouncing on rough roads)?
You can do that and I’ve done that. The problem however, I’ve noticed, is that by lowering the pressure to achieve similar suppleness you also increase the chances of making contact with the rim...and sometimes to get a similar feel, the tire sort of puddles and feels real slow.
Thanks for the video, I like the idea of supple tyres but wonder how robust they would be on the flint gravel in our area? Do any of these have puncture protection or would that counter act the suppleness?
Rode the Soma Cazaderos tubeless in DK and had no issue with flats or sidewall failures. Have also taken supple tires on very questionable terrain and have not had (touch wood) any catastrophic failures. It’s all a risk and sometimes comes to pure dumb luck and being cognizant of line choice.
I'd love to see the Maxxis Rambler included in your tests. IMO, Maxxis reigns supreme in the MTB world, but I'm not sure how they stack up with gravel tires.
Maxxis Ramblers win a lot of gravel races. I completed 2 "Lost and Found" gravel races at competitive speed without thinking about saving the tires at all in rocky areas. They are not super "supple" but are a solid choice. Make sure you get the latest version which is easier to mount tubeless and doesn't have the blistering problem.
Hi Russ. I am Seeking Supple LIfe tire advice: I am building up a used Bike Friday that I plan to use on mutiple surfaces (road, dirt, easy gravel), and I am researching tire options. The bike came with an extra set of Kenda Kontacts 20" x 1.75" that look new. I will likely start with those and see how they work. I have only ever ridden Schwalbe Marathon 1.5" x 20" (406) tires on my other Bike Friday. So, I have no frame of reference on what other tires feel like or if "supple" is even possible on the more twitchy 20" wheels. The Schwalbe Marathons have served me well with puncture resistance. Since you have experience with Bike Fridays, Bromptons, and Moultons, I am curious if you have any tire suggestions for me? [I don't do tubeless.] I might be able to fit a 20 x 2" tire on the Bike Friday. The rims are Sun Rims AT18 (if that means anything to you). I appreciate your guidance! -Kim (San Diego)
Have you ever tested the Maxxis Detonator 650b? I have them and they seem quite nice, they have pretty compliant sidewalls, but I don't know how they match up to the likes of Compass etc.
Russ whats your fav 27.5 tire? Bought a 27.5 wheelset for my Journeyman to swap with the 700c wheels for various terrain. Looking for a decent offroad tread. Thanks!
I’m considering a Salsa Fargo GX 29er or a Fargo 27.5 with. 3” tires. I will mostly be riding on asphalt pavement. Will you please share your opinion on what you’d choose?
How do you measure tire pressure on the ride? I take it you carry a gauge with you? Or is it part of your pump? I just switched my Cutthroat to Maxxis Ramblers. My LBS set the psi to 70! I guess because I told them I typically start my gravel rides from my house, on paved roads, to get to the gravel. They suggested lowering the psi when I reach the gravel, but I have no way of checking the psi when I switch it.
Can you recommend a nice and supple 29er tire for nice roads and on road travel? I got a 29er before 650b ever came out (I think) and much like a sexy wife, I can’t let her go. Lol I know 29 is 700c but where’s the good non mountain tires??? Thanks for the help
The substance of this one was particularly interesting, and I love that you are so expressive with your hands, but being handheld, the sample tires moved too quickly and constantly for me to see any real detail. I finally had to look away and just listen to the rest of the video. No biggie, but maybe even more stationary b-roll of the subjects of your videos (you do great b-roll!) to leave your hands free to do their engagingly-emphatic thing?
The compass tires tread lasts forever. I have cut a sidewall but was able to patch and get many 100s more miles running them tubeless. They are very expensive but I value the ride quality that much and ride carefully if it gets rocky. Most of the gravel roads I ride are fairly smooth. They roll really fast even at 40-45 psi on pavement and gravel.
Can anyone recommend a tubeless 650 x 42 mm tire that has some grip? I’m currently running panaracer parimoto on my slate. I have went down several times on dusty trails in my area. I like those tires on pavement but my ride is done 50/50 pavement / trail. My maximum clearance is 45mm.
Chris Tokashiki WTB Resolutes seem like a good fit. Russ actually has a review of them on this channel, I think. They’re not the fastest on road (there is a healthy centerline though) but they’re fantastic on gravel/off-road
Could any one recommend a fat bike tire that has good traction that is subtle and at least a 4.5. I am using a dhf dhr 4.8. Boy they are stiff. For a faster heavier and stronger rider. Ride in western pa winters. Snow rain and mud. Need at least s 4.5 because off peddle strikes Thanks
Walter Kasper, living in Michigan and riding a Fatboy Carbon Expert (through winter snow and summer hard pack) the best rolling, lightest and most supple are the 4.8" Schwalbe Jumbo Jim tires hands down. I run the lite skin version tubeless and couldn't be happier with the performance.
What about 26ers????!!!!?!?! I'm looking for a good 650b wheelset upsize, shouldn't have a problem fitting my 90s trek cept, no disk, threaded for cassette, no such thing???
@@mtbboy1993 honestly thought maybe I'd gain something out of finding a 650b set. Mostly just for selection of tires. But I like the recommendation above.
@@mtbboy1993 I slid my 700c 25mm wheels on for shits, it looked so slick. I just picked a trek 850shx with front suspension that I expect to be my trucker. Thanks for the input, 26ers aren't dead yet.
If you care so much about your tires feeling supple, why are you not running them tubeless? I run 42 x 700 Specialized Sawtooths on a Kona Rove LTD. They are supppppple.
I run tubeless on my personal bikes, but I don’t have test bikes long enough to hassle with them. Also, many of them don’t come with tubeless tire/rim combos.
Dude you are my go to guy for gravel/touring information. All the bags on my 720 and the Brompton was based on your knowledge. Thank you.
That was a very complete and understandable description of "supple" tires. Nice!
I put a pair of the Compass 700C x 32 Stampede Pass tires on my vintage 1978 Trek TX700 and WOW, what a difference from the GatorSkins in had on the bike. Narrow chainstays prevented me from going wider but even at 32's the right tire can really impact the suppleness of a ride. Great content as always
I really like that you're finally taking advantage of the green screen!
drink for every time Russ says supple
you tryin to kill me?
🤮
don’t forget to chug whenever you can read his shirt
Russ good stuff! I have a urban bike I bought used (read: ready for the trash) as a project bike. It initially has 700x25 tires and I hated them. Switched to 35mm Kenda small block 8 with 120 tpi case and it has boosted my avg speed by nearly 10%. Our roads in are some of the worst on the continent so that extra suppleness is a god-send. I was surprised how much faster they were for my riding style and short trips around the city. I just don't have to slow down for the road imperfections nearly as much.
Amazing what a tire change can do.
I always learn and thanks for demonstrating what a supple tire looks like.
May have to give those other tires a look. I’ve got the GravelKing SK in 43mm and they’re sweet. I’m on a 2019 TCX, not primarily a gavel bike, but it does the job for sure. I’ll definitely look around to compare, especially the Teravail tires.
i have compass 650b x 38c on a converted fuji espree frame. i'll never forget that feeling when i hopped on the bike for the first time after changing the wheel set. so dreamy.
Ha. They are magical.
Those Compass Barlow Pass 700x38 are amazing tires! Supple AF! I rode Astoria to San Francisco fully loaded on them. No flats, zero. I was impressed.
Super impressed with them.
They are by far my favorite tires! Been riding 3000km on mine without a single flat and so comfy!
Been riding on Panaracer Paselas (700x38) forever because I can't bring myself to spend twice as much on the Compass. Have you ridden the Panaracers? I'd be interested in hearing a comparison.
Anthony Holden Paselas are the OG supple :) Use to ride those when we first started until I blew a sidewall on a few of them (we were touring really heavy). From what I remember, they are probably a bit heavier than the Compass equivalents, but are probably pretty close in suppleness. Would have to grab a new pair to really see.
Discovered this yesterday. Did my commute for the first time in my winter bike (with 2" wide tires at 70 psi) and my commute was the same time thanwith my summer road bike (18mm wide full rubber tires ment to simulate 110 psi).
Guess the poor road conditions really slow me down when I have hard tires
I used to do all my off road riding on a rigid 29er with 29x2.4 tires and on a rigis fat bike with 26x4.8 tires. Yesterday I got myself a gravel bike, a Trek Checkpoint ALR 4, it came Kenda Flintridge 700x35c tires. Just by looking at the tires I thought they'd be super harsh But I was wrong on my first off road ride on the Gravel bike it felt very smooth, I only felt underbiked on rockier downhill sections, loving it.
That new Trek looks pretty sweet.
I recently bought the Trek Checkpoint SL5 and love it!! I have already put a ton of miles on it in a month and a half. I went with WTB Riddler 700X45c.
For me, the greatest boost in overall speed comes from not having to stop to fix a flat beside the road. That means a tire with an anti-puncture strip and heavy thorn resistant tubes.
My commuter has Schwalbe 27.5x1.4 (26x1-3/8 650B) tires and I haven't had a flat since. They're the fastest tires I've tried so far, and they soak up road chatter better than the 1.75" Vittoria Randonneur tires I had before.
Mate, I love how you're changing up the format, it's great to have a different background as requested by peeps and you really listen to your fans. I've been curious about Jones bikes for a while and been hoping someone apart from Jeff himself would do a decent review. SUPER excited to see what you have to say about it.
It’s a real interesting bike.
Russ, I know you and Laura have had the Salsa Vaya in your stable for many years now, and probably did a review of it long ago, but I'd love to hear an updated review, especially in light of all the Q bikes you've been reviewing lately. Cheers
Hey, just a content idea paired with a question. Maybe do a regularly scheduled Q&A video, like weekly or biweekly. I always have questions pop up, as a new person to the world of riding bikes, and even newer to actually caring about the bike, not just riding the one that happens to be in the garage.
My question is this: I'd like to go tubeless but I'm not sure if it's worth it. My bike only has clearance for 700x38, so I'm thinking if I switch to 650B then I can run a bit bigger, but it will mean buying new rims and tires, as well as caliper brakes and doing a ton of work to the bike. Getting a different bike is out of the quesiton at the moment. My guess is that this project isn't going to be worth it, but I'm curious your thoughts. I've already had fun and great success converting it from flat handlebars to drop bars with a bar end shifter and I dig the DIY tinker stuff.
One last thing that is probably relevant, I'm 6'5, so the only advantage to going smaller tires is more rubber, not toe overlap or anything.
Thanks for all the great content!
Great idea for a segment and something we’ve considered. Might give it a go.
That conversion sounds like a money pit :). I would suggest trying a compass tire or Soma supple vitesse in the 38-40mm size. Was really surprised how it felt on the Spooky we have in to review.
Thanks! Yeah I'm worried about the money. No way it would be less than several hundred dollars. I'll check out some of those tires!
FYI, Panaracer manufactures Compass, Soma, and of course Panaracer tires.
Thanks! Right now I'm running Trigger Pros, which I think fall into the world of "durable commuter tires" that Russ was talking about. I'm happy enough with them, especially because I do commute about 20miles a day on my bike so flat protection is really important. Whenever I have a real reason I'll look at something from the Panaracer factory.
Excellent advice from Russ.
I got into tubeless three years ago, when I got my first MTB. I then decided to try it on my Surly Straggler with 42mm tyres. It was fine, and saved me a couple of punctures over a 9 month period.
My tyres (Specialized Sawtooth) weren't very supple at all, though they were very comfy. I've been fitting my own tyres for over 35 years, but these were so tight that they were an utter bitch to fit (it took several hours, swearing, and blood).
I bought some Compass Snoqualmie Pass (44mm, superlight casings) at great expense when they first came out. I've never inflated them, and probably never will.
Why? They're very difficult to get onto the rim.
They're not a tyre for all conditions (regardless of what Jan thinks, they're no good whatsoever in wet UK dirt), and I'd need to take them off before going on an off road adventure. If that were easy to do, I would.
The Straggler is a very versatile bike. With a light 35mm tyre on it feels nimble and comfortable, and is fairly quick on the road. This is how I usually run it.
Put a knobbly 42mm tyre on, and it becomes an entirely different animal, capable of some fairly gnarly off road adventures.
By contrast to tubeless, changing over tyres designed for tubes takes about fifteen minutes all in, and doesn't feel like a chore at all. That's because tyres designed to run tubes are easy to get on the rim. I now dread the idea of fitting tubeless tyres at this width (and it's not just Compass, and it's not my specific rim; they're all tight to varying degrees). The lack of a single size/standard across manufacturers also makes choosing rims and tyres a bit of a lottery. Some combinations are harder work than others.
So in order to be happy running tubeless at these widths I'd need to have tyres permanently setup on multiple wheelsets, and I don't feel it's worth it. I'd rather spend the money on trips.
I also find a nice lightweight 38mm tyre with a decent tube in to be really comfortable, and quick (I even enjoy 35mm at 35PSI a lot too - sacrilege!). I always assumed that tubeless had a much lower rolling resistance, but when people have measured it they find the liquid does actually create (comparable) resistance of its own. I suspect the test results can be found on (from memory) bicylerollingresistance.com.
So yeah, depending on your priorities, tubeless might not make sense for you. I'll always run tubeless on 2" and wider MTB tyres (to save weight of heavy tubes, and avoid flats), but because I value flexibility I'll never try it again on 42mm and below (where tubes are lighter, and good puncture resistant tyres perform well).
And just to clarify, for those that haven't tried it, fitting wider tubeless tyres isn't very difficult at all. They're much easier to get on the rim.
Those Tervails looks super interesting! Did not know about them... added to the "The List". Cheers!
Yeah. Not too many reviews about them.
My last name is Supple so I really like this video.
I loved the video! I've been kinda lost recently with what kind of tires I want to get and this has been quite enlightening
Glad it could help.
Great video as always, Russ. I'm curious what your thoughts are about the limits of supple tires, particularly in the 38-42mm range.
Specifically, if you were to do a 2,000+ mile tour that involved a variety of unknown road surfaces, would you ride supple tires or go for something less supple like a traditional touring tire?
Great video, I've learned quite a bit about these tires,thanks. Can't wait till you test them on a ride. Love that Velo Orange ike,thinking of having one Built soon.
Excellent content here. More vids like this please. This is the type of content our supple community needs. Damn fine wok Russ. Keep it up brother! 😁😁
I really like supple tires but i also hate cuts in sidewalls. So a B+ tired without sidewall protection is suited for riding to your local pub and not for mountainbiking. And i killed a lot of these supple tires in the past, e.g. Panaracer Pasela in several sizes. You have to choose the right rim for a more balloon-like section of rhe tire to keep sidewalls away from the ground. If the rim is too wide, the sidewall stand in a veritical angle and are easy to scratch.
So for me: if i want to go mountainbiking or gravelling with some rocky stuff i will choose tires with rubbered sidewalls or sidelwall protection.
But on the road i love the supple stuff. My favorite tire is a Vittoria Open Corsa 320 tpi - fast one!
I don't have it now, but I had a Spooky Havocstaff (their old road racing model) for a number of years and it was the best handling, best riding pavement bike I had owned. I sold it to build up an all-roads bike (sadly, not a Spooky, like you said the gas mask is a bit pricy, particularly for a public school teacher)
This was a great new look, flipped the camera around but the slightly longer video and heavy duty nerd tyre talk really work for me!
👍❤️
Looking forward to some information about the Teravail B+ rubber 😁
Hmm, I like the comfort but flat protection is a must (or robustness if you prefer this term). After all it is no fun struggling with the tire/tube when you could ride on more solid tire. At this weight range (>1 kg, correct?) I would go with Schwalbe Marathon (28x2.0"), I used Schwalbe Big Apple and Fat Frank, and they served me well. For this year I chose something lighter (and more expensive) -- Specialized Sawtooth, when they wear out I will check again Schwalbe for something less than 1kg. And btw. 650B does not mean supple, it is the problem with bicycle manufacturers that they are still building pretty narrow frame/forks, fortunately it changes, you can put some wide tire for 700c/28" size.
Like I said in the video it depends on what you prioritize ride feel or flat protection. I didn’t say one was better than the other, but there differences and you have to make your own choices. Also, I didn’t say that that 650b means supple. In fact I talked a lot about the 700x38 Compass tires on the Spooky bike in review and how supple that felt :)
I like the new angle. Definitely would love to see more tire comparisons. The Compass tires sound interesting.
Another thing to consider is stiffness of the wheels itself.
I converted my alloy/carbon cyclocross from 33-700c to 47-650b Byways and its remarkable more supple than my old rigid steel MTB with 2.25x26“ with about the same tire pressure.
The key difference are the wheels in my opinion as the 27.5s are pretty flexy light 28 spokes and the 26s are stiff build 36 spokes which even outweights the stiffness of an alloy race type frame.
Thanks, that was a lot of good info. I don't care what backround you use. All of the talkshow hosts use the same set, so it would be okay if you do too! The Compass 700c tires do give a comfy ride.
Thanks for the video. Here's a general question for anyone who may know: If a thin sidewall is key to a supple and more comfortable ride, how do you determine this quality when shopping for tires online? A follow up question: Is it best to shop for tires in person and compare firsthand or are there alternatives?
You can’t from an online picture. There are some known brands like Compass, SOMA, some Panaracer tires.
Any idea if there is a link between TPI and suppleness? My understanding is that a higher TPI is generally associated with a smoother, faster rolling tire. The Terravail tires are 60 TPI, while the Panaracer GKs are 126. So on paper, I would've thought that the Panaracers would be the more supple tire.
It's complicated. Different versions of the gravel kings have different sidewalls. Some are rubber, some are similar to the Terravails. The 650b x 50mm ones I have that have the rubber sidewalls are not as supple as the Terravails. Also, the terravails come in a few flavors. You really have to compare on a tire by tire basis sometimes.
I recently purchased a set of Panaracer Gravel Kings almost immediately got a flat was able to ride for a week really liked the suppleness but then got another flat so they are put aside until I get some tire protection liners.
only tubeless flats count
Love the video!!! Would like to see how much side protection the skin walls have.
It’s a trade off. That’s what makes them supple :)
Good to hear, I just ordered some Teravail’s
Exactly the video I wanted right now!
Liked the new back ground. I like the content.
I am putting 29 carbon wheels on my Salsa Mukluk for bike packing and gravel rides. Do you have a tire to recommend in the 2.25-2.6" range?
Review request for the following bikes "Surly Bridge Club" a on/off road 27.5 plus touring bike, "Marin Pine Mountain 1" a hard tail 27.5 adventure bike, Jamis "Dragonslayer Sport" a hardtail 27.5 adventure bike.
Which tires out of 3 were most supple? Thinking about a new supple tire. Thanks for video
I had the Compass tires on my Cross check and they did feel very supple , however, I had a blowout on the rear tire , first ride out . I probably should give them another shoot , but I ended up going with Maxxis Re-fuses . They aren’t quite as supple and a little heavier , but still they give my ride a great feel . In addition, the Maxxis re- fuse has a great reputation for wearing well and not having flat issues .
Did it blow off the rim or a side wall tear? They can be a little living dangerously depending on the terrain.
I couldn’t find any damage to the tire , but I believe this side wall was punched, just too small of a hole to detect. I was turning going over a railroad crossing. The side wall probably made contact with the tracks , as I was leaning into the turn . It happened so fast , there was no time to save the back end from washing out and crashing.
Just ordered 2 more Soma Grand Randonneurs...on sale for $39/ea. Such a deal.
Loved the format of this video. Bit more informal. Also, your mention of maybe buying the Velo O made me wonder what you have in your stable now. What do you ride most? What is your current favorite? Do you find yourself selling bikes to make room for new ones? Thanks.
Ha. We have too many bikes. The bike we ride the most are our Vayas which we use as daily commuters. I'm trying to sell bikes to fund new ones, but the market here in Missoula sucks.
Selling bikes without a good market is hard, especially when they would obviously sell fast elsewhere. I live in rural Mass and there is a market, but it can be slow. Almost makes me want to live somewhere urban ;)
Great video and love the format.
Compass tires are super plush... ahem... "supple" :)
Hey Russ, thanks for all the sweet content. I've been looking into trying out a set of supple 700c tires, but can't decide which ones to go with.
I ride a Kona Rove ST that can accommodate tire widths up to ~45mm. I mainly ride pavement, but it's sometimes pavement in sub-par condition. I occasionally ride gravel but very infrequently.
From researching online, I'm most interested in the Teravail Rampart 700 x 38 Tires, Soma Supple Vitesse 700 x 42 Tires, and the Compass Snoqualmie Pass 700 x 44 Tires. Trying to pick the tire with the best balance of fast rolling performance and puncture resistance.
Would you recommend one of these/ recommend one over the others? Is there another tire out there I'm missing that I should check out?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Teravail Rampart 700x38: teravail.com/tires/rampart#TR7275
Soma Supple Vitesse 700x42: www.somafab.com/archives/product/supple-vitesse-ex-700c-clincher-tire
Compass Snowqualmie Pass 700x44: www.compasscycle.com/shop/components/tires/700c/compass-700c-x-44-snoqualmie-pass/
What was that about 26????
Try riding tubular, sew-up, tires. The side walls aren't stiff like clincher tires. They will smooth out rough roads. Get are pair of 'Paris-Roubaix' tires and compare the weight and compare the ride to clincher tires at the same inflation pressure. Ride down cobble stone streets, A number of Pro's still use tubulars for a smooth, efficient, long distance ride.
Yep, Russ knows the deal for a supple ride. The opposite end of the spectrum is Schwalbe Marathon Plus, almost flat free indestructible, but heavy and dead feeling.
I know you’re a big fan of WTB Horizons and Byway, but have you ever tried them in snow conditions? Like on a firm snow track? I know that many people would like to ride in snow without switching to a fatbike
If there’s any ice, it’s no good. I personally wouldn’t ride it. Also, depending on how fresh the snow is you’d probably just cut right through. It doesn’t have enough float.
I ordered the Teravail Washburn gravel tires (700c x 42). Is the Teravail in your review the soft and supple or durable bead-to-bead?
Just curious... why the love for 650b? Is it simply because it allows a bigger tire in the frame with the smaller diameter?
Not that I don’t like 650b, it have no issues with the size
I’m short. It allows a high volume tire without 1)raising center of gravity 2) toe overlap 3)tire clearance for seat bags.
Path Less Pedaled right on. That makes total sense. Great video brother
Are those gravel king sk+ (plus)? My sk I just got are not black inside.
Good luck with Teravail, I’ve had horrible luck with flats on them and complete sidewall puncture over gravel downhill.
Haven’t had problems. You can flat and get a sidewall tear with any tire depending where/how you ride.
Path Less Pedaled I also had issue with sealant seepage for the first month on them on the sidewalls. Very comfy tires I just found them to not hold up well.
Path Less Pedaled have you tried IRC Boken that’s my next tire try.
Hey Russ, do you ever run any of your tires with tubes in them? If not, is it because they are less "supple" with a tube rather than running them tubeless? Thanks for everything. Love your channel!
Currently all our bikes are tubeless. Biggest advantage is the ability to run low pressures without pinch flatting. They can be a PITA to get on tho.
@@PathLessPedaledTV thanks brotha!
Very interesting vid, as usual, I'm liking the look of the Compass tyres hard to get in UK though. Thinking 38mm 700c on my Kinesis atr and 48mm 650b on my 3T exploro any other thoughts on other brands. Many thanks
I ran Compass Bon Jon Pass tires, front and rear on my Specialized Sequoia. Super supple tires. When the sidewall got cut on the rear tire, I replaced it with Gravel King Slick 700c x 38mm tires to save costs. Because it is less supple, I ran the GK at 28 psi to get the same feel as the BJP at 35psi. I don't notice any difference. So this makes me wonder whether you can make any tire supple by lowering the pressure on any tire, even a commuter tire like the Schwalbe Marathon, until it feels smooth (the bike stops bouncing on rough roads)?
You can do that and I’ve done that. The problem however, I’ve noticed, is that by lowering the pressure to achieve similar suppleness you also increase the chances of making contact with the rim...and sometimes to get a similar feel, the tire sort of puddles and feels real slow.
Hi, have you tested the maxxis ramblers?
Weird how Laura has the Breadwinner & you never went Velo Orange. How did you like the Coronados?
It’s not weird. It’s called money. Don’t have enough of it.
Thanks for the video, I like the idea of supple tyres but wonder how robust they would be on the flint gravel in our area? Do any of these have puncture protection or would that counter act the suppleness?
Rode the Soma Cazaderos tubeless in DK and had no issue with flats or sidewall failures. Have also taken supple tires on very questionable terrain and have not had (touch wood) any catastrophic failures. It’s all a risk and sometimes comes to pure dumb luck and being cognizant of line choice.
@@PathLessPedaledTV thanks for the info, definitely feel more confident about exploring the supple life... 🖖
I'd love to see the Maxxis Rambler included in your tests. IMO, Maxxis reigns supreme in the MTB world, but I'm not sure how they stack up with gravel tires.
Maxxis Ramblers win a lot of gravel races. I completed 2 "Lost and Found" gravel races at competitive speed without thinking about saving the tires at all in rocky areas. They are not super "supple" but are a solid choice. Make sure you get the latest version which is easier to mount tubeless and doesn't have the blistering problem.
Hi Russ. I am Seeking Supple LIfe tire advice: I am building up a used Bike Friday that I plan to use on mutiple surfaces (road, dirt, easy gravel), and I am researching tire options. The bike came with an extra set of Kenda Kontacts 20" x 1.75" that look new. I will likely start with those and see how they work.
I have only ever ridden Schwalbe Marathon 1.5" x 20" (406) tires on my other Bike Friday. So, I have no frame of reference on what other tires feel like or if "supple" is even possible on the more twitchy 20" wheels. The Schwalbe Marathons have served me well with puncture resistance.
Since you have experience with Bike Fridays, Bromptons, and Moultons, I am curious if you have any tire suggestions for me? [I don't do tubeless.] I might be able to fit a 20 x 2" tire on the Bike Friday. The rims are Sun Rims AT18 (if that means anything to you). I appreciate your guidance! -Kim (San Diego)
Might look into these tires spec’d on the Moulton gravel bike. www.bikeradar.com/us/road/gear/article/moulton-xtb-gravel-bike-52639/
Have you ever tested the Maxxis Detonator 650b? I have them and they seem quite nice, they have pretty compliant sidewalls, but I don't know how they match up to the likes of Compass etc.
Haven’t had a chance to try those.
Is the video up yet comparing the Jones stock tires to the Teravail Coronados?
Nice change of camera angle. Throw this into one of your bikes and bourbon episodes.
Might try that out.
Russ whats your fav 27.5 tire? Bought a 27.5 wheelset for my Journeyman to swap with the 700c wheels for various terrain. Looking for a decent offroad tread. Thanks!
Schwalbe G-Ones in 2.1 are pretty awesome.
Appreciate it thanks!
What model is the teravail?
I’m considering a Salsa Fargo GX 29er or a Fargo 27.5 with. 3” tires. I will mostly be riding on asphalt pavement. Will you please share your opinion on what you’d choose?
Mostly pavement I would go with the 29er and swap out the tires for Compass 700x55 tires.
Path Less Pedaled thanks, pal.
Hey what's that bike stand?
Great info...thank you!!!
Dig the background!
Green screen is working well :)
WOOOO YEA LOVE UR VIDS BUD !
How do you measure tire pressure on the ride? I take it you carry a gauge with you? Or is it part of your pump? I just switched my Cutthroat to Maxxis Ramblers. My LBS set the psi to 70! I guess because I told them I typically start my gravel rides from my house, on paved roads, to get to the gravel. They suggested lowering the psi when I reach the gravel, but I have no way of checking the psi when I switch it.
70psi? WTF. That is way to high. I carry a small digital gauge from Topeak.
Yah, I thought that was high, but they set it for paved roads. I haven't ridden it yet with the new tires.
Not sure how wide the ones were you got, but I'd probably start those at 40 personally.
They're 40's. Widest they had.
Russ what brand of bike repair stand are you using?
Feedback Sports
Thank you Russ. Great channel by the way. I've been hook with it!!!
Russ I must take exception to your pronunciation of - nomenclature -
😊
Have you reviewed the Jones bike yet?? I don't recall seeing it.
Not yet. Prob in a week and a half.
Please more
Can you recommend a nice and supple 29er tire for nice roads and on road travel?
I got a 29er before 650b ever came out (I think) and much like a sexy wife, I can’t let her go. Lol
I know 29 is 700c but where’s the good non mountain tires??? Thanks for the help
For mixed terrain been liking the SOMA Cazaderos. For supple road, check out the new 700x55mm tires from Compass!!!
psi makes a tire supple. less,or more?
The substance of this one was particularly interesting, and I love that you are so expressive with your hands, but being handheld, the sample tires moved too quickly and constantly for me to see any real detail. I finally had to look away and just listen to the rest of the video. No biggie, but maybe even more stationary b-roll of the subjects of your videos (you do great b-roll!) to leave your hands free to do their engagingly-emphatic thing?
What about wear?
Everything is a compromise but affordable tyres can become expensive if they don't last.
Great vids.
The compass tires tread lasts forever. I have cut a sidewall but was able to patch and get many 100s more miles running them tubeless. They are very expensive but I value the ride quality that much and ride carefully if it gets rocky. Most of the gravel roads I ride are fairly smooth. They roll really fast even at 40-45 psi on pavement and gravel.
Can anyone recommend a tubeless 650 x 42 mm tire that has some grip? I’m currently running panaracer parimoto on my slate. I have went down several times on dusty trails in my area. I like those tires on pavement but my ride is done 50/50 pavement / trail. My maximum clearance is 45mm.
Chris Tokashiki WTB Resolutes seem like a good fit. Russ actually has a review of them on this channel, I think. They’re not the fastest on road (there is a healthy centerline though) but they’re fantastic on gravel/off-road
Have reviewed any road tires ?
Doing a 650b tire round up in a few weeks.
Could any one recommend a fat bike tire that has good traction that is subtle and at least a 4.5. I am using a dhf dhr 4.8. Boy they are stiff. For a faster heavier and stronger rider. Ride in western pa winters. Snow rain and mud. Need at least s 4.5 because off peddle strikes
Thanks
Walter Kasper, living in Michigan and riding a Fatboy Carbon Expert (through winter snow and summer hard pack) the best rolling, lightest and most supple are the 4.8" Schwalbe Jumbo Jim tires hands down. I run the lite skin version tubeless and couldn't be happier with the performance.
Compass Rat Trap Pass FTW
What about 26ers????!!!!?!?! I'm looking for a good 650b wheelset upsize, shouldn't have a problem fitting my 90s trek cept, no disk, threaded for cassette, no such thing???
Same principles apply to 26. Look at the casing/sidewall. In fact the Compass Rat Traps at 26x2.3 look super sweet.
@@mtbboy1993 honestly thought maybe I'd gain something out of finding a 650b set. Mostly just for selection of tires. But I like the recommendation above.
@@mtbboy1993 I slid my 700c 25mm wheels on for shits, it looked so slick. I just picked a trek 850shx with front suspension that I expect to be my trucker. Thanks for the input, 26ers aren't dead yet.
If we're talking about tires I like a more stiffer and heavier tire. Just fore fore the mind of punctures
Supple tires in the land of Goatheads seems scary...
Tubeless. Also it’s just the risk of living the supple life.
N+1!
what brand is your bike stand?
Feedback Sports.
@@PathLessPedaledTV Pro Elite; such a damn fine stand!
If you care so much about your tires feeling supple, why are you not running them tubeless? I run 42 x 700 Specialized Sawtooths on a Kona Rove LTD. They are supppppple.
I run tubeless on my personal bikes, but I don’t have test bikes long enough to hassle with them. Also, many of them don’t come with tubeless tire/rim combos.
I'm currently running my Rat Trap Pass ELs with latex tubes. :)
Hey russ iv got an idea I'd like to talk to you about you have an email?
Huh... And I thought it was just rubber.
t-shirt is hilarious!
26 inchhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Bike
Those tires are freakin FAT. I roll on 700cc x 40s and they seem tiny compared to those lol
bike school what? .com @ 30secs. thx.
Bicycle Quarterly.