Why Go With a 650b Wheelset for Your Gravel Setup

Investing in a 650b wheelset may not be a popular choice, but it has a lot of merit, especially for gravel cycling. 

Need to run a wider, beefier tire? No problem. Want to have better handling over your bike? You got it. 

Running a 650b wheelset on your gravel bike can have several benefits, many of which get overlooked. Learn more about why we love 650b wheels and why you should, too.

An expert’s take on the advantages of 650b wheels

“650b is not dead!”

Ed Rogers, a true bike wheel professional

A conversation with my friend, trusted mechanic, and teammate, Ed Rogers, inspired this blog post when we got talking about 650b wheels. Take a cursory glance at Ed’s Strava and you’ll see he doesn’t mess around when it comes to putting in big miles in the deep wilderness of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

The first thing Ed said was “650b is not dead!” in defense of a seemingly downward trending wheel size. 

Curiously, I asked Ed about the benefits of a 650b wheelset. He laid out several good reasons why a smaller-diameter wheel would be preferred over 700c. We also talked about what products he likes and what he considers the best 650b gravel wheelset.

As a true bike nerd and head mechanic/bike builder for Bearclaw Bicycle Co. (featured in all the photos you see here) Ed had no reservations in telling me everything I needed to know about 650b.

Benefits of running a 650b wheelset

In gravel cycling, 650b is synonymous with 27.5” wheels, which is the common nomenclature in mountain biking (also where 700c wheels equal 29” wheels). So, it’s only in road and gravel where “650b” is a thing. 

So, what are the benefits of a 650b wheelset over more traditional 700c wheels? According to Ed,

• 650b wheels are more responsive, nimble, and easier to control.
• For shorter riders, 650b wheels offer more standover, providing better bike handling.
• 650b wheelsets are slightly lighter in weight, shaving a hundred grams or more with smaller spokes and less material makeup.
• Shorter spokes make for a stronger wheel, depending on spoke count (e.g. 24-hole versus 32-hole wheel), so 650b are often more resilient to rugged terrain.
• You can fit bigger tires on the same frame. For instance, on the Bearclaw Thunderhawk gravel bike above, the max tire width with standard 700c wheels is 2”. But with 650b, you can fit up to 2.4” tire (or essentially a mountain bike tire.)

These are just some of the most pronounced benefits of 650b gravel wheels. Sure, there are some drawbacks – like slightly less rollover ability – but these “disadvantages” are more or less differences (not really drawbacks).

But what about speed? Aren’t 650b wheels slower? According to Ed, 650b wheels are less than 1% slower than 700c or 29er wheels.

Our tep 650b wheelset recommendations

After we talked about benefits and why anyone would actually want a 650b wheelset, Ed and I discussed top product picks. Because we both ride and love ENVE wheels, we may be biased.

The G27’s are a fantastic wheel, next to the Reynolds ATR. But Ed included a few additional suggestions that you can’t go wrong with, depending on your budget.

• ENVE G27 650b Carbon Wheelset – Starting at $2,550 (Ed’s top pick)
• Reynolds ATR 650b Carbon Wheelset – Starting at $1,449
• ENVE AG28 650b Carbon Wheelset – Starting at $1,750 (Tyler’s top value pick)
• Roval Terra CLX EVO 650b Wheelset – Starting at $1,875
• Industry Nine 1/1 Trail 650b Aluminum Wheelset – Starting at $750
• Zipp Firecrest 303 Carbon 650 Wheel – Starting at $1,283 (per wheel)

All of these gravel wheelset recommendations come tubeless-ready because we don’t mess around with tubes unless we have to. 

Do you have a favorite 650b wheelset that you love and recommend? Let us know in the comments! 

Photo credits: Bearclaw Bicycle Co. featuring Thuderhawk in 650b form with Industry Nine wheels.