I bought a used gravel bike for commuting and getting off road on the weekends. It came with 650b wheels (they aren't tubeless ready and I haven't converted them) and 47mm semi-slick tires. I have already bought off-road tires that work great for the muddy trails I ride but I can't figure out the best set up for commuting. I want something that is lighter and rolls a bit better but I am worried about the impact of just downsizing the tire will have on handling.
I could buy 700c wheels and run 30-32 tires but the new and used market for low end to half-decent disc wheels is currently really inflated in the UK. As all my racing bikes are rim I am struggling to justify the cost. Alternatively a few companies including Conti have started making small city focused 650b tires so I could keep the wheels and just swap tires. The idea of regularly swapping tires doesn't bother but I am worried about how the reduction in tire size will impact handling.
Has anyone gone from a 50mm to a 30mm tire? Does it massively effect handling? I have previously used cross bikes as winter road bikes and always felt the handling got really squirrelly when using 25mm tires.
I could buy 700c wheels and run 30-32 tires but the new and used market for low end to half-decent disc wheels is currently really inflated in the UK. As all my racing bikes are rim I am struggling to justify the cost. Alternatively a few companies including Conti have started making small city focused 650b tires so I could keep the wheels and just swap tires. The idea of regularly swapping tires doesn't bother but I am worried about how the reduction in tire size will impact handling.
Has anyone gone from a 50mm to a 30mm tire? Does it massively effect handling? I have previously used cross bikes as winter road bikes and always felt the handling got really squirrelly when using 25mm tires.