SACRAMENTO, Calif. (BRAIN) — WTB will be unveiling a new 650b tire named the Horizon 650 x 47c Road Plus TCS at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show this weekend.
Referred to as "Road Plus" by WTB, the Horizon 650 x 47c tire measures the same outside diameter as a 700 x 30mm road tire and is intended to be used with endurance road and gravel applications. WTB said this is a similar concept as the 27.5-plus size, where an oversized 27.5-inch tire equates to the same height and diameter as a traditional 29er mountain bike tire.
"At the same overall diameter as current endurance road bikes, the geometry remains unchanged – bottom bracket height, axle to crown, relative angles, all stay the same," said Chris Feucht, WTB's manager of new product development. "Only additional chainstay clearance may be needed, though quite a lot of existing bikes on the market already clear this size."
WTB has compiled a list of currently compatible frames, which can be viewed on its website. Additionally, several bicycle brands have models arriving this fall accommodating the tires. Masi will launch the Speciale Randonneur bike this fall with the tires, for example.
Masi's product manager, Kellen LeBlanc, said, "The Speciale Randonneur is a sport touring bicycle designed for long hauls at speed while still retaining a comfortable ride. It's designed to be loaded with weight on the front fork while also boasting a superb ride quality. Like traditional randonneuring bicycles, 650b tires are a must, which is why we have chosen WTB Horizon Road Plus TCS tires – fast rolling, comfortable tires that soak up the bumps so your body doesn't have to!"
Brodie Bikes, Miele, and Rawland will also be supporting the size, WTB said. 3T will offer a new low spoke count, wide carbon fiber wheelset optimized for Road Plus. The 3T Discus Plus wheels will be offered in LTD, Team, and Pro versions with the Team model arriving with preinstalled Horizon 650 x 47c Road Plus TCS tires.
"The key to Road Plus is its versatility," saod Will Ritchie, WTB's drop bar category manager. "It furthers what's great about current endurance road bikes – more compliance, less road noise and abuse on the body – and expands on this without having to push a bigger overall wheel than necessary. Our TCS [Tubeless Compatible System] version of the Horizon 650 x 47c Road Plus tire really takes advantage of this extra volume, allowing for a smoother ride on the road, a larger contact patch and lower pressure for taking things into dirt, and a more stable ride while touring or carrying extra weight. You can really see a lot of this potential with both the Hunter and Soulcraft bikes here at the show – they're immaculately elegant road-going bikes as we'd expect from these guys and the relatively smooth pattern of the Horizon Road Plus tire compliments this, yet they breathe capability. WTB is incredibly fortunate to be able to show the new Horizon Road Plus tires beneath these beautiful bikes from such accomplished builders – a big thank you to Sean Walling of Soulcraft and Rick Hunter of Hunter Cycles."
WTB Horizon 650 x 47c Road Plus TCS tires feature WTB's Lightweight Casing and Dual DNA Rubber Compound with preproduction sample weights of 515 gram. The Horizon 650 x 47c Road Plus TCS tire will retail for $67.95 with a projected availability of June. WTB recommends pairing the Horizon 650 x 47c Road Plus TCS tires with its KOM i23 and i25 TCS and Ci24 TCS rims to maximize the higher volume profile.
WTB will also be expanding its drop bar offerings with Exposure 700 x 30c and 700 x 34c Road TCS tires debuting at Taipei International Cycle Show next week.
