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The top 13 best 650b tan-wall tires

In this article I’m going to give you a list of the best 650b tan-wall tires.

The list can be roughly divided into two categories. The first category is more mountain bike oriented, with well-known brands like Maxxis and Schwalbe being represented. The next category is what you could call gravel tires, with WTB and Panaracer stealing the show.

Naturally both categories are markedly different from each other, which is reflected in the tires you can see. But both categories cover a great spectrum of bikes and riding conditions. From everyday commuting on slick or semi-slick slim tires, to enduro, and downhill racing on wide mountain bike tires.

I already know you like tan-wall tires or else you wouldn’t be reading this, and I can assure you you’re bound to find what you’re looking for with these top picks of the best 650b tan-wall tires.

Maxxis Ikon

Maxxis Ikon
Maxxis Ikon

The absolute cross-country king in Maxxis’ lineup. The Maxxis Ikon has near perfect all-round tire characteristics, which makes it an excellent option for diverse road and trail conditions. Though it’s categorized obviously as an XC tire, it’ll also perform superior for bikepackers and gravel riders.

That being said, this is a racing tire, which means it’s light. But the reliable EXO compound, also used for harsher enduro racing, also means you’ll enjoy this tire for many miles.

As with any tire with this type of tread, it’ll perform well in dry conditions. The 26 inch version has both a 2.35 and 2.2 inch width option. You can run this tire both front and back, and might opt for the wider version in the front for some added grip. Especially if you expect some portions of your ride to be particularly rough.

It’s undeniable that the top-of-the-line products of Maxxis are superior to many if not all of their competitors. And the Maxxis Ikon shows it, with a perfect blend of weight, speed, grip, and protection.

Maxxis Minion DHF

Maxxis Minion DHF
Maxxis Minion DHF

When you’re looking for a mountain bike tire it’s almost impossible not to have heard of the Maxxis Minion DHF. The reason being it’s like the ultimate fit-and-forget mountain bike tire on the market. That means that the tire is just about perfect for any local trail riding, to enduro and downhill races.

The tread pattern shows that this tire prefers to sit on your front wheel. You can opt to put another fan favorite, the Maxxis Minion DHR II, at the back. That tire has horizontally aligned knobbies for increased braking power.

Its popularity ensures there are many options to choose from, both with respect to size, as well as casing. And all of them offer either the EXO sidewall protection, or Double Down breaker. For those with a penchant for tan sidewalls, there are those as well.

On its own, or paired with the Minion DHR II, the Maxxis Minion DHF is such a no-brainer that it’s hard to not recommend it to anyone for all-round trail-riding and downhill.

Maxxis Minion DHR II

Maxxis Minion DHR II
Maxxis Minion DHR II

The “DH” in DHF and DHR stands for “downhill”. The “F” and “R” for “front” and “rear” respectively. The “downhill” in the name is a bit misleading, because the horizontal tread pattern of the DHR not only aids braking but also gives more traction when going uphill. Both tires have the same side knobs to maximize grip while cornering.

Maxxis intended these two tires to be used together as their go-to allround solution for trail riding. And these tires are in some many lists that it’s probably the best allround no-worries solution money can buy.

Together with the Minion DHF, the Maxxis Minion DHR II is a fantastic and confidence inspiring tire that will take your downhill rides to the next level.

Panaracer GravelKing SS Plus (Tubed)

Panaracer GravelKing SS Plus (Tubed)
Panaracer GravelKing SS Plus (Tubed)

The tubed version of the Panaracer GravelKing SS Plus is a gorgeous plus sized gravel tire.

Fairly lightweight with excellent longevity and puncture protection, the black or tan-wall version are supple tires that will last you a long time.

Just as the slimmer version they offer minimal grip with an almost slick tread pattern adn extremely small side knobbies. It means that they are both excellent and fast-rolling road tires as well as light gravel and hardpack. The round profile of the tire with the minimal tread pattern ensures a plus ride in these conditions.

Panaracer GravelKing SK (TLC)

Panaracer GravelKing SK (TLC)
Panaracer GravelKing SK (TLC)

The Panaracer Gravel King SK has become my favorite gravel tire on the market. In my mind there are two brands that stand out from the crowd, and those are american-made WTB and their Japanese counterpart Panaracer.

I’ve been a longtime fan of Panaracer. When the gravel-craze took hold of the bicycle industry, they created the tire that would serve as the de facto standard for gravel tires with the GravelKing SK. It has just the right weight, just the right tread pattern, just the right puncture protection, and all wrapped up in a beautiful package, both in black and tan-wall options.

Deservedly so, the Panaracer Gravel King SK is in my mind the true fit-and-forget, all-weather, all-season option for gravel aficionados. But will serve those bikepackers and hard-riding daily commuters just as well.

Panaracer Pasela ProTite

Panaracer Pasela ProTite
Panaracer Pasela ProTite

Panaracer makes very nice mid-level priced tires. And they also offer some of the best-looking ones for retro builds. I choose the Panaracer Pasela ProTite over the normal Pasela, because it’s lighter, comes in a folding version and has better puncture protection.

The ProTite bead-to-bead protection covers is a tightly woven fabric covering the entire width of the tire, and sits in a mid-tier casing, offering a great combination of puncture protection, and low weight.

In general the Pasela ProTite are lightweight and true skin walls, that’ll look great on your bike.

Schwalbe Nobby Nic

Schwalbe Nobby Nic
Schwalbe Nobby Nic

The Schwalbe Nobby Nic is the best all-round trail tire from the German manufacturer. If there’s a tire that could rival the dominance of the Maxxis DHR and DHF and its omnipresence on the trail, it’s this one.

It’s tread pattern provides loads of grip and traction. Its allround nature means it’s just as good in the front as it is in the back. And it’s also often seen as a grippy front tire for aggressive XC riding, with a faster and lighter tire in the back.

You can go up to a size 2.35 if you want to and it’s also the only tire that comes in a 26 inch tan version. So if you’re looking for a solid all-round setup, meant for every conceivable condition, dry and wet, hardpack and forest trail, and you want to ride a tan version, this is the tire for you.

WTB Byway

WTB Byway
WTB Byway

WTB has been at the forefront of providing high-quality gravel tires and the WTB Byway is another great example of why the brand reigns supreme in that department.

The slick center line ensures this minimal gravel tire is fast when going in a straight line. But the pronounced side knobbies allow for enough confidence in dry summer conditions when riding hardpack and dirt roads.

Even a great tire such as this one has its limits, and the minimal tread pattern won’t fare well in wet and muddy conditions. Also grip on steep inclines with loose gravel might be less optimal because of its semi-slick nature. But to be fair that’s not the intended purpose of this tire.

So if your average ride includes pavement and gravel and speed is at the top of your list, this is a gorgeous option to choose.

WTB Horizon

WTB Horizon
WTB Horizon

The WTB Horizon is a gorgeous and supple 650b slick tire, available in both black and true tan-wall options.

The 47 millimeter width tire comes in both a single ply 60 TPI and a more supple 120 TPI version. The center tread has no pattern whatsoever and is flanked by dual herringbone patterns to provide a modicum of traction when riding anything else but smooth tarmac and pavement.

It’s fully tubeless compatible and the round tire ranging between 515 and 571 grams for the various versions will make a plush ride indeed for any type of light gravel riding or urban commuting.

WTB Resolute

WTB Resolute
WTB Resolute

The WTB Resolute is an allround all-weather all-season gravel bike tire, or so WTB claims.

And this claim does make sense, with WTB basically applying a baseline of solid gravel tire characteristics into this product offering.

It’s both a lightweight tire which enhances acceleration. And it sits in between slick tires and the aggressive tread pattern of the WTB Sendero, ensuring good grip and traction in all kinds of conditions, while going in a straight line or in corners, going uphill or downhill.

So does that make the WTB Resolute one of the best all-rounders in the gravel department. The answer is a resolute yes, pun intended.

WTB Sendero

WTB Sendero
WTB Sendero

The WTB Sendero is what I would consider to be a cross country or trail tire in a gravel package.

Its combination of center- and side knobs ensure all-round good grip in loose conditions. Obviously the width is less than a mountain bike tire, but in return you achieve a much lighter weight and the ability to turn your gravel bike into a tool enabling aggressive off-road riding in much rougher conditions.

So if you’re someone who rides his or her bike in the most demanding spectrum of gravel riding, this is the perfect tire for the job.

WTB Venture

WTB Venture
WTB Venture

The WTB Venture is a gravel tire specifically meant for all-day hilly off-road usage.

Its low rolling-resistance characteristics demand this tire is used on anything that’s not smooth pavement. Where it loses in the weight department, it makes up in cornering proficiency, with the center tread pattern aiding in above-average braking and the raised side knobbies providing confidence while cornering.

Both abilities come at the forefront in more tactical downhill sections, where weight doesn’t matter at all, and you need to be able to rely on your bike in tight corners.

650B Tires Weight Rating

Tires are one of the easiest and cost-effective places on your bike to save weight. Rubber is simply much less expensive than, say, carbon or titanium.

The weight ratings in the following table are not absolute numbers. You can find those numbers in the specifications table at the end of the article. The number you see here is a weighted ratio of weight related to tire width.

The number provides an indicator to quickly compare different tires against each other and have to be taken with a grain of salt. Mountain bike tires, which are also featured here, come in a huge number of different sizes, widths, and compounds. To obtain the best ratings I compare the lightest version of tires against each other.

Maxxis Ikon
70%
Maxxis Minion DHF
51%
Maxxis Minion DHR II
54%
Panaracer GravelKing SS Plus (Tubed)
52%
Panaracer GravelKing SK (TLC)
70%
Panaracer Pasela ProTite
86%
Schwalbe Nobby Nic
57%
WTB Byway
64%
WTB Horizon
67%
WTB Resolute
70%
WTB Sendero
60%
WTB Venture
56%

650B Tires Puncture Protection Rating

How well a tire is protected against punctures is not the same as the amount of rubber compound is slapped onto the tire casing.

The puncture protection rating you see in the following table is the additional level of protection a tire has in the form of sidewall protection, and puncture resistant breakers or belts sitting underneath the center tread.

It means a heavy mountain bike tire can have a lower puncture protection rating than a gravel tire with an added puncture resistant layer.

Maxxis Ikon
30%
Maxxis Minion DHF
37%
Maxxis Minion DHR II
40%
Panaracer GravelKing SS Plus (Tubed)
48%
Panaracer GravelKing SK (TLC)
39%
Panaracer Pasela ProTite
26%
Schwalbe Nobby Nic
35%
WTB Byway
31%
WTB Horizon
30%
WTB Resolute
29%
WTB Sendero
33%
WTB Venture
35%

Specifications 650b tan-wall tires

Name
Size
ETRTO
Weight (gr)
Tread color
Sidewall color
Compound
Puncture protection
Tire bead
TPI
Buy at Amazon
Maxxis Ikon
27.5×2.20
56-584
590
Black
Light Tan
Dual
EXO
tlr
Maxxis Ikon
27.5×2.20
56-584
668
Black
Tan
Dual
EXO
tlr
WTB Horizon
27.5×1.85
47-584
515
Black
Tan
Dual DNA
tlr
60
Maxxis Minion DHF
27.5×2.30
58-584
880
Black
Light Tan
3C MaxxTerra
tlr
60
Maxxis Minion DHF
27.5×2.50
63-584
956
Black
Tan
Dual
EXO
tlr
60
Maxxis Minion DHR II
27.5×2.40
61-586
940
Black
Tan
Dual
EXO
tlr
60
WTB Byway
27.5×1.85
47-584
535
Black
Tan
Dual DNA
tlr
WTB Sendero
27.5×1.85
47-584
568
Black
Tan
Dual DNA
tlr
60
WTB Venture
27.5×1.85
44-584
555
Black
Tan
Dual DNA
tlr
60
WTB Resolute
27.5×1.65
42-584
440
Black
Tan
Dual DNA
tlr
60
bio vanseijen

Johan van Seijen

FoundeR Restoration.bike

Johan van Seijen is the founder of restoration.bike. His passion for cycling in general, and restoring older bikes turned into a website to share his knowledge with a broader audience. Starting out on his father’s road bike and riding classics as the Amstel Gold Race and Liege Bastogne Liege he has shifted his attention to trail, XC, and gravel riding since. No matter how much he loves writing about everything related to cycling, nothing beats actually using his ever-expanding bicycle collection.

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