The top 9 best 650b mtb tires

Table of Contents

In this article I’m going to give you my top picks for the best 650b mtb tires money can buy.

Mountain biking obviously covers quite a large variety of riding styles. That’s why on this list I cover tires you can use for cross country, trail, enduro, and of course downhill riding, albeit some tires are better suited for a certain discipline than another.

That’s also the reason there’s so much variety in look-and-feel, and weight. Obviously the demands of cross-country are markedly different from those when bombing down a highly technical trail. So it’s no more than natural that some tires weigh three times as much as others.

Anyway, enough talk, let’s head over to my list for the best 650b mtb tires.

Continental Race King ProTection

The Continental Race King ProTection is an extremely light tire. In the weight department it means it outshines every comparable tire from every other brand by far. And it’s also the best XC tire in the rolling-resistance department.

I cannot stress enough that with respect to speed and acceleration, a light tire makes all the difference. And tires are also the most cost-effective way to reduce the overall weight of the bike.

Try reducing a couple of hundred grams of any other bike component and be ready to spend in the hundreds of dollars. Not so the case with tires. And on top of that the tire has the advanced ProTection puncture protection, with a composite breaker and a bead to bead sidewall protection polyamide fabric.

All that speed comes at a price, because traction is not this tire’s strength when compared to other mountain bike tires. And it’s the reason this tire performs best in dry conditions.

But when riding in those conditions getting up to speed and keeping it is like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. It rightly deserves its name.

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

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

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.

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.

Schwalbe Racing Ralph

Schwalbe’s lineup consists of a number of highly specialized cross-country tires. The Schwalbe Racing Ralph being one of them.

As stated on the website, the Racing Ralph was designed for the rear. That’s because it has the shallowest center tread pattern, making it perfect for riding as fast as possible in dry conditions.

Although it’s meant for a combo setup with a grippier tire in the front, you could actually use it as a dual setup when bikepacking or gravel riding instead of pure XC racing.

If you want to ride as fast as possible, and maintain that speed when cornering, I suggest pairing it with a grippier front tire. You can opt for the Racing Ray, Rocket Ron, or Nobby Nic. With the Racing Ray offering the least amount of grip and the Nobby Nic the most. The Rocket Ron sits in between the three.

Schwalbe Racing Ray

Where the Schwalbe Racing Ralph was designed as a rear tire, the Schwalbe Racing Ray is meant for the front. It also means that one of the most obvious choices for a Schwalbe cross country setup would be the combination of the two.

And it seems that the combination works for a lot of people better than ever. with great braking power and traction in the back and great traction and grip in the front, even for wet conditions.

WTB Vigilante 2.5/2.6/2.8

The WTB Vigilante 2.5/2.6/2.8 is a solid contender to many of the premium offerings from other high-quality brands.

Obviously there are a number of tire widths to choose from, depending on your personal preference when it comes to grip. What this tire has got going for it is that’s prefers grip and handling over weight. The rather widely spaced and high soft knobbies do very well in keeping your bike connected to the trail, ensuring high levels of confidence in hard cornering.

WTB offers this tire in their TriTec compound, which basically means that the casing consists of three layers, with each layer having a different firmness. The harder durometer is reserved for the center, reducing the risk of punctures and making the tire faster in a straight line. This gradual increase in softness from center to side sounds great on paper, and indeed works exceptionally well on the trail. It makes for a really grippy and reliable tire in corners and reasonably fast on the straights with adequate levels of puncture protection.

I tend to disagree that this tire works as well in the rear as it does in the front when it comes to braking and traction. The widely spaced tread pattern without those distinctive horizontal rows simply isn’t the best setup to support those two rear tire characteristics. On the other hand, if you like a loose feel and don’t mind the occasional drift, this tire actually enhances such a way of riding.

In the end the WTB Vigilante rightly deserves its spot on this list with grippy and fun riding characteristics that’ll suit a great number of riders.

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.

Continental Race King ProTection

75%

Maxxis Ikon

70%

Maxxis Minion DHF

51%

Maxxis Minion DHR II

54%

Schwalbe Nobby Nic

57%

Schwalbe Racing Ralph

69%

Schwalbe Racing Ray

69%

WTB Vigilante 2.5/2.6/2.8

20%

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.

Continental Race King ProTection

27%

Maxxis Ikon

30%

Maxxis Minion DHF

37%

Maxxis Minion DHR II

40%

Schwalbe Nobby Nic

35%

Schwalbe Racing Ralph

29%

Schwalbe Racing Ray

29%

WTB Vigilante 2.5/2.6/2.8

50%

Specifications 650b mtb tires

Name	Size	ETRTO	Weight (gr)	Tread color	Sidewall color	Compound	Puncture protection	Tire bead	TPI	Buy at Amazon
Continental Race King Racesport	27.5×2.20	55-584	490	Black	Black	BlackChili	RaceSport casing	tubular	3/180	link
Maxxis Ikon	27.5×2.20	56-584	590	Black	Light Tan	Dual	EXO	tlr		link
Maxxis Ikon	27.5×2.20	56-584	668	Black	Tan	Dual	EXO	tlr		link
Maxxis Ikon	27.5×2.20	56-584	630	Black	Black	3C MaxxSpeed	EXO	tlr		link
Maxxis Ikon	27.5×2.35	60-584	700	Black	Black	3C MaxxSpeed	EXO	tlr		link
Schwalbe Racing Ralph	27.5×2.25	57-584	605	Black	Black	ADDIX Speed	Super Ground	tlr		link
Schwalbe Racing Ralph	27.5×2.25	57-584	680	Black	Black	ADDIX	Super Ground	tlr		link
Schwalbe Racing Ray	27.5×2.25	57-584	605	Black	Black	ADDIX Speed	Super Ground	tlr		link
Schwalbe Racing Ray	27.5×2.25	57-584	680	Black	Black	ADDIX		tlr		link
WTB Vigilante 2.5/2.6/2.8	27.5×2.50	60-584	1092	Black	Black	TriTec Single		tlr	60	link
WTB Vigilante 2.5/2.6/2.8	27.5×2.50	60-584	1174	Black	Black	TriTec Dual		tlr	60	link
WTB Vigilante 2.5/2.6/2.8	27.5×2.60	65-584	1340	Black	Black	TriTec Dual		tlr	60	link
Schwalbe Big Betty	27.5X2.40	62-584	1300	Black	Black	ADDIX Ultra Soft		tlr		link
Maxxis Minion DHF	27.5×2.30	58-584	880	Black	Light Tan	3C MaxxTerra		tlr	60	link
Maxxis Minion DHF	27.5×2.50	63-584	1005	Black	Black	3C MaxxTerra	EXO+	tlr	60	link
Maxxis Minion DHF	27.5×2.50	63-584	945	Black	Black	Dual	EXO	tlr	60	link
Maxxis Minion DHF	27.5×2.50	63-584	956	Black	Tan	Dual	EXO	tlr	60	link
Maxxis Minion DHF	27.5×2.60	66-584	1010	Black	Black	3C MaxxTerra	EXO+	tlr	60	link
Maxxis Minion DHF	27.5×2.60	66-584	965	Black	Black	Dual	EXO	tlr	60	link
Maxxis Minion DHF	27.5×2.60	66-584	925	Black	Black	3C MaxxTerra		tlr	120	link
Maxxis Minion DHR II	27.5×2.30	58-584	800	Black	Black	Dual	EXO	tlr	60	link
Maxxis Minion DHR II	27.5×2.30	58-584	805	Black	Black	3C MaxxTerra	EXO	tlr	60	link
Maxxis Minion DHR II	27.5×2.40	61-584	900	Black	Black	Dual	EXO	tlr	60	link
Maxxis Minion DHR II	27.5×2.40	61-586	940	Black	Tan	Dual	EXO	tlr	60	link
Maxxis Minion DHR II	27.5×2.40	61-587	1126	Black	Black	3C MaxxTerra	EXO+	tlr	60	link
Maxxis Minion DHR II	27.5×2.60	66-584	910	Black	Black	3C MaxxTerra	EXO+	tlr	60	link
Maxxis Minion DHR II	27.5×2.60	66-584	1065	Black	Black	3C MaxxTerra	EXO	tlr	60	link
Maxxis Forekaster	27.5X2.35	60-584	690	Black	Black	Dual		tlr	120	link
Maxxis Forekaster	27.5X2.60	66-584	820	Black	Black	Dual		tlr	60	link

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.