Hey fellow cyclists,
Here’s my situation with a few questions:
I ride a 2022 Diverge Expert, 61 cm, 1x with Eagle AXS and Roval Terra CL (i25); the official tire clearance is 47 mm. It’s my first „real“ bike and I love it!
Right now, I’m riding 42 mm Pathfinder Pro tires, which measure 45.5 mm. Since only about 10% of my rides are on asphalt and I recently took a tumble on wet forest ground, I’d like to try the Tufo Swampero (autumn/winter is coming) in 48 mm on the front and the Thundero in 48 mm on the rear. I like to ride fast on gravel, but (so far) I don’t race.
I’m not too worried about the width of the Thundero, but I’m a bit unsure about the Swampero. I read that both tires will likely become a little wider due to the rim width and that the Swampero is about 1.5 mm wider because of its knobs. Maybe one of you can comment on this or rides one of these tires on an i25 rim.
OR (and now for the second topic)
I’ve been thinking for a long time about buying a second wheelset for road tires so that I can join my friends on their rides (until I probably buy a real road bike next year). I already have a second 10-52 Eagle cassette lying around here.
Here are my thoughts on the matter:
- A set of Elitewheels Edge 3.0 or ENT 2.0 with Pirelli P Zero Race 35 mm (I still have these lying around here)
- A set of 650b wheels (e.g., DT Swiss GR1600), so I can take advantage of 2.1” tires (I think that setup looks really cool, but of course it has to make sense too), and then the Roval Terra CL wheelset for the Pirellis. I feel like this combination would let me push the Diverge as far as possible toward both off-road and road riding. What I don’t like about this is that 650b tires seem to be on the decline, and the wheels – including the tires – would naturally be significantly heavier (worse?) than the Roval set. At the same time, I have some concerns since the bottom bracket on the Diverge is generally a bit lower to begin with.
Ultimately, a Crux would probably be the better choice, but right now it’s the Diverge and my budget is tight.
Thanks for your ideas, and sorry for this somewhat chaotic post – or rather, my somewhat chaotic-sounding plan! 
The 650bx2.1 Thunder Burt weighs basically the same as the Thundero 700cx48. Unfortunately it seems it might be discontinued, either temporarily or permanently. This has happened before and the tire came back after a few years but overall options are going to be more limited and I’m not really sure that 650bx2.1 with the other commonly available tires is worth it - since you don’t already have wheels.
The other best tires in that size are Mezcal/Barzo but I think those might be discontinued as well. Which doesn’t leave much. Can the bike fit 2.2? The Dubnital although not available in the fastest Race Rapid combo is probably the best 650bx2.2 tire now and for the foreseeable future. Race King 650bx2.2 ProTection have some limited availability still as well.
What else is there? 700c tires are so much better now that if the only 650b options aren’t top-tier it’s not worth it IMO.
Thanks! 2.2" MIGHT fit but in the end I kind of see it the same way you do. The 650b would basically let me get into the world of fat tires, but that’s about it. I’d rather upgrade eventually to a frame that can handle >50 mm with 700c tires. Thanks for your Input!
I did something similar to you (also on a Diverge!) before I ended up owning too many bikes lol. It works fine, the only caveat would be that you might have to adjust your brake calipers in case the rotors are positioned differently. Using the same rotors as you have on your gravel wheelset might secure similar alignment but isn’t a guarantee.
since you ride ~10% on tarmac I wouldn’t spend too much on the extra wheels, but rather invest in great tires. I also use Pirelli P Zero Race RS tires and they’re great.
if I were you I’d even get a pair of cheap quality allow wheels to do the job. If you are set on carbon wheels and deeper rims I also recommend Tagoola wheels, in addition to the Elites. I’ve found that Tagoola market way more models with wider internal rims which most likely match your desired tire width way better.
Thanks! Never heard of Tagoola. Just to be clear: I ride around 10 % tarmac on my gravel rides but I want the road wheelset for 100 % tarmac. But still, I think a pair of Elitewheels ENT 2.0 or Edge would be more than enough and easy to resell in case I buy a dedicated road bike in the future (or to keep if I buy a used road bike with shitty wheels).
I also read about the rotors but also that it’s no problem after a bit of “shimming”.