The Other Cazadero Tire

A couple weeks ago we posted some pics of the new Cazadero tires in 700c. Well, today we got the 650b samples in, and they're pretty neat.

The width is the same as the 700c version (42mm on a Velocity Atlas).

Plenty of clearance with these 73mm Rivendell Silvers. Since the side knobs are shaped to match the curve of the casing, they'll fit well under a fender.

I was surprised at how well they roll compared to other tires I've used. They're not quite as fast as the New Xpress or Grand Randonneurs, but much faster than the IRD Fire XCs on pavement.

One thing that surprised me was that the curved side knobs actually grip really when when you lean into a turn. Unlike a mountain specific knob, which is designed to dig into soft earth, these knobs are much stiffer due to their shallow profile and thick vertical foundation.

In case you didn't see my post on the New Albion blog, this is the Homebrew road model converted to 650b wheels with the Rivendell long reach brake calipers. I wasn't sure if there would be room for these tires since they are a bit wider than the other tires I was running before, but they actually fit with a decent amount of clearance. We're still expecting the first batch of tires to be available sometime in July. I'm might just have to keep this one for a lightly load gravel touring bike. It's been a blast to play around on.