Which Tyres?

Word of warning, if you are ordering tyres off Planet X, double check the size with them. I thought I was ordering 700x37 vittoria randonneur pros, what I actually have is 622x37, which equates to a 700x35.
For the price I can't be arsed to send em back. Just thought it was worth mentioning.

Vittoria's come up narrow/tall.

Aye, I'd read that, my point being that I've bought tyres off the 700 x..... sizing in the past, never off the 622 x...... sizing. Ordered the 37s as I thought they'd come up nearer 35s, actually got 35s nearer to 32s. But for the price they are still a bargain and will get used before I consider another tyre.

622 is the ETRTO spec for 700c, it's exactly the same

Somebody needs to explain that to vittoria then. 622x37, and 700x35 on same tyre?

That's normal, it said similar on all tyres.

The 622 (rim) and 700 (generic term for type of wheel, like 29er etc) have nothing to do with the width.

Ok, so where does 37mm and 35mm come into play, surely they relate to the width of the tyre?

It's iso - metric difference

http://www.ctc.org.uk/cyclists-library/components/wheels-tyres/tyre-sizes

Yes. Those are the claimed widthes of the tyres. Vittoria over-state the width because they are tall.

Don't go there!

Thank you. Will check which size retailers are using next time I buy tyres.

Clement strada llg 120tpi 25mm
Fantastic tyres & £27 from pbk

You sure that the 120tpi one?

Yes they are fantastic tyres , comfort & great grip
£27.99
http://www.probikekit.co.uk/bicycle-tyres/clement-strada-lgg-clincher-road-tyre-120-tpi-black/10961832.html

Best cheapish, lightweightish, fast rolling 650b tyre? (@edscoble)

Grand Bois are pricey, like, and Marathons are 650g a piece.

Basically want a Pasela equivalent (as I can't find them in 650b), ideally white or gum walls but not too fussy.

http://www.xxcycle.com/tyre-hutchinson-confrerie-des-650b-275-650-b-ts,,en.php

https://janheine.wordpress.com/2012/07/09/hutchinson-650b-x-32-mm-tires/

Another slightly pricey choice: http://www.bike-mailorder.com/index.php?cl=details&anid=43655&cnid=365&lang=0&force_sid=

Panaracer Col de la Vie is well priced and similar to a Pasela.

Girlfriend used to commute on them (before switching to 32mm Grand Bois for clearance with new mudguard).

Thanks gents, will investigate!

@miro_o uses that Hutchinson; so ask him for first hand experience

Slight aside, but while you're here Ed - do you know anything about odd sized lever boss threads? The ones on my Raleigh Portage don't take the normal M4 (? M3?) bolts, and I'll go and grab some other ones to try this week but would they have been made with imperial sizes as it's USA made? I've never experienced it before, really fucking frustrating, tbh. The boss itself is also a weird shape, with an extra 'tab' on the base bit. I've filed down some cable stops which fit on but I'd like to get some proper ones to go on, just not sure what I should be looking for.
It was built for the shortlived Deore 'deerhead' shifters, but the only ones on eBay are band on ones so not sure that'd help.

Edit: Looks like this

Might be possible to mount the lever directly to it, and I may just be being a moron.

Edit 2: Nevermind. Google tells me they're proprietary. Bollocks. Don't really want to file them down, so will use the bodge for now. Some people have had them replaced with normal ones but I'd rather keep the frame as original as possible for now, and wait for some proper shifters (unlikely) to come on eBay.

fwiw the hutchinsons are cheap and look odd but have proved quick rolling, puncture proof (only two this winter) and weirdly durable for a light tyre. Grip isn't amazing. I put a few too many PSIs in today and rear was sliding a bit up steep climbs on the wet/greasy roads when putting down the ossum powah ...ehem.

Schwalbe are making a 650b Kojak. Are Kojaks comparable to the Durano? I might try them next.

I'm waiting for the Kojak to arrived, as the girlfriend's bike need them, but highly doubt they're that resistant to puncture.

The other option is this, I'm certain it's more resistant to puncture than the Kojak, but to be honest, get the Grand Bois 32mm on your 650b, you've tried the Hutchinson, take the next step!

GBs sound like they're worth a try if they can match the mileage/durability/puncture-protection.

Money on good tyres is money well spent IMO.

One thing I can tell you is that my Hutchinson is more prone to puncture than the 32mm Cypes, but then YMMV.