Schwalbe G-One Allround 650b tyre review

We’ve had a Cannondale Slate on test at Cycling Weekly. The bike comes with 650b wheels shod with slick 42mm tyres. They roll well on road but soon give up on typically muddy UK bridlepaths. Enter the Schwalbe G-One Allround, one of the few tyres out there which is available in 650b size in a narrow enough 38mm/1.5 inch width to clear the Slate’s chainstays. It also has a tread pattern.

The Schwalbe G-One Allround is Schwalbe’s dedicated gravel tyre with closely spaced small, round knobs and uses Schwalbe’s Tubeless Easy technology for light weight and, as its name suggests, easy tubeless set-up.

As well as 650b, you can also buy the Schwalbe G-One Allround in 700c diameter 35mm and 38mm variants. If you run 650b and have a lot of clearance, there’s a 70mm/2.8 inch version. We’ve tested the higher-spec Evolution Line tyre, but there’s also a cheaper Performance Line variant of the tyre, so there are a lot of options.

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The Schwalbe G-One Allround is noticeably thicker-skinned than the Slate’s supplied Panaracer tyre. It fits easily on the Slate’s Mavic rims, too. I was able to get a seal quickly with a reservoir pump without too much drama. A track pump wasn’t quite up to the job though.

Having some tread definitely helps with off-road riding on typical UK bridleways. The extra grip leads to less loss of traction and sideslip on damp, muddy tracks, although deeper mud still results in a loss of traction.

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The tread soon clears once on firmer ground, though. The Schwalbe G-One Allround tyres also feel sufficiently robust to cope with rocky and flinty conditions with reduced risk of sidewall damage.

On road the tyres still roll and handle well run at around 40psi. But if you’re going for a 650b tyre it’s a shame not to have the larger contact patch and lower pressure offered by a wider tyre.