I use the Rivendell-designed Panaracer-made Nifty Swifty wire 650B now available from other places as well, between 32 and 33 mm wide. Very nice and fast tire as is the Grand Bois Cypres, available from VeloOrange and maybe from Bicycle Quarterly as well. The Grand Bois is a folding tire, so it's the one I carry as a spare on 650B bikes.
But for a tandem, you maybe want something a bit wider and heavier. Maybe the best compromise for a tandem is the Panaracer Col de la Vie, a nominal 650B x 38, but the Rivendell website has a photo of digital calipers showing a fully inflated Col de la Vie measuring just a hair over 35mm wide. Rivendell also sells a Schwalbe 650B of nearly identical width. Both these brands have an excellent reputation.
You needn't necessarily buy from Rivendell. The Col de la Vie is available from a number of classic-oriented sources, including VeloOrange and Harris Cyclerly, and the Schwalbe is probably available elsewhere as well.
The availability of 650B tires in the US has certainly improved in the last few years. A lot of the credit for that has to go to Grant at Rivendell, as he has introduced a couple of 650B bikes, although a lot of people thought he was crazy to do so. I don't know how successful the Rivendell bikes have been, but Rivendell producing them, then designing and getting Panaracer to produce some lightwieight tires to equip them, has certainly done a great service to the classic bike community, even for those of us who do not own Rivendell frames. I have an old 650B LeJeune tandem myself. I had bought some much heavier 650B tires for it a few years ago, but I think I'll probably get some Col de la Vie's or Schwalbes to use instead. The 650B's I'm currently riding are on a converted Schwinn World Voyageur. Converting to 650B can be a way of solving the dilemma of a bike you really like that is just a cm or two too tall, provided it has a realatively high BB. The World Voyageur proved to be an excellent candidate.
Regards,
Jerry Moos Big Spring, Texas, USA
Charles Andrews <chasds@mindspring.com> wrote: so... time to replace the old Wober 650b tires on my vintage french tandem. I'm wondering what to buy. I'm somewhat familiar with what's out there, but I also know that tandems wear out rear tires very quickly, so, while comfort and speed are considerations, I really need a rear tire especially that's robust without being too stiff or slow.. Front tire I'll use something lighter.
Any recommendations for front and rear would be most welcome.
Charles Andrews Los Angeles
"Somebody has to be tireless... or the fast buck operators would asphalt the entire coast, fill every bay and slay every living thing incapable of carrying a wallet."
--John D. MacDonald