I found some cheap 650b wheels with 2.35 tires for sale a few minutes away from my house. I could not resist trying it out on my State 4130 Allroad. It was a blast!

I was able to snag these 650b wheels off marketplace for $120. Looking back, probably not the best deal ever since these are the stock wheels that come off the Poseidon Redwood (according to the previous owner at least) but I am happy. The only interesting thing is I assumed the redwood came with QR wheels but I guess there was an option to get through axels.

In any case, I was not expecting them to fit since state claims that the max tire size is 2.1", however to their credit they also state that people have fit certain 2.3" wheels. I am getting a bit too close for comfort on the chain stays but there is a gap. I will need to get some sort of tape to track if it is rubbing while riding.

My original wheelset for this bike was a 42mm slick so this was a WILD departure form that ride feeling. I was blown away just how heavy and sluggish it felt on the road. I was expecting it to feel a lot different but it is almost comical how different it is haha. These are not light wheels nor are they light tires and they are not currently tubeless. I do plan to swap to a tubeless mainly to rub lower pressures but the weight reduction will be appreciated.

For my first test ride, I went to a local rocky road network that I was not able to ride on my original 42mm. Previously, I was slipping constantly and ultimately having to unclip every few feet. Now, it is able to float over the rocks with easy. I was able to have loads of drip on the singletrack and it was just a blast to ride. On the road, the steering feels extremely heavy and it takes a considerable amount more effort.

My findings are not exactly surprising since this seems to be the shared sentiment amongst redwood owners, but I was really excited to try it out for myself. I personally would not make these my only set of wheels and tires, I think a hardtail MTB does a better job in almost any way. However, the ability to swap to a set of road slicks is awesome as it massively improves the road characteristics for long distance riding. I think the next thing I want to try is some more gravel oriented tires in a 2.1 or 2.2 size. I think this will be a lot closer to what I was going for. In the meantime, this knobby 2.35's will continue to put a smile on my face!