650B x 48 Switchback Hill TC Tire

New: Limited Edition 85th Anniversary model with all-black Endurance casing.

Inspired by the legendary Oregon Outback and named after the first climb of that epic 360-mile gravel ride/race, the Switchback Hill is the world’s lightest, fastest and most comfortable ultra-wide 650B tire. 

On the Oregon Outback route, the gravel is quite loose in places, and the extra flotation of the Switchback Hills gives you more speed and security when the going gets really rough. 30% of the Oregon Outback is on pavement, so we designed this tire to roll as fast and grip as well as a good racing tire. The tread has enough thickness in the center to last many miles, but it’s thin and supple on the shoulders where it doesn’t wear. With this tire, you truly have the best of both worlds.

In their 2024 Buyer’s Guide, road.cc rated the Switchback Hill the “Best 650B road bike tyre.” They wrote: “At just 412g per tyre; the extralight casing is super supple and soaks up tarmac miles with no obvious penalty over something much, much narrower. Just be prepared for a few funny looks from your thin-tyre counterparts as you keep up just fine.”

The Standard casing is our more affordable option: comfortable and fast, yet also strong to withstand considerable abuse. The Extralight casing takes the performance, comfort and feel of your bike to an entirely new level. The Endurance casing is reinforced for extra sidewall protection and puncture resistance, while retaining the speed and comfort for which Rene Herse tires are famous.

The Switchback Hill is tubeless-compatible. For tubeless setup, we recommend SealSmart sealant. When used with tubes, we recommend SV13 or SV14A tubes.