Maxxis

I had the first gen Reavers and really liked the traction and ride quality. They didn't feel overly slow but drum and real-world Chung testing both indicated the original compound wasn't the fastest rolling vs the crop of fast gravel tires. Enter the new HYPR-X compound. All of the same traction and ride quality is maintained, but in a much faster compound that also lasts a bit longer and has better wet traction. So far I am very impressed with the new compound. I like the knurled tread design down the middle, similar to an Aspen ST it provides more traction that one would think looking at it, especially on dust-over-hardpack conditions. The cornering knobs are also solid and predictable in cornering performance, and are at just the right angle to contact the ground on gravel and dirt to give you reassuring cornering performance where other tires start to slide. With the new compound, this is among the best gravel tires on the market. Only knock is that if ridden on pavement a significant percentage of the time the wear of the center knurled tread can be significant and quick.

I just completed my second Unbound. Previously, I rode Schwalbe G-1s and prior to that, GravelKings. Both were OK - but I've had punctures and fortunately, it self sealed and I could keep racing. My riding buddies convinced me to try Maxxis Ramblers - so, Unbound was the debut. I went with 40mm given it had rained heavily two nights prior. They performed well in fast loose terrain and were comfortable on the long race. I just came home and cleaned my bike - to my surprise, there were literally zero cuts, gashes etc. None. Tires look brand new. I have never seen this after Unbound. I am a convert.

Finally got a chance to use these on my Litespeed Cherohala for a 50 mile gravel ride in southwest Wisconsin. The roads were hilly and handpicked. Great grip climbing and descending. Mounting them was no issue on my ENVE 45's only took a couple minutes. I used the latest Silca sealant and Wolftooths tire pressure app to get what I thought was a super comfortable ride. Looking forward to using these in a couple more gravel events this summer in Wisconsin.

I've used maxxis tires for all of my gravel events. The Reaver is the sweet spot of fast rolling on tarmac and enough tread in most gravel conditions for a fast paced ride. I've not had a single puncture* or flat while set up tubeless since the Reaver debuted last year. I rode 40mm tires for Indiana's 100 mile Dust Bowl loose and dusty route with 160 turns. No issues. This year, new bike with greater clearance has allowed larger tires so I'm going with the 45mm. I began to see wear on the back tire after about 1000 miles on 65% rough Illinois farm roads and 35% I'd call "driveway gravel" and crushed stone rail trails. They handled the limited mud & sand I've encountered just fine. But, don't have the experience of long stretches of each or sharp rocky terrain of Unbound. The weight is slightly heavier than some others, but value and durability is better than higher priced tires. I will be buying these again. Would like to see a slightly wider option too.

(*knock on wood)