After the promising Rambler results on the new HYPR-X compound and casing (but still designated EXO / TR) I was very curious what happened with the somewhat semi slick tread Reaver in same size and construction. Sure, it looks faster, but that isn’t any guarantee a tire is actually faster!
This tire surprised me a bit, and I mean that in a good way… It is significantly faster than the Rambler across all surfaces tested AND faster than the new Specialized Pathfinder in the same 45 mm size. On that note, the Reaver came in at 46 mm on a 25 mm internal width Reserve rim. Swipe through the photos for full current results in CRR (Coefficient Rolling Resistance) as well as those values converted to rolling resistance in wattage at a set speed across each gravel surface.
I had a really good test round with this tire! Great weather, AND I confirmed through retesting other previous tires that I have an alternate Cat 3 (Rough) Gravel course with identical rolling values but drains moisture much faster and works well with repeated uphill only runs. This made it possible to test a smaller 45 mm tire on the Cat 3 Gravel and the Reaver was a great candidate as it is pretty fast and also pretty durable. I rode this tire with minimal caution in some super rough terrain, and it didn’t flinch. Good stuff.
As you can see, there is a big efficiency dropoff for a 45 mm tire on rough and loose gravel. Eventually when riding off road, there is “no replacement for displacement” as the old saying goes…even for a fast rolling tire like this one. From some tests I have seen, a suspension fork is worth about 6-7 watts at 18 mph, so it would buy some speed back but definitely not close to the gap to a big (and fast) tire on Cat 3 gravel. 👀
All off road test results are my own via Chung Method Virtual Elevation testing. ✅
by gravykarrasch