ENVE is all-in for gravel; they have the MOG gravel bike, G-Series gravel wheels, and a gravel tire. This gravel thing might be catching on. So what is the new ENVE HEX gravel tire, and how could it stick out in a sea of file tread designs? Read on and find out.
ENVE HEX Gravel Tire
The new ENVE HEX gravel tire is the brand’s third (if you count the SES and SES Race Day) tire offering. The gravel tire takes what the Utah brand learned from its voluminous road tire and lays down an all-around gravel design.
ENVE uses the same compound used on the SES Race Day road tire – a nano-particle-enhanced rubber compound. ENVE says this compound reduces rolling resistance, improves traction, and extends tread wear.
Talk Tread to Me
There is no need to “cross a river for water” here, and the ENVE HEX tread design isn’t a massive disruption to gravel treads. However, it’s refined and has a clear mission: speed. The tread is a dry, fast design with some mild cornering knobs to help with digging and stabilization in less-than-dry conditions.
The centerline tread is a hexagonal ‘cat tongue’ design similar to the Vittoria Terreno Dry cyclocross tire. The tongue prints are ramped slightly but have a sharp backside to grip the unstable ground.
Having the tread use separate blocks (instead of molded-together knobs) allows the casing to flex and conform to all types of terrain while maintaining rolling speed and efficiency.
The side wall tread is doubled over the hex-tongue dots, allowing for a better cornering shoulder that resists folding under low tire pressure. The double material should help with side wall cuts and cornering tread life.
HEX Flat Protection
The ENVE HEX tires feature a chafer strip at the tire bead for greater pinch-flat protection, a sub-tread barrier for anti-flat protection, a Kevlar bead, and the doubled sidewall tread we discussed earlier. The tire features all of this, yet when you look at the ENVE description of the tire, the sidewall protection is labeled “low.” This makes me wonder if a more durable model will come soon or that, compared to the sub-tread barrier, the sidewall protection is low…
ENVE HEX Gravel Tire Sizes
The new HEX all-arounder is available in 40mm and 44mm widths in 700c diameter, which should be enough for the roadie and rowdy crowd. Since the ENVE MOG fits up to a 2.1″, I’m guessing we could see a larger-size HEX later.
Key Features – ENVE HEX Gravel Tire
- A chafer strip at the tire bead for more excellent pinch-flat protection
- Sub-tread -tread barrier provides anti-flat protection without diminishing rolling efficiency or ride quality
- Kevlar bead optimized for hookless rims
- Doubling up the sidewall tread increases cornering traction and decreases tearing
- Side nobs of various sizes and height angle outward for articulating tread blocks that increase cornering traction
- De-coupled tread blocs enable the casing to flex and conform to terrain, maximizing traction and rolling performance
- The hexagonal block shape allows a three-way flex pattern to add casing suppleness to conform to varied surfaces
- A “cat tongue” tread pattern provides both driving and braking traction
- Weights 430 grams (40mm) and 450 grams (44mm)
- $75
Pricing and Availability – ENVE HEX Gravel Tires
Price: $75
The ENVE HEX Gravel Tire is available now from ENVE.com
