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New ENVE HEX Tires Bring Cat-Tongue Grip to Gravel

Enve HEX Gravel Tire
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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. 

(All Images: ENVE)

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.

ENVE-Hex-40-44-Gravel-Tire full on

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. 

Enve HEX Gravel Tire

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. 

enve hex tire mog

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. 

enve hex tire mog sprint pg

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 

ENVE-Hex-40-44-Gravel-Tire details

Price: $75 

The ENVE HEX Gravel Tire is available now from ENVE.com

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12 Comments
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Reformed Roadie
Reformed Roadie
16 days ago

Can we assume that these are made by Tufo as well?

Tom
Tom
16 days ago

I absolutely LOVE this tire and run it today. Weird thing though. The logo on the sidewall of the one I’m running says Continental Terraspeed. Must be a typo.

Shafty
Shafty
16 days ago
Reply to  Tom

The Continental is a bit more open in the center. It’s different.

Tom
Tom
15 days ago
Reply to  Shafty

Thanks for the correction.

Billyshoo
Billyshoo
15 days ago
Reply to  Shafty

I think what Tom was getting at was that his Contis are the OGs of the Cat Tongue Traction department. 🙂

Peter
Peter
16 days ago

Schwalbe G-one Allround

Mike
Mike
16 days ago

Kinda looks like a mash up of G-One, Terra Speed, Terreno Dry and Aventura. I actually like it. 🙂

Jon
Jon
15 days ago

It’s good to see a new, truly ‘inverted’ tread tyre. Better than Vittoria Terreno Dry or Schwalbe G-One RS for example, because the centre tread of the Enve Hex is at the same height all over, meaning the rolling form of the tyre keeps the side lugs off the ground unless actually cornering or in deep. The Vittoria and the Schwalbe tyres are not inverted tread because the centreline/majority of the tyre is actually lower than the side tread, allowing the side lugs to interfere with smooth/fast rolling when the tyre naturally compresses on hard pack or road, slowing the tyre down. (As a side note, for this same reason, against popular opinion, I also believe that Schwalbe G-One R tyres are actually faster than RS).

Jon
Jon
15 days ago
Reply to  Jon

…further to above, I should also have noted that the similarity with G-One Allround’s is obvious, but these ENVE Hex tyres have better side lug spacing and the directional / ramped hex dots look like they will offer better grip and lower rolling resistance. The big question between the two is which has the more durable rubber? because those dots will wear…

Oliver
Oliver
14 days ago

Similar construction to the Thundero, so should be fast … but absolutely zero sidewall protection. These are definitely not for riding with *any* sharp stuff.

WhateverBikes
13 days ago

I can’t stand how these brands get to make totally unverified claims and articles like these just copy and paste them without any reservation.

‘Sub-tread -tread barrier provides anti-flat protection without diminishing rolling efficiency or ride quality’

How can you add an extra layer (and a tough one at that, because it should stop stuff from penetrating) without that layer and the glue between those layers impacting the rolling efficiency or the ride quality?
I’m not saying it’s impossible, but there has to be a credible, sound explanation before we should all just accept it.

Jordan Villella
Jordan Villella
11 days ago
Reply to  WhateverBikes

We have a set coming this week for review, let me know the questions and we’ll get them answered. I have some questions slotted for ENVE as well – I’ll add the above to the list. Thanks!

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