Reserve has been busy blurring the line between road aero and off-road punishment. Most recently, we got a sneak peek of these new gravel wheels at the Nové Město World Cup. The Cannondale Factory Team used them as a secret weapon for the fast and power-heavy short track. Now they are pulling the curtain back and letting us see what they are actually for: gravel racing.
Go Big or Go Home
So Reserve went big. The new 48|53 GR wheels use a 30mm internal rim width and a 44mm external width. They also use staggered rim depths: 48mm up front and 53mm in the rear.
Wide Enough For Cross-Country
Reserve says the wheels are optimized for tires from 40mm to 57mm (2.25 inches). Which means these aren’t just road wheels with a gravel sticker slapped on the side. These guys are good for everything (XCO XXC included), but you’re gonna need a custom build with boost spacing.
That 30mm internal width is doing a few things. First, it gives bigger gravel tires a more supported shape, spreading the casing, but it’s not overkill for moderate tires. The wider rim, paired with the bead support, means less tire squirm when you’re smashing through fast, rough sections.
Aero Enough For New Gravel
The aero side comes from the big 44mm external profile. Reserve says the wide rim helps air transition more cleanly from the tire onto the rim, reducing drag and improving speed. That’s the trick with modern aero gravel wheels: the rim can’t just be deep. It has to work with the tire, and gravel tires are not exactly delicate or predictable. The 48|53 GR is designed to create a smoother airflow buffer around larger tires, which Reserve says is where the speed gains come from.
Hollow Hook
The other big talking point is Reserve’s new Hollow Hook construction. Essentially, Reserve found a way to remove material from the outer section of the rim hook without sacrificing strength or impact resistance (waiting on some reviews to validate this). That matters because when rims get wider, they usually get heavier. Hollow Hook is Reserve’s way of keeping the rim profile wide enough for aero and tire support without turning the finished wheelset into a boat anchor. But will it be enough to meet the demands of modern gravel… we’ll have to wait and see.
Builds: Reserve 48|53 GR Gravel Race Wheels
Weights are competitive, especially given the rim’s size. The DT Swiss 350 build comes in at a claimed 1,528g. The higher-end DT Swiss 180 version drops that to 1,433g. Both builds come laced with Sapim CX-Ray aero bladed spokes. Rim-only weights are listed at 445g front and 465g rear, which again is pretty tidy for a 30mm internal, aero-shaped gravel rim.
Reserve also keeps things refreshingly normal where it counts. The 48|53 GR uses external nipples, centerlock disc mounts, and 24 spokes front and rear. Hub spacing is the usual 100x12mm front and 142x12mm rear, with XDR or HG driver options. There are no rider weight limits or tire limitations, and the wheels feature a semi-hooked rim design.
Pricing: Reserve 48|53 GR Gravel Race Wheels
- DT Swiss 350 build at $1,599 USD / $2,249 CAD / €1,799.
- DT Swiss 180 build comes in at $2,499 USD / $3,889 CAD / €2,799.
- Rim-only pricing is listed at $699 USD per rim.
