Maxxis has been quietly crushing it in the gravel game for a while now, but they just gave their lineup a serious shot of go-fast juice. Meet HYPR-X, the new rubber compound blending the best bits of Maxxis road-focused HYPR and mountain-bike-speed-demon MaxxSpeed formulas.
The result of the updated HYPR-X compound?
A gravel compound that promises to roll faster, grip harder, and last longer—without turning your legs into mashed potatoes. We pushed the new Maxxis Reaver HYPR-X through the gravel paces, and the future is promising!
Maxxis Reaver gravel tire, now in 45mm with HYPR-X rubber
Maxxis says the HYPR-X rubber update cuts rolling resistance by 25% and boosts cornering grip by 19%. But wait, there’s more.
Maxxis also upgraded the casing—still 120 TPI, but now with a tougher nylon fabric for more durability and a longer tread life. EXO sidewall protection is still part of the package, because sharp rocks and angry gravel don’t care how fast you’re going.
And yes — everything is tubeless-ready, because it’s 2025 and we’re civilized.
A New Maxxis Look
The Maxxis branding gets refreshed with simplified gray-and-orange hot patches. Plus, Maxxis is ditching plastic packaging in favor of recyclable paper sleeves, so your tire upgrade doesn’t come with an environmental guilt trip.
The new HYPR-X versions of this semi-slick Reaver and teh slightly knobbier Rambler will first be available in 700x45c, with more sizes trickling in over the next few months. Almost certainly a 40mm version, probably a 50mm, and maybe even something like some 55mm tires, too?
Then, the beefier Ravager and the slick Receptor will get their own upgrades later in 2025.
Riding Impressions: Maxxis Reaver HYPR-X 45mm
When I first covered the launch of the Maxxis Reaver back in 2023, it was all about speed.
Billed as Maxxis’ fastest pure gravel tire at the time, the Reaver was a purpose-built race machine—minimal knobs, file-tread centerline, low weight, and maximum speed on smoother gravel tracks.
But the new HYPR-X compound?
It’s aiming to take that legacy of speed and stretch it into chunkier, rowdier terrain without giving up what made the Reaver so fast in the first place.
HYPR-X Rubber Advantage
With HYPR-X, Maxxis is blending its best road and MTB race tech—specifically, the low-rolling-resistance HYPR compound from its road line and the grippy MaxxSpeed compound from its XC MTB tires.
The result is a gravel tire compound that rolls much faster than expected for something that also bites this hard in corners. Maxxis makes those 25% less rolling resistance and 19% better cornering traction claims, compared to their previous ‘Dual’ compound.
And honestly, it feels about right out on the trail.
Actual weight, a bit more than before
The new compound and updated casing construction seems to add a slight bit of weight, 17g on our scales, compared to the previous version in a 45mm.
Supple & Fast
But the real story here isn’t just in the numbers—it’s in how the HYPR-X tires ride, especially on the kind of chunky, hard-packed rocks that many of us call “gravel.” In our testing so far, the updated Reaver in the new 700x45c size (the first to launch) feels like a welcome evolution: still light and fast, but wide enough to keep you composed on washboard, rocky descents, and unexpected trail detours.
If you found the original Reaver a little too roadie for your backcountry ambitions, these new versions bring the volume and the grip to match more adventurous riding.
And of course, adding this rubber to the full-knob Rambler will give you even more confidence off-the-beaten-track now, too.
Updated EXO Casing
The updated 120 TPI casing is another quiet win.
Maxxis says they’ve used a stronger nylon inside that ups durability without losing suppleness. Paired with EXO sidewall protection and tubeless-ready design, these tires hold up under hard riding but still conform nicely over roots and loose terrain (no flats yet!).
Aesthetically, they’ve also cleaned things up with subtle gray/orange hot patches and recyclable packaging. That last bit might not win races, but hey—it feels good to see a brand reduce plastic while upgrading performance.
Compared to the original Reaver I tested, these new HYPR-X versions still feel fast—maybe not quite as zippy on pavement—but far more confidence-inspiring when the gravel gets aggressive and loose. They’re for riders who want a tire that doesn’t force a trade-off between speed and trail-readiness.
In that way, the HYPR-X tires split the difference between pure gravel race rubber and a lightweight XC tire—and that’s a very sweet spot to hit.
What’s next for Maxxis gravel?
Expect more sizes to drop throughout the year, with the Ravager and Receptor also getting the HYPR-X makeover soon.
But if you’re the kind of rider who mixes racing with adventuring, or wants one tire that can handle the fast lines and the sketchy ones, any of these upgraded Maxxis tires are worth a serious look.