The Reserve 25|GR: Wide rims are in

Published July 26, 2022 10:00AM

Reserve’s gravel wheels are getting wider. The 25|GR features a 25mm internal rim width, upping the ante over the brand’s previous two gravel options, which maxed out at 22mm and 24mm.

That means these new hoops are compatible with even more tire sizes than before.

The recommended tire dimensions of the new hoops goes all the way to 50mm, up from 45mm for the brand’s other gravel offerings. The lower limit is also set higher to account for the wider rims. Reserve recommends going no narrower than 28mm.

And those recommendations are for 700c tires. As with Reserve’s other gravel wheels, the 25|GR doesn’t have a 650b version.

Familiar Design elements

The 25|GR has similar design elements and features as the 22|GR. The rim design is asymmetrical, which Reserve says results in a stronger and stiffer wheel by improving the bracing angle and equalizing spoke tension between the non-drive and drive side spokes.

In the front, the rim is offset toward the disc side, and in the rear, the rim is reversed and offset toward the drive side.

To make these wheels extra burly, Reserve externally reinforces the spoke holes, making failures at the nipples, one of the areas of a rim under greatest tension, less likely. Reserve also notes this is a way to strengthen a rim without much in the way of a weight penalty.

Easy maintenance

To keep these wheels easy to work on, whether at home or trailside, Reserve made these wheels with 24 standard spokes front and rear held in place by external nipples.

The “semi-hooked” rim design has also been designed with tubeless tire installation in mind. It features an asymmetrically shaped rim bed that matches the offset spoke hole positions, letting tires more easily push over the bead of the rim when seating.

And should something go wrong on a ride, Reserve extends its lifetime warranty and no-fault crash replacement to the 25|GR. There are some limitations to this of course, but the gist is if you break a wheel while riding, Reserve will replace it.

Weight and pricing

Built up with Industry Nine 1/1 Gravel hubs, the 25|GR weighs a claimed 1,339 grams. There is also an option for DT Swiss 350 hubs, and both hub options have HG11 and XD free hub body options. Missing, however, is an option for Campagnolo’s N3W free hub for its Ekar gravel groupset.