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 TireThe new ENVE HEX gravel tire is the brands 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 MeThere is no need to cross a river for water here, and the ENVE HEX tread design isnt a massive disruption to gravel treads. However, its 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 ProtectionThe 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 lowENVE HEX Gravel Tire SizesThe 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, Im guessing we could see a larger-size HEX later.Key Features ENVE HEX Gravel TireA chafer strip at the tire bead for more excellent pinch-flat protectionSub-tread -tread barrier provides anti-flat protection without diminishing rolling efficiency or ride qualityKevlar bead optimized for hookless rimsDoubling up the sidewall tread increases cornering traction and decreases tearingSide nobs of various sizes and height angle outward for articulating tread blocks that increase cornering tractionDe-coupled tread blocs enable the casing to flex and conform to terrain, maximizing traction and rolling performanceThe hexagonal block shape allows a three-way flex pattern to add casing suppleness to conform to varied surfacesA cat tongue tread pattern provides both driving and braking tractionWeights 430 grams (40mm) and 450 grams (44mm)$75Pricing and Availability ENVE HEX Gravel TiresPrice: $75The ENVE HEX Gravel Tire is available now from ENVE.comThe post New ENVE HEX Tires Bring Cat-Tongue Grip to Gravel appeared first on Bikerumor.