Maxxis Rambler and Receptor: Gravel Tire Review!

Finally, the season start! Okay, many ride all year round, but when I think about gravel tours, sunshine and double-digit temperatures are part of the experience for me.

Since I usually ride with a trail bike or Enduro, I normally also opt for somewhat beefier tires on my gravel bike: WTB Riddler in 45mm width. This way, I can also take a detour onto some trails with my speedy forest bike and push the pace without fear of the bike falling apart into pieces.

This year, however, is more focused on touring, so I wanted to try out some tires that are a bit more subtle and ideally faster, but still give me the necessary safety off-road. Since Maxxis tires have always been reliable for me on the mountain bike, I'm curious to see how they perform in the gravel sector. Maxxis isn't the top dog there - which makes it all the more interesting to try them out.

Technique and General Info

On a mountain bike, it's almost a given to ride with different tires on the front and back. Grip and tracking are particularly important on the front wheel, as the leading wheel also takes a leading role. It doesn't hurt to have a coarser and more open tread pattern here, so the tire can really dig in. Grip is less important on the rear - on the contrary, rolling resistance plays a bigger role because most of your body weight is on the rear wheel (around 70%). So, you're better off choosing a tire with less tread, which rolls more easily for the back. This logic makes absolute sense, so I see no reason not to apply it 1:1 to the gravel bike.

Assembly

That's the theory, now let's get practical. First, though, the tires need to be mounted. My bike, a Focus Atlas 6.9, rolls on DT Swiss Gravel wheels with a pretty generous inner width of 24mm, which spreads any tire wide for a secure fit, ensuring the tire stays stable in corners even at low pressures.

Both tires are super easy to mount on the rim – no tire levers needed. Seems like Maxxis is on the "looser, bigger" side of tolerances. The downside: In a Tubeless-Setup, the initial inflation with a floor pump is not "just like that." There's also a small air gap visible between the tire bead and the rim. So, a so-called Booster is needed: a pressure container that gets pumped to high pressure and then releases it suddenly into the tire. This way, the tire bead is pushed against the rim, sealing the tire effectively. So, if you have a compressor or a Tire Booster at home, you’re good to go. Alternatively, applying double layers of rim tape can effectively make the rim diameter slightly bigger for a tighter fit. If you’re using an inner tube, all this is obviously irrelevant.

Conclusion

Although Maxxis might not be the most common choice for Gravel tires hereabouts, the company proves that with its experience, it can produce very competitive, high-quality tires in any domain. Both Rambler (front) and Receptor (back) fully convinced me. The most important decision for me is tire width – since it directly correlates with required air pressure, which immediately impacts comfort and safety. So, the question should be: Where do I ride most, and which tire is the best for that?

• Road, field, and forest paths, and rarely challenging terrain? Then better go for 35-40mm. The bike is faster and feels more responsive.
• Forest paths, trails, cross-country, and less road? Then opt for over 40mm. A bit slower, but with much more safety and control in rough terrain. The widest gravel tires go up to 50mm.

Or why not a mix? Rambler is also available in 45mm. For safety up front, choose a wider tire with less pressure and for efficient progress, Receptor in 40mm? Nothing is impossible, and everything is allowed! But check the maximum tire width your bike can handle first.

Have fun graveling!