RESERVE 40|44 – JACK OF ALL ROADS
There’s not much that the Reserve 40|44 wheelset doesn’t do well for the cycling enthusiast who wants one wheelset for road and gravel riding.
It gives you a comfortable, smooth rolling, and quiet ride. The compliance my fellow tester Miles and I felt on paved and unpaved surfaces with a range of 28mm and 40mm Conti, Michelin, and Schwalbe tubeless tires was likely due, in part, from some of the widest all-road rims I’ve measured – 33.5mm external, 26.0mm internal on the front wheel, 31.5mm and 25.6mm in the rear – on the Reserve 40|44 wheels.
While both of us are light and prefer tubeless setups with sealant inside, the Reserve 40|44’s hooked rims and strength testing allow you to use tubes inside clincher or tubeless tires and inflate far beyond what most riders of modern wheels and tires would want to ride comfortably. There are also no weight limits for heavier riders to be concerned about.
Our test set came with DT Swiss 240 Ratchet EXP hubs, though you can also order the 40|44 with DT 180 or DT 350 models. While not always the case in our experience on other wheels, the DT 240s on the Reserves were absolutely silent. I always find a quiet freehub a bonus when combined with a comfortable wheelset.
The Reserve 40|44 also climbs well, is stable in sidewinds, tracks wells in corners, and is responsive to line changes on gravel and accelerations on the road.
But against the field of all-road wheels, a highly competitive one to be sure, other wheelsets do many of these things better.
Even with its “40” front wheel (my calipers actually measured it at 41.5mm deep), its aero performance was good but not great. Miles raced these Reserves in a fast, technical criterium and was not overly impressed with their straight-line speed or lateral stiffness during sprints.
For someone like me, pushing average watts and sprinting only when I need to go to the bathroom, I enjoyed the Reserve 40|44’s speed and found them stiff enough but wasn’t wowed by them on days when the workout plan called for threshold or long VO2 intervals.
All-road wheels, including the slightly more expensive Roval Terra CLX II, still more expensive ENVE SES 3.4, and way expensive Zipp 353 NSW ride faster and are more responsive than the Reserve on paved, dirt, and gravel roads.
And while I respect your unique aesthetic tastes, I’ve got to say the Reserve 40|44 look rather blah. Their matt black finish with small, simple logo and model name labels make them look underwhelming and not nearly as proud of what’s rolling with those labels as they should be.
A rather “reserved” aesthetic
Perhaps the look is consistent with the meaning behind the Reserve brand.
Regardless, these are solid all-road wheels. But the US$2200 price for the DT 240 model makes me want to stretch a bit for the added performance I get with the US$2500 Roval Terra CLX II or even more for the ENVE SES 3.4.
Instead, I see the DT 240 equipped Reserve 40|44 as good competition for those who want hooked rims and a bit more comfort than the slightly less expensive Zipp 303 Firecrest.
You can order the Reserve 40|44 while supporting the site’s ability to provide more ad-free and subscription-free reviews like this one at no additional cost to you when you buy it through these links to BTD (BikeTiresDirect) and Sigma Sports, stores I’ve vetted and recommend for their competitive prices, selection, customer satisfaction, and reader support.
See how this wheelset compares to others in my review of the Best All Road Wheels.
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Thanks, and enjoy your rides safely! Cheers, Steve
Thanks for the review. I’ve been wondering about these watching Jumbo riding on seemingly very shallow wheels all season relative to most of the rest of the peloton. I had no idea they were so (relatively) expensive for what seems to be an altogether fine but otherwise hardly exceptional wheelset. Princeton Carbonworks 4550’s would probably be my pick in this sort of depth. I haven’t rode 353 NSW’s (because they’re even more $$$ than the Princeton’s), but based on my PCW 6560’s, I’d include PCW in any wheel comparison/consideration. Hey, if nothing else, they look cool, which is good for at least 10 watts, right? (joking, of course, but I do actually love them).
Hi there, thanks for the review. How do these compare against the DT Swiss ERC1400 45 that you reviewed previously please?
TP, The Reserve are more versatile, go uphill a bit better, a bit more comfortable. Same hubs, similar depth. DT is better looking IMHO. Steve
I’ve run several sets of Reserve, Shimano, Hunt, Mavic, and Zipp wheels. I’ve been leaning on reserves for both road, mtb, and gravel lately for a giant reason. Lifetime warranty, and testimonials that I have read say that they are quick and accommodating. The DT Swiss hubs ensure that I can jog down to the LBS and grab a new free hub without fuss and service without tools.
As far as performance, i swapped some 30c GP5000 tubeless on my 40/44 on the gravel bike and took it this years Ragbrai which totaled about 530 miles , and the wheels performed great in crosswinds and certainly rolled faster than many other riders on downhill coast sections.
Thanks for posting this review. I have a question about the how these wider internal rims handle descents and off camber turns? Rolling hills, flat valleys and some good long climbs here. I assume more tread on the pavement will be more grippy. I have been riding the stock wheels that came with my new road (a bit of a racing frame) bike over the summer and now am ready to upgrade. Reserves sound like the right match or Zipp 303 Firecrests. Any real preference? Not much gravel here so only road.
DT 240 Silent?? Wow, I have not found this hub to be quiet. Every bike shop I have visited or Youtube sound check has been chainsaw loud. Only the DT 350’s seem quieter and more tame in comparison. Are you sure you’ve got this right?
Jonathan, The performance and specs on those two wheelsets are remarkably similar – aero, stability, stiffness, compliance, responsiveness, weight, depth, internal and external width. The Zipp rims are hookless; the Reserve’s has hooks. Unless you ride clinchers or are over 200 lbs, that shouldn’t make a difference. The biggest difference, especially now is the roughly $600 lower price of the Zipps. You can see and link to the stores I recommend that are running the Zipp sale on my home page.
As to the hubs, they’re both good ones. The DT 240 were surprisingly silent on the Reserves we tested. We’ve tested DT 240s on other wheels and they’ve not been silent nor have they been as loud as what you report. Those sound checks you refer to on YouTube or in bike shops aren’t representative of what you hear when there is weight on the rear wheel and freehub when you’re rolling down the road. The right amount of freehub lubrication and maintenance helps too. Believe me, I’ve heard chainsaw loud out on the road from some freehubs no matter how much I grease them and even a dry DT240 isn’t anywhere near as loud. Steve
I am doing a wheel build and I really liked the attributes of the reserve 40/44, which are no weight limit because I am not a tiny rider and could get a life time warranty on the hoop. I will be doing nerd spokes and i9 hubs. Which hoop would you go for given your review of the reserve wheels?
Jason, Hard to suggest without knowing your riding profile. The 40/44 is a good depth for a range of terrain you might ride from flats to rollers to hills and long climbs. Steve
I plan to do 80% gravel in an area that is pretty close to mid south style roads. The rest of the time I do short road rides just to squeeze in miles
Found a great deal on these but not sure if I should wait until the gravel version is available here in Germany. The road version is rated for gravel but then again gravel could be anything. I only ride forest roads, no trails or anything too technical and i think the only benefit the gravel version has is the even wider rim width.
Any thoughts?
Rolf, As far as I know, there is only set of Reserve 40|44 rims. There isn’t a “road” version or a “gravel” version. If a store is telling you there are two versions, I’d question whether they are an authorized Reserve dealer and look for another store. Steve
Hi Jason, did you take the washers to build it up? Thanks Chris
Steve, there are now the 40/44 as reviewed here and a newer 40/44 GR focused for gravel with different rim dimensions.
Joe, thanks for the correction. The 40|44 GR was introduced earlier this year. After a little research on it and speaking with Reserve, my understanding is that the GR is designed for those who principally ride gravel while the 40|44 reviewed here is designed for both road and gravel riding. As we’re seeing with new gravel wheels from DT Swiss, Zipp, Parcours, and this one from Reserve, 27mm internal width is now the new gravel baseline with the Zipp going up as far as 32mm and with all of them getting wider on the outside as well. That said, the Reserve 40|44 and 40|44 GR aren’t a whole lot different in size interally (2mm more for the GR) but the 33/31mm external rim widths of the front/ rear 40|44 reviewed here will fit both road and gravel bike frames whereas some road frames will have enough clearance for the 36mm/34mm external front/rear rim width of GR. Steve
Thanks for this review. Any thoughts about weight compared to the competition? These post as under 1400g with the 250. I am thinking of getting these for a Soloist custom build (I know they are already standard) but I want to run a clincher, as don’t see the sealant need/maintenance for road (one flat in my past 15,000 miles maybe). I have a set of Reserve GR25 I run tubeless on my gravel and love them, but I see the sealant value better off road. So, wanting some clincher-hooks, I sort of feel like this is my “best” option, and I’m doing this custom build to be as light as I can get it. Where I live I can ride a century with no fewer than about 3,500’ of climbing, and I can get 10,000’ east on a variety of routes. It’s also generally windy, as I live in a valley between 2 mountain ridges. That said, any other suggestions other than these?
Adam, Take a look at the Roval Terra CLX II. Steve
Hi Steve, just curious how easy are the Reserve 40|44 wheels to seat a tire on? How do they compare to the Zipp 303FC or the Enve 4.5 or 3.4? Thanks!
Nate
Nate, In most cases these days, it depends on the tire not the wheel. Wheels have to meet a pretty tight tolerance to be tubeless compatible as are all the wheelsets you listed. So they all mount the same tire with similar difficulty. On the road side, one of the best tires, the Conti GP 5000 S TR is also one of the easiest to mount. Steve
Thank you very much. 🙂
Thanks for the review! Something appealing about the reserves is that you can spec different hubs. If they were laced with DT350s, do you think these would be a better value? I’m curious how these stack up against a 303s.
Travis, The Reserve 40|44 do come with DT350S from BTD here:https://tinyurl.com/5n7ps8cu for $1800 and Sigma Sports though not currently in stock here: https://tinyurl.com/5c7tvhb8 for €?2,100 and £1,600. That is a very good value with a good hubset. The Zipp 303 S is a better value only if you intend to ride them on paved roads. They aren’t wheels I’d ride on gravel (see my review here: https://intheknowcycling.com/best-gravel-wheels/#Zipp303S) that’s why I don’t include them in this category review. Steve
I forgot to mention that these will be a dedicated road wheels mostly used for races. I already have a dedicated gravel wheels since where I live, NorCal, is more light XC as opposed to Kansas style hardpack and I didn’t want the mess of swapping tubeless tires. Given your feedback, I’m inclined toward the 303s. Thanks again.
Hello Steve in UK we can now find both Terra CL (350 hubs) and reserve 34/37 , with both 180,240 and 350 at quite good discounts
The Terra cl one can get for around 1500$ and reserve 34/37 as well as 40/44 for around the same 1500$ with Dt Swiss 240 hubs
Given your great review of the Terra CLxii (terra cl shares the same rims etc) only hub different, would you suggest the Terra CL 350 hubs above Reserve 34/37 and 40/44 for all road and paved riding ?
You really gave the Terra’s a glorious review even for flat terrain and in general so my impression is that it’s a wheelset that punches above the Reserve’s even if reserve’s are both deeper and can come with 240hubs
Eric, See comparison table here: https://intheknowcycling.com/all-road-wheels/ Steve
Hi Steve, yes I had reviewed this but the difference is that the Terra Cl I’m
Looking at is with 350 hubs. The Terra CLXii that stands above the Reserve in your table has Dt Swiss 180’s
Obviously the rim is the same on the Terra cl but slightly different spokes and hubs , the hubs of 350 comes with penalty of approx 120 grams in total hence my question. If the Terra CLXii has performance beyond just being light with the 180 hubs you tested.
I kind of anticipate that the Terra CL will still
Perform very well and possibly still better than most?
Yes, they likely will. But I haven’t tested the CL so can’t provide an answer to your specific question.
I just bought the Terra CL’s with 350 hubs and my top other option was the Reserve 40/44 Gravel. By the way the Terra CL II’s are being put on new bikes from Specialized but not sold as a wheel set yet. The difference I can see so far with limited information is the front is 21 instead of 24 spokes and they use aero spokes. I’m a big guy and don’t want 21 spokes on the front so I’m not concerned that a new version of the CL’s is out.
That’s also why I ride gravel wheels and Conti 4 seasons setup tubeless in a 35 on a road bike. Sublime ride pumped up to 60 psi. After reading all the reviews I could find of the Roval’s and the Reserves I bought the Roval’s just because I could get a 20% veterans discount on the from Specialized. I just couldn’t see enough difference between them to choose otherwise. It did appear from all the reviews i read and watched that the Roval’s might be a better all road wheel but I couldn’t say for sure since I have no experience with both.