Today, Specialized has launched a complete overhaul of its tyre ranges, encompassing highway, gravel, and mountain biking choices. Given that this website has a give attention to the previous two disciplines, we’ll omit the latter choices for the sake of concision.
On the highway, the prevailing Mondo mannequin (in each tubeless and tube-type) is accompanied by a brand new S-Works turbo TLR mannequin – seemingly a substitute for the venerable previous Turbo Cotton – and a brand new RapidAir TLR, an aero-optimised mannequin devoid of puncture safety, concentrating on time trials and highway racing.
In the world of gravel, the race-oriented Pathfinder has been given a brand new tread, as has the mixed-duties Tracer, whereas the Terra, previously a cyclocross tyre for muddy programs, has been relaunched as a trail-adjacent journey tyre designed to deal with journey driving duties.
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2025 Specialized highway bike tyres
Starting on the decrease finish of the vary in efficiency phrases, the Mondo, first seen in use at Paris-Roubaix in 2023, stays within the vary roughly unchanged from their 2024 counterparts, save for some new sidewall logos. The Mondo is obtainable in each tubeless and tube-type choices, in widths of 26c to 32c in tube-type and 28c-35c within the tubeless model. Endurance is the secret right here, with the Mondo boasting essentially the most puncture safety of the highway vary and a thicker tread for greater mileage. It does nonetheless characteristic the identical T2/T5 rubber compound combine as quicker tyres within the vary, nonetheless.
Next within the vary is the S-Works Turbo TLR, which we now have seen in use at Opening Weekend and acts as a substitute for the Turbo Cotton, bringing Specialized sponsored groups (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe and Soudal-Quick Step) below the tubeless umbrella. It is allegedly 10% quicker than the S-Works Turbo 2BR when it comes to rolling resistance.
It includes a triple-ply, 120TPI casing, and the T2/T5 rubber compound combine (with a tougher, quicker central rubber and softer extra grippy shoulders) as is frequent within the Specialized highway vary. It can also be hookless suitable, seemingly in any respect widths, although it’s only obtainable in a 28c and a 30c choice in each black and tanwall.
The S-Works Turbo TLR can also be 20g lighter than the previous S-Works Turbo 2BR, although at which dimension it’s not specified. Comparisons to the previous Turbo Cotton haven’t been made, and whereas no point out of that tyre has been made within the press materials, it’s understood that it’s going to proceed to be obtainable.
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At the very prime of the 2025 tree is the brand new RapidAir, designed to be the “final race day tire”. It allegedly saves 33 seconds over 40km over the S-Works Turbo RapidAir, although at which velocity has not been specified, because of a 3 watt discount in rolling resistance, and a 2 watt saving in drag discount because of an “aero optimised tread sample”, making it the newest within the small however rising household of aero tyres, alongside the Continental Aero 111 and the Enve SES Road tyre.
The RapidAir has no puncture safety strip, and whereas it shares the identical T2/T5 tread, it ditches the normal three-ply building for a brand new two-ply construct. It is barely obtainable in 26c and 28c choices and is hookless suitable.
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2025 Specialized gravel bike tyres
Receiving essentially the most modest adjustments, visually at the least, is the Pathfinder, a tyre that has frequented the highest step of the rostrum at Unbound a number of instances. The newest Pathfinder TLR has a claimed 19% enchancment in rolling resistance versus the older Pathfinder Pro 2BR, although it’s not clear at what velocity. It’s additionally 25g lighter, presumably within the largest 45c dimension, the place the variations could be the best. These adjustments seem to come back from a brand new tread design, although it maintains the identical central slick line, and graduated small shoulder knobs because the outgoing mannequin. It’s obtainable in 35c, 40c, and 45c widths, solely in 700c diameters, and all with a 60TPI casing. Like the highway tyre vary, it makes use of a T2/T5 rubber combine.
The all-new Tracer is a complete overhaul from the previous mannequin, which was one thing of a cyclocross-adjacent tyre. The new Tracer is available in widths of 40c, 45c, and 50c in 700c solely, and goals to be a single tyre answer for combined terrain gravel driving, moderately than the racy ambitions of the Pathfinder TLR. Small, carefully packed central knobs grade out to bigger ones on the shoulders.
The Terra TLR is one other giant overhaul, taking the place of the previous Rhombus Pro and aiming to be a go-between for gravel and path driving. The tread sample is far the identical because the Tracer, although the knobs are bigger and extra extensively spaced. In distinction, it solely is available in a 45c or 50c dimension. Both the Terra and Tracer tyres use solely the extra grippy T5 rubber compound.
