©2014 SPECIALIZED BICYCLE COMPONENTS INC. / SPECIALIZED.COM
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YOUR RIDE DEPENDS ON THIS. The tire contact patch on a road bike is roughly one square inch per tire. That means two square inches of area where the rubber meets the road. Through those two square inches, all of your power, reflexes and control must be fed through the bike and into the ground. Flipping that coin, those same two inches of contact patch are all you have for traction, and are the sole transmitters of everything you feel being relayed from the bike to your body. Wind tunnel sculpted aerodynamics, gossamer-light, highly responsive, state of the art carbon fiber frame design, finely evolved suspension kinematics – all this thought and attention can be let down by sub-par tires. However, by that same measure, the right set of tires can transform an otherwise unremarkable bike into something magic.
YOUR RIDE DEPENDS ON THIS
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T WO-T IM E WORLD CHA M PION T ROY B ROS N A N PU S HES HIS B U TCHE RS TO T HE L IM I T / VA L D I S OLE , I TA LY
TIRES MATTER. A LOT. Tires matter. A lot. This golden rule applies equally to road and mountain bikes. The first product to bear our name was a tire, and the often taken for granted bicycle tire has been a cornerstone of our brand from the beginning. The reputation of a bicycle can be made or broken by the tires, and as such, we take the performance of those tires very seriously. The information contained here will explain in great detail how our tires are made, why we design and manufacture our tires the way we do, and define what environments they are tailored to perform their best. Why? Because tires matter. A lot.
YOUR RIDE DEPENDS ON THIS
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A TRUE LEGACY Confronted by the limitations of tires available to cyclists at the time, Mike Sinyard saw an opportunity in 1978. Clinchers then were heavy and slow rolling, and in no way appealing for enthusiasts, whereas the alternative - tubular tires - required a level of application and dedication (and glue) that was daunting for most riders. Thus began the quest to create a lightweight, high performance clincher tire, one that offered the performance benefits of a tubular combined with the understandable simplicity of a clincher. The tire that came to market as a result of this quest was the first ever Specialized product, called simply The Touring Tire — it was a game changer. Following this, clincher tires and high performance were no longer exclusive terms, and the market began to embrace the potential of these new tires.
A TRUE LEGACY
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Jim Merz was a rather unconventional pioneer for testing Specialized Tires, and the importance of his role in the tire story—and the DNA of the Specialized brand for that matter—cannot be understated. Known in the early 70’s as one of the premiere fabricators and framebuilders in the world, Jim was also a rider renowned for taking on ‘crazy-long’ endurance rides. And by ‘crazy-long’, we’re talking about 3,500 mile rides from Portland, Oregon down to Panama, and then in 1978, taking off for 5 weeks to ride almost every single road in Greece. Could there be a more perfect candidate to test the early iterations of the Specialized Touring Tire? “When I was developing the original touring tires,” said Mike Sinyard. “I’d send them in advance of Jim’s stops so he could have new tires to try. He’d call me from time-to-time to give feedback—things like how the tires performed and when they didn’t hold up. That kind of real-world feedback from real riders was invaluable and actually became the way we develop products at Specialized.” Real world testing with athletes is a tradition that lives on, today. But Jim Merz was more than just the original tire tester—he was part of the original core DNA of the Specialized brand. During his time with Specialized, Merz is noted for creating not only the first team Stumpjumper—the famous pink bike—but also the Epic, the Epic Ultimate, and the Dupont TriSpoke wheel.
YOUR RIDE DEPENDS ON THIS
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WE LE A R NE D E A R LY ON THE DI F FERENCE BE TWEEN W INNING AND LOSING C AN C OME DOW N TO 2 SQU ARE INC H ES.
A TRUE LEGACY
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“ WE HAV E B E E N M A K IN G T IRES FOR A LON G T IM E A N D WE HAV E LE A RN E D FROM B OT H OU R SU CCES S ES A N D OU R FA I LU RES . ” – N E D OV E RE N D
A TRUE LEGACY
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N E W YORK CI T Y HA L L , JU LY 14, 1 9 8 1, 5:34 A M . LON HA LD E M A N S E TS T HE N E W D OU B LE T R A N S CON T IN E N TA L RECOR D ON S PEC I AL I Z E D TU RB O T I RES IN 24 DAY S A N D 2 HOU RS AV E R AG IN G ROU G HLY 24 0 M ILES PE R DAY.
Today, we have 36 years of designing the best tires in the world. We have employees with lifetimes of experience assessing the needs of riders, mixing rubber compounds, designing casings and tread blocks, testing for rolling resistance and friction and puncture protection, and developing tires to excel in their given environments — whether that is a shale slope in the French Alps, a decreasing radius downhill right hander on Mt. Hamilton Road, a run to the grocery store or a run at the World Championship.
A TRUE LEGACY
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N IKI TER P STR A EN R OUTE TO VI CTOR Y ON 30C SPEC IALIZ E D T U RB O T U B U LAR T IRES / PARIS ROU B AIX 2014
01/ SMOOTHER IS FASTER The old notion was narrow tires, pumped up rock hard, yielded the highest speed. After decades of bone jarring, tooth rattling ride quality on bumpy roads it turns out, and we’ve spent quite a bit of time testing this, the old notion is seriously flawed. What we’ve found is, essentially, the opposite. Here’s why: Rolling resistance does decrease as tire pressure is increased, up to a point. Beyond that pressure, tires are pumped “dead” and further inflation only decreases ride quality and road feel while offering no improvement in rolling resistance. Meanwhile, larger casings with an increased tire volume (and lower tire pressure) are more supple than smaller casings, more responsive to surface irregularity, and as a result roll more smoothly over a given surface. This in turn means larger volume tires roll faster over that surface. Yes, that’s right. We’re talking about tires that are larger, softer, smoother, more comfortable, and FASTER.
S M O O T H E R I S FA S T E R
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S M OOT HE R IS FA ST E R ACROS S T HE ST R A D E B IA N CHI
S M O O T H E R I S FA S T E R
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T I RE TEST I NG ON THE T RE AC H EROU S ARENB U RG FOREST PAVE
WIDER TIRES ARE FASTER
Load 50kg, Speed 30km/h, Tested @Specialized Tire Labs
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THAT MEANS THE TIRE IS ABLE TO ROLL MORE SMOOTHLY OVER THAT SURFACE, WITH GREATER TRACTION AND CONTROL. TURN UP THE VOLUME – Back when we first introduced the Roubaix, getting a serious cyclist to consider riding anything wider than 21mm was a serious undertaking. Twenty-three-millimeter-wide tires were a challenge to the faithful, and 25mm was heresy. We introduced the 23/25 size designation as a way of capitalizing on the benefits of a larger casing, while still appealing to the sensibilities of people who believed that a narrower tire was necessary for higher speed. Fortunately, that tire paved the way for a more in-depth exploration of what could be achieved with larger volume tires without eliciting howls of protest from the traditionalists.
S M O O T H E R I S FA S T E R
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PE RFORM A N CE CON FIRM AT ION OU TS ID E LOS A N G E LES , C A L IFORN IA
S M O O T H E R I S FA S T E R
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OPQS PA RIS ROU B A IX RECON
WHY ARE WIDER TIRES FASTER?
Shorter, wider contact patch = less sidewall deformation
SIZE MATTERS – A wide tire can be run at lower pressure than a narrow tire. This in turn allows that tire to conform to road surface irregularities. That means the tire is able to roll more smoothly over that surface, with greater traction and control. Ultimately, this means a wider tire will be able to roll FASTER over that surface, since it is not losing energy reacting to and being deflected by surface irregularities. This applies for all surfaces, but the rougher the road the faster the wider tire will be compared to its narrower predecessor. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE – Greater tire volume changes the shape of a tire’s contact patch, rendering it shorter and wider for a given air pressure. This has also been proven to roll faster. Additionally, for a given pressure, a larger volume tire will deform (bulge) less at its contact patch when rolling or cornering. Deformation is energy lost, pure and simple. So, not only will a larger tire roll more comfortably over a given surface, it will be deforming less as it rolls. It will be rolling SMOOTHER and FASTER than a narrower tire. Period.
S M O O T H E R I S FA S T E R
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S M O O T H E R I S FA S T E R
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V SPEE D PER S ONI F I E D, OLYM PI C XC GOLD ME DALIST JAROSLAV KU LH AV Y / H A FJELL, NORWAY
02/ SPEED + ROLLING RESISTANCE Smoother is faster, and faster is always the preferred outcome. Rubber compound plays a huge part in a tire’s rolling resistance. We have developed our proprietary Gripton compound to offer improved rolling resistance characteristics relative to the competition (as well as offering superior traction, but we’ll get into those attributes elsewhere), and it’s application in our Turbo S clincher results in the fastest tire in the world. Off-road, tread pattern comes into play in addition to the importance of compound. Through careful Finite Element Analysis we can determine optimal tread block size and shape in order to achieve the elusive goal of high traction and low rolling resistance. By careful sculpting of tread we can reduce the amount of rubber surrounding knobs while supporting them to avoid tread deformation. Less material in the tread equals less tread deformation. This in turn means less rolling resistance, and less rolling resistance means faster.
S P E E D + R O L L I N G R E S I STA N C E
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R AW G RIPTON COM POU N D, HOT OFF T HE PRES S ES
Turbo S-Works MY11
GP 4000S
Open Corsa CX
GP TT
Turbo S-Works MY14
POWER (W)
ROLLING RESISTANCE TEST
Results show in 40K TT, the Turbo with Gripton compound improved by 70 seconds. 35 seconds faster than a GP4000S.
THE GRIPTON ADVANTAGE – Our proprietary Gripton compound achieves some lofty goals – such as being a key component of the fastest tires in the world. Utilizing mostly synthetic rubber reinforced with silicon dioxide, Gripton experiences less hysteresis loss than natural rubber. The compounds in Gripton tires are not as dense as carbon black compounds, and experience less internal friction and resultant temperature build up when deformed. Silica is also porous, and as a result absorbs less energy than carbon black compounds. Therefore, Gripton dissipates less energy than other compounds, and tires using Gripton run cooler, more smoothly, more efficiently. Most importantly though, they roll faster. Faster than anything else. Fast enough to win World Championships.
S P E E D + R O L L I N G R E S I STA N C E
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R AW G RIPTON IN G RE D IE N TS
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T I RE COM POUN DING EXPERT, WOLFG ANG ARENZ
THE TEAM BEHIND GRIPTON We have made repeated references to Gripton and what we have been able to achieve because of it already. But it is pretty amazing stuff and deserves further explanation. In order to do that, however, we need talk about the team responsible for Gripton. Tire compound mixing is not an easily taught formulaic skillset; it takes years upon years of accrued, hands-on experience, and is a nuanced craft with so many variables that it is viewed by many as something between alchemy and dark magic. With the decades of experience formulating tires at the highest level, the Specialized tire team are master craftsmen when it comes to tire compound mixing. There are only a handful of people in the world capable of this complicated science.
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A NUANCED CRAFT WITH SO MANY VARIABLES THAT IT IS VIEWED BY MANY AS SOMETHING BETWEEN ALCHEMY AND DARK MAGIC When the tire team at Specialized set out to create the next leap in road tire technology they knew they needed to develop a tire compound that would surpass the previous compounds we had employed in several important areas. The new compound had to roll faster than anything else, it had to also offer superior traction to anything else, it had to offer performance that would enable our athletes to perform at their absolute best, and it would be a nice bonus if there was no tradeoff in durability for such stellar performance. After extensive prototyping in consultation with the best racers in the world, the result of our endeavors was Gripton. Rolling resistance at least 10% better than the closest competition, better traction in the wet, and no sacrifice in durability – this is our flagship tire compound, and it is only available on Specialized tires.
THE TEAM BEHIND GRIPTON
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These impressive results were achieved by the use of synthetic rubber with the reinforcing addition of an activated Silica compound. Silica compounds have a more open pore structure than the carbon black rubber found on most bicycle tires. The use of synthetic rubber reduced hysteresis induced energy loss, which was further aided by the additional Silica. Being porous, Silica absorbs less energy than carbon black rubber, and is more loosely packed at the molecular level than carbon blacks. This means that Silica compounds experience less internal friction and heat buildup when deformed, resulting in less energy loss. This is how Gripton is able to roll faster than the competition.
ROLLING RESISTANCE AT LEAST 10% BETTER THAN THE CLOSEST COMPETITION, 30% BETTER TRACTION IN THE WET, AND NO SACRIFICE IN DURABILITY However, aside from the highly proprietary nature of the ingredients in this mix (We have Gripton mixed at our own contracted lab, and then sent direct to the tire factory, where it can only be used in our tires) the actual mixing itself is a key component to how Gripton performs. If the compound is not mixed properly, the ingredients can’t disperse correctly in the mix, rendering the compound weak and inconsistent. So, we mix in closed Banbury containers, in a laborious, three-stage process. The entire batch is allowed to cool between steps so that material structure can bed in before more ingredients are added, and this is done in a precisely controlled environment. It is because of this rigorous attention to the mixing that we are able to achieve such consistent wear characteristics on top of the huge gains made in traction and rolling resistance. Gripton. There really is nothing else like it in bicycle tires. Meanwhile, the tire team has a whole lot more in store.
THE TEAM BEHIND GRIPTON
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2 0 1 3 U CI IN D IV ID U A L T IM E T RIA L WORLD CHA M PION S HIP WIN N IN G S-WORK S T U RB O T IRE
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U CI I T T WOR LD CHA M PI ON TONY M A RT I N IS INST RU MENTAL IN S-WORKS T U RB O T IRE DEVELOP MENT
TURBO PERFORMANCE – The pinnacle of our tire technology is embodied in the S-Works Turbo. A supple, 220 TPI casing is bolstered by a layer of BlackBelt barrier protection, providing protection while maintaining a supple feel. Capped with Gripton rubber that also extends into the sidewalls for unprecedented traction even at extreme lean angles, and riding on a large volume, 24mm casing, this is the tire that Tony Martin used to win the 2013 World Time Trial Championship. These attributes – world beating speed and resilience – are found throughout the Turbo line.
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M A R K C AVENDI SH, SPR I NT I NG TO VI CTORY AT T H E GIRO D’ I TALIA ON S-WORKS T U RB O T IRES
S P E E D + R O L L I N G R E S I STA N C E
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PAOLO M ON TOYA ON COU RS E / PIE T E RM A RI TZ B U RG , S OU T H A FRIC A
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REFINED DESIGN EQUATES TO PLACING JUST ENOUGH MATERIAL WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE MOST TRACTION AND THE BEST TIRE SPEED. THE SCIENCE OF TRACTION – Off-road tires face a myriad of traction challenges, and function ultimately determines the basic tread of a tire in a given environment. The tread of a tire designed to excel on a World Cup DH course is not going to resemble the tread that wins a World Cup XC race, and neither of those may be the right choice for a day spent ripping singletrack with friends. Beyond the basic outer appearance of a tire tread, however, there is a profound amount of sculpting that occurs during tire design. This is where we employ Finite Element Analysis. Knob siping enhances traction while keeping speed paramount. Tread block edges feature radiuses and shoulders, and through careful analysis of tread load we determine where best to place rubber and where best to remove material. Refined design equates to placing just enough material where it needs to be in order to provide the most traction and the best tire speed. Too much rubber makes a tire slow.
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CASE-BY-CASE CASING – We offer three types of tire casing in our MTB line, all designed to deliver superlative performance in different environments. S-WORKS - Featuring a 120TPI nylon casing, this is our lightest and fastest rolling construction for XC racing. Rubber use is kept to a minimum to ensure weight is kept to a minimum, with high rolling speed being the ultimate goal. CONTROL - With a 60TPI casing, sidewall protection and a little more rubber in the design, Control casing aims for a balance of speed and durability. Still very light and exceptionally fast rolling, tires with Control casing are versatile all-rounders. GRID - Combining a 60TPI casing with a cut-resistant fabric layer on the sidewalls, Grid emphasizes protection and durability while still offering a lively feel and excellent all-round performance.
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WO R LD C U P D OWNHI LL CHA M PI ON A A R ON GWI N DI A LS IN H IS LINES AND T RE AD C H OIC ES / PIE T ERMARI TZ B U RG, S OU T H A FRIC A
S P E E D + R O L L I N G R E S I STA N C E
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V M I TCH R OPELATO DEM ONSTR ATES TOTA L C OMMI T MENT C ORNERING / PORT ANG ELES, WA SH INGTON
03/ CONFIDENCE + CONTROL On the road, control is predicated entirely by grip. You need to trust your tires. Wet or dry road, fresh tarmac or cracked old pavement, paint stripes and sand in the corner apexes, your tires need to deliver you with surefooted confidence through all-conditions. This is why we invest so much importance in our Gripton compound. Combining Gripton with new, larger volume casings and carefully designed tread, our road tires strive to be the perfect choice for an imperfect world. This imperfect world gets a whole lot muddier once we venture into the dirt. Here, traction becomes dependent not only upon the grip offered by the tire’s rubber compound, but also tread block shape, size and placement. Conditions vary massively, and riders face those varied conditions with an equally diverse set of expectations. Whatever those conditions may be, with decades of experience and a massive database of testing and FEA, we have tires that are ideally suited to them.
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CONFIDENCE + CONTROL
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RUBBER HARDNESS
WIDER TIRES FEEL SAFER
• All-around blend adapts and holds confirming fast feel
• Hard compounds are tough but don’t adapt well
• There is more tread area you can rely on • Higher force is needed to roll the tire over into a turn
• Soft compounds adapt best but wear faster
VOLUME – Aside from the previously mentioned
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GETTING A GRIP – The combined attributes of tire
speed benefits that result from increasing tire volume,
compound, tire volume, and tread are what determines
there are also huge payoffs to be had in terms of confi-
a tire’s road performance, and ultimately how much
dence and control. With more volume, a tire can be run
confidence a rider has in that tire and how much control
at lower pressure, allowing more cushion for absorb-
that tire allows the rider to feel. More control equals
ing road vibration and handling unpredictable road
more confidence. More confidence means a rider is
surfaces. A larger tire also presents a larger contact
more relaxed, making better line choices, and more
patch, putting more tread on the road, thus offering
confidence makes for faster descending.
greater overall traction for a safe and predictable feel. TREAD – In a perfect world, a textured tire tread
MORE CONFIDENCE MEANS A RIDER IS MORE RELAXED, MAKING BETTER LINE CHOICES, SMOOTHER.
would be unnecessary. Road surfaces would be uniform and dry, free of sand and other debris, and the temperature would be a constant 72 degrees. The world is far from perfect, however, and even the really good bits are unpredictable. Tread – the texturing of a tire – helps rubber sink into rough road surfaces and
TRACTION – Gripton is soft. It has a durometer of
gives the rubber a chance to penetrate water or dirt. The
56A, meaning it is softer than other tire compounds.
peaks, or high points, in a tire tread increase pressure
That softness, when looked at close to the
into surface imperfections and add contact points
microscopic level, allows the tire to conform to the
between the road and the tire. This in turn increases
surface it is rolling over – the tire sinks into the surface
friction, which is how we define grip. Only a little bit of
of the pavement and the rough Silica in the tread
tread makes a big difference in tire performance, and
interlocks with the ground. Additionally, because of
too much can slow a tire down, so there is a delicate art
this softness, the tire filters vibration and conforms to
involved in tread design to maintain a tire’s reputation
surface irregularity, delivering a smoother ride feel.
for speed while enhancing grip.
CONFIDENCE + CONTROL
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CONFIDENCE + CONTROL
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A A RON GWIN FA ST A N D FOCU S E D / VA L D I S OLE , I TA LY
TREAD REQUIREMENTS – XC-specific tires, like our World-Championship-winning Fast Trak, rely on minimal tread that rolls fast while providing optimal grip for cross-country racing. Gravity specific tires, like our World-Cup-proven Butcher, require massive knobs from center to shoulder for edge-to-edge traction in extreme terrain. Between these two ends of the mountain bike spectrum can be found a massive variety of terrain and condition specific needs, all requiring carefully considered tread to deliver traction when it counts. FEA DESIGN – Finite Element Analysis (FEA) allows us to simulate directional loads - from the whole tire down to how an individual tread block will react to the forces being applied. This allows us to configure tread to offer the best blend of speed and traction for its intended environment. Leading edges are ramped and reinforced to decrease rolling resistance, interlocking sipes allow greater ground penetration for individual knobs, trailing edges are designed to be softer and offer more digging traction. All of this is extensively modeled and tested in FEA before being released into the wild for real-world testing.
CONFIDENCE + CONTROL
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CONFIDENCE + CONTROL
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WO R LD CUP XC R ACER K ATE COURTNEY SM OOT H S OU T A ROC KY ST RE TC H OF T H E C OU RSE / C AIRNS, AU ST R ALIA
DUROMETER – The durometer rating of rubber is an index of hardness. Lower numbers indicate softer rubber, whereas higher numbers represent harder compounds. A softer durometer rubber will gain more traction, but may wear quickly or deform more than desirable when subject to high loads. A harder durometer rubber will last a long time and be more stable when loaded, but may do so at the expense of traction. For a frame of reference, a rubber band has a durometer rating of around 25. A hard skateboard wheel has a durometer in the 90s. Depending on the situation, we offer different durometer compounds on our off-road tires, and where it makes sense, our tires feature dual compounds for optimal performance. We use a 60-durometer rubber on our XC and trail tires - this offers a great balance between rolling speed, traction and durability. All-mountain tires feature 60-durometer rubber on the center treads, but a softer 50 compound on the edge knobs for improved traction when cornering. Butcher in Control and Grid versions, designed primarily as a front tire, employs 50-durometer throughout for grippy traction. Our DH tires use a super-gummy 42-durometer compound laid on top of a 70 base, in order to provide ultra-sticky traction with a solid, squirm resistant tire base. We tailor the rubber compound of each of our tires based on the environment where they will be used, in order to offer the best performance for that environment.
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A N N E K E B E E RT E N ON HE R WAY TO A N OT HE R POD IU M FIN IS H AT T HE E N D U RO WORLD S E RIES / N EVA D OS D E CHIL L AN , C H I LE
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FORT WILLIAM WORLD CUP WINNER TROY BROSNAN CHECKS OUT THE GOODS AT SPECIALIZED HQ / MORGAN HILL, CALIFORNIA
ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT – Real-world testing remains the ultimate judgment of the tires we design. We test our tires in all climates and terrains, across all disciplines and we have the best riders in the world offering us their critical feedback throughout the development process. Aaron Gwin, Troy Brosnan, and Mitch Ropelato help us shape our gravityoriented tires. Curtis Keene and Anneke Beerten provide hands-on insight to our range of trail and enduro rubber. Christoph Sauser and Todd Wells lend their decades of experience to making our XC tires devastatingly fast. All the computer modeling and compound mixing in the world only gets us so far; it takes real riders, the world’s best real riders, to provide the input we need to finally bring these tires to market with total confidence.
CONFIDENCE + CONTROL
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V CHRISTOPH STRASSER WINS RAAM ’14 AND SETS A NEW COURSE RECORD COVERING 3,020 MILES IN 7 DAYS 15 HOURS AND 56 MINUTES ON ALL-CONDITIONS TIRES - WITHOUT A SINGLE FLAT
04/ DURABILITY “Nail in tread.” “Blade in sidewall.” These are the actual names of industry standard tests for tire puncture resistance. They are very apt descriptors of what is being tested, and what we expect our tires to encounter, and survive, in the real world. As much as fast rolling, smooth riding, confidence inspiring tires can elevate a ride to the sublime, nothing brings the party to an abrupt end like a puncture. Glass and nails lie in wait on the roads, potholes and cracks hide in shadows, thorns wait trailside and knife edged rocks reach for sidewalls in tight singletrack. The world is a dangerous place for a tire. To that end, we spend as much time sweating the class leading details on each of our flat protection technologies as we do ensuring the superior ride characteristics of our tires. Protection without compromise, puncture resistance combined with light weight, superb traction, and supple ride quality – these were the goals. Our previous puncture resistant tires were the industry standard. Our new tires set the standard again.
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I N- HOUSE PUNCT U RE P ROT ECT ION T EST FAC ILI T Y
DURABILITY
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Bontrager Hardcase
Continental Gatorskin
All-Conditions Armadillo Elite
PUNCTURE FORCE (N)
NAIL IN TREAD TEST
ARMADILLO – The name Armadillo has long been the standard for durability and puncture resistance. Now, our All-Conditions Armadillo Elite furthers that reputation, by improving anti-flat characteristics and at the same time bringing true high performance to this durable benchmark. The Aramid belt has been replaced with a Nylon belt (this improved puncture resistance and at the same time enhanced ride smoothness), we changed the casing/shoulder profile of the tire and applied Gripton rubber to smooth out the ride even more and decrease rolling resistance, and the size range now includes widths from 23mm to a silky smooth, road eating 32mm casing.
DURABILITY
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A RM A D IL LO IS OU R LEG E N DA RY PU N CT U RE RES ISTA N T, HIG H-WE A R T IRE T ECHN OLOGY
DURABILITY
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Bontrager Hardcase
Continental Gatorskin
All-Conditions Armadillo Elite
PUNCTURE FORCE (N)
BLADE IN SIDEWALL TEST
THE GOLD STANDARD FOR HIGH-MILEAGE, TROUBLE-FREE, ANTI-FLAT TIRES HAS BEEN RAISED AGAIN All-Conditions anti-flat technology is second to none. We use a proprietary polyamid matrix that belts from sidewall to sidewall and bonds seamlessly with the rubber compound of the tire. Because of the tight weave of the matrix, the polyamid offers superior puncture resistance, yet the material is pliable enough to enhance ride quality. In both “nail in tread” and “blade in sidewall” tests, the new All-Conditions Armadillo Elite outperforms the previous version, as well as the competition. The gold standard for high-mileage, trouble-free, anti-flat tires has been raised again, and we can now add the terms “high-performance” and “smooth-rolling” to the previous descriptions for toughness and durability.
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D E T E RM IN IN G T HE B EST COM B IN AT ION OF FLE X IB IL I T Y, CU T, A N D PU N CT U RE PROT ECT ION
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ROUBAIX TIRE WITH ENDURANT CASING
ENDURANT – Endurant is a casing found exclusively on our Roubaix tires. Utilizing an innovative approach to casing design during molding, the 120TPI casing material is doubled back across the tire after wrapping the bead, resulting in a true 3-ply, bead-to-bead casing. The result of this is a responsive, lightweight, high-performance tire that still offers superb resistance to not just punctures impacting the tire vertically but, also has a much stronger defense against shoulder and sidewall cuts. BLACKBELT – Blackbelt is our race-ready tire insurance. A strip of tightly cross-woven aramid material is laid atop the casing directly under the tire tread. This provides a layer of protection against glass, nails and other surface debris, yet is light enough that it doesn’t in any way interfere with the speed or flexibility of the tire. Blackbelt is found on all our Turbo and Espoir tires, and is also found backing up the protective abilities of Endurant construction on almost all of our Roubaix range.
TURBO TIRE WITH BLACKBELT CASING DURABILITY
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M AT T HUNTE R PU SH ING T H E LIMI TS / SPAIN
DURABILITY
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CURT I S KEENE PUTS H I S G R ID C A S IN G S TO TH E TEST / S A N TA M O N IC A , C A
GRID Casing
/ Purgatory 29x2.3
CONTROL Casing
PUNCTURE FORCE (N)
GRID IN NUMBERS
754g
785g
GRID – Theoretically, dirt should be softer than pavement. In reality, the world of dirt can often be a mountain bike tire’s worst nightmare. Thorns, bigger thorns, big rocks that flatten casings and cause pinch flats, sharp rocks that love to eat sidewalls; it’s a rough life for a mountain bike tire. Grid is our tough solution for that rough life. Starting with a tough, 3-ply casing, Grid is bolstered with extra sidewall reinforcement that resists sidewall cuts and at the same time adds stability to the tire when under hard cornering loads. It’s also ideal for tubeless tire applications. The added protection greatly enhances the tire’s durability without the bulky weight penalty usually associated with this level of assurance, resulting in responsive, light, agile tires that can take serious abuse. CONTROL – is found on our versatile, jack-of-all-trades trail tires. Featuring a robust, butyl wrapped nylon casing, this is a rugged, lightweight construction that adapts easily to tubeless use, yet is nimble enough to give a lot of dedicated “performance” oriented XC tire casings a run for their money.
DURABILITY
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05/ TUBES For almost as long as there have been tires with the Specialized name on the sidewall, there have been tubes with our mark on them. All our tubes are molded to ensure consistent wall thickness and uniformity of material. Our tubes are made with butyl rubber, which is less permeable and therefore more airtight over time than natural rubber. We employ extra long oval rubber valve stem bases in our ultra-lightweight Turbo tubes, to ward against valve stem tearing, and we apply talc to Turbo tubes to ease installation and reduce friction inside the tire when they are mounted. Even the valve stems themselves have been smoothed out to ensure a seamless junction point with bicycle pump heads. These are little touches, but they speak to decades of experience with tubes, and are part of the reason Specialized is the default tube amongst bike mechanics everywhere. With thinner walls and lower weight, our Turbo tube has been shown to reduce rolling resistance by as much as 13% per wheel. Airlock tubes come with sealant already inside them, offering self-sealing technology ready to go. We have thorn resistant tubes with asymmetrical rubber distribution that are 4mm thick where the tire hits the dirt. For the truly cursed, we even have a Desert Protection thorn resistant tube injected with our tried and true Airlock sealant. Schrader valves or Presta, short stem or long or really long, from 12” to 29”, patch kits, sealant, tire levers, sew-up glue when it comes to tubes, we’ve got it dialed.
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SPECIALIZED PROPRIETARY TIRE TECHNOLOGIES AIRLOCK – Our proprietary tire sealant. Available
DUAL COMPOUND – a tire tread featuring differing hardness compounds in different areas (eg: hard compound in the center for increased wear and softer compound at the tire edge for enhanced grip)
in liquid form or pre-installed in tubes
DUROMETER – A measure of rubber hardness first defined by Alfred Shore
ARMADILLO – Our legendary puncture resistant,
GRIP – Adhesive friction against a surface
high wear tire technology, protects the tire from bead to bead
GRIPTON – Our proprietary flagship tire compound
BLACKBELT – A high standard of proficiency in
ETRTO – European Tire and Rim Technical Organization. The organization responsible for standard tire and rim sizing
many martial arts, and also a strip of Aramid tough puncture protection found on our performance tires GRID – Proprietary Specialized casing technology, improves puncture resistance and enhances sidewall stability
EXTERNAL RIM WIDTH – The distance measured across the outer surfaces of a rim, from one rim wall to the other FEA – Finite Element Analysis
GRIPTON – Our proprietary flagship tire compound ENDURANT – Roubaix 3-ply tire casing, lightweight AND highly protective
GLOSSARY OF TERMS ARAMID – A high strength synthetic fiber, aids in puncture resistance BANBURY CONTAINER MIXER – A closed chamber mixer utilized in precise mixing of rubber compounds BAR – Not just a place to purchase liquid refreshments in a convivial environment, Bar is a unit of measurement for pressure, 1 Bar equals atmospheric pressure at sea level BEAD – The edge of the tire that seats into the rim,tire plies are wrapped around a bead of steel, nylon or Aramid CARBON BLACK – The most common pigment and reinforcing ingredient in most tires CASING – This is the fabric that wraps around the tire bead and that the tread rubber adheres to, this gives the tire its shape, usually nylon CLINCHER TIRE – A hollow casing tire with a bead that interlocks into a rim COMPOUND – The ingredients of rubber (natural or synthetic) and additives that give the tire its characteristics CONTACT PATCH – The surface section of a rolling tire that is in contact with the ground
GLOSSARY
HYSTERESIS – “A retardation of an effect when the forces acting upon a body are changed (as if from viscosity or internal friction)”; in this case, one of the forces that determines how a tire deforms under load and how tire rubber reacts to pressure INNER TUBE – A torus shaped impermeable rubber sleeve that is inserted into a tire and inflated to a desired air pressure INTERNAL RIM WIDTH – The distance measured between the inside walls of a rim KNOB – A block of tread on an off-road tire PLY – A single layer of material, usually woven cords of nylon, that forms a tire casing PRESTA VALVE – A tire air valve, designed for high-pressure use, specific to bicycles, an easy way to infuriate bike shop employees is to refer to these as “presto” valves when purchasing PSI – Pounds per Square Inch, this is a unit of measure for tire pressure (for those who do not fear the metric system, 14.5psi equals 1 bar) RIM – This is a component of a wheel that the tire is mounted upon, clincher rims have hook bead sidewalls to interlock with clincher tire beads, tubular rims have a concave surface for the tire to be glued in place ROLLING RESISTANCE – The enemy of forward motion, caused by energy loss through hysteresis SCHRADER VALVE – Automotive style tire valve also in common use on bicycle tubes, not to be confused with Presta valve SEW UP – A colloquialism for Tubular tire
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS (cont.) SIDEWALL – The area of a tire casing between the bead and the tread of the tire SILICA – Silicon Dioxide, when used in tire compounds, can reduce rolling resistance and improve wet grip SIPING – Thin grooves cut into tread, siping improves grip TIRE PRESSURE – The inflated air inside the tire that ultimately determines ride characteristics, measured in either BAR or PSI TREAD PATTERN – The texture, size, shape and placement of tread on a tire, determined by the tire’s intended use TPI – Threads Per Inch TRACTION – Grip, but with the added dynamic of acceleration or lateral forces, and inconsistent surfaces like sand or mud TUBELESS – A tire and rim combination that can be inflated without an inner tube, sometimes with a tire sealant, sometimes without TUBE TYPE – A tire that is designed to use an inner tube for inflation TUBULAR TIRE – A tire casing with an inner tube completely encased within, then glued to a specifically designed rim UST – Universal System Tubeless, a specific rim and tire interface designed for tubeless use VALVE STEM – Either a Schrader or Presta valve, attached to a tube or a sealed rim, for the purpose of inflating a tire VOLUME – The inflated three-dimensional space contained within a tire, constrained by the tire material and the rim VULCANIZATION – The method used for bonding, as well as curing the tread of a tire to the casing.
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AND KEEP ON ROLLIN’
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