The Big S join a select few companies producing tyres with a radial casing with their Butcher and Eliminator tyres leading the charge.
Whilst they still suggest their Grid Gravity casing tyres for serious work, the new Specialized radial tyres are cheaper than both the Schwalbe and VeeTire Co. alternatives.
Specialized claim that their ‘Sweet Spot Ply’ construction of the new Grid Gravity Radial casings allow for 30% more grip at the same pressure as the non-radial equivalent. Another crucial element is whilst the radial compliance increases drastically with the ply arranged between 60-90 degrees, the lateral compliance is minimal. At around 7%, most will not notice the latter.
The idea here is to increase deflection and deformation with a view to increasing the contact patch of a tyre. This, in theory should lead to more grip. Our experience with radial tyres to date indicates that they do tend to roll slightly slower as a result, but we’ll have to wait to test the Specialized radials before we draw any conclusions on these.
Tread patterns are familiar Specialized do-it-all numbers, namely the Butcher and Eliminator. The Butcher is available in T9 or T7 compound, the former being soft and slow rebound, the latter focusing more on longevity. The Eliminator uses T7 on the centre tread for better rolling with the T9 making up the edge blocks.
A 60TPI Grid Gravity casing offers protection across the carcass from bead to bead. Both treads and compounds are available in 29″ or 27.5″, with 2.4″ being the only width on offer currently. Weights are competitive with both the Vee and Schwalbe offerings too.
Model Size Weight Compound Casing Price Butcher Grid Gravity Radial T9 TLR 29 x 2.4″ 1330g GRIPTON T9 Sweet Spot Ply 60TPI Grid Gravity casing with bead-to-bead protection £55.00 Butcher Grid Gravity Radial T9 TLR 27.5 x 2.4″ 1240g GRIPTON T9 Sweet Spot Ply 60TPI Grid Gravity casing with bead-to-bead protection £55.00 Eliminator Grid Gravity Radial T7/T9 TLR 29 x 2.4″ 1330g GRIPTON T7/T9 Sweet Spot Ply 60TPI Grid Gravity casing with bead-to-bead protection £55.00 Eliminator Grid Gravity Radial T7/T9 TLR 27.5 x 2.4″ 1240g GRIPTON T7/T9 Sweet Spot Ply 60TPI Grid Gravity casing with bead-to-bead protection £55.00
