Designed to be the fastest cross country tire on earth with input from Team Specialized. Features exceptional light weight, low rolling resistance and large volume.
Submitted by
j_shoe99
a Racer
from WI Date Reviewed: June 5, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Baird Creek
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Light, cornering grip, ability to go tubeless
Weaknesses:
pack up in mud, but, they are NOT mud tires.
Similar Products Used:
Michelin Dry's.
Bike Setup:
2009 Specialized Epic Expert Carbon
Bottom Line:
They come stock on the new Epic Expert. After being quite impartial to my Michelin Dry tires, I decided i'd convert these to tubeless and try them out. I now like them better than my old tires, since they perform better in the moist stuff. They hug corners without hesistation, very fast rolling, and climb well and (knock on wood) no flats in the ~400miles off-road so far. They are a great xc racing tire, at least for me. If I was only trail-riding, I would opt for a slightly more aggressive tire. I would buy these again.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
DonSole
a Cross Country Rider
from gent, belgium Date Reviewed: April 28, 2009
Favorite Trail:
jura, france
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$60.00
Purchased At:
moving store
Strengths:
rolls really smooth, gives me confidence on hardpack offroad. (i kind of allways use low rolling resistance tires)
Weaknesses:
from day one the tire lost all its air over a period of +/- 10hrs. i held the tire under water and it leaked tiny amounts of air over the whole side surface in tiny diagonal lines spaced evenly.
I contacted specialized support by email, they said they'd reply in 24 hrs, which they didn't. I called my shop and the sales tech said they knew about the problem, had contacted specialized about it. He said specialized's statement is use some sort of specialized sealant milk. The tech sold me GEAX GTT instead which he said is cheaper. still it sux to buy a tubeless tire that leaks air from the factory. then you have to use some product which will add about 5 euro and 50 grams per tire. and i don't even know if that'll work.
Similar Products Used:
hutchinson scorpion, python, geax , ...
Bike Setup:
scott cfx200, mavic crossmax
Bottom Line:
it must be my mistake since no other reviewer talks about the same flaw or about using the sealant for mounting the tire.
- specialized not giving the support they claim
- my shop for not informing me about a default they know about
- tire unusable as sold without sealant
+ nice grip for the rolling resistance, light
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ryan
a Cross Country Rider
from Colorado Springs, CO, USA Date Reviewed: April 22, 2008
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$30.00
Purchased At:
LBC
Strengths:
None
Weaknesses:
As previously mentioned, loses air even with Stan's sealant. Weak tire. Ride with caution.
Don't bother with these tires. I took them on a recent XC race with a lot of cactus in the area...two punctures to my front tire (Kenda Nevegal UST) in the first hour, but both sealed quickly with Stan's. However, later in the race another puncture that just opened this one up and no chance of sealing it. It's a weak tire that I have never felt completely comfortable ripping on. The Kendas I can push to the edge and feel confident that they will stand up to the abuse...these Specialized tires, though, have always made me nervous when it came to pushing it a bit, and it showed this weekend. Don't waste your money.
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Submitted by
Scot
a Cross Country Rider
from Westchester, New York Date Reviewed: August 27, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Canaan, West Virginia
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$60.00
Purchased At:
Local Bike Shop
Strengths:
Specialized S-Works Fast Trak LK (2.0) Fast rolling and comfortable ride.
Weaknesses:
Expensive and loses air even with Stan's sealant added
Similar Products Used:
IRC Serac UST 1.95
Bike Setup:
2001 IBIS Silk Ti w/Mavic UST Rims
Bottom Line:
Ridden several times Northeast tecnical trails and was surprised how the tire hooked up in dry conditions, not sure what to expect in wetter conditions, but will update in the near future as the fall usually accomadates with wet conditions.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Manny
a Cross Country Rider
from Spring, TX, USA Date Reviewed: August 26, 2006
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$65.00
Strengths:
Light. Corners well.
Weaknesses:
Expensive. Recommended as short life for racing.
Similar Products Used:
Maxxis Crossmark, Bontrager SuperX Revolt Tubeless Ready, Pythons, Specialized Roll X Pro D2, others
Bike Setup:
Trek Top Fuel 98
Bottom Line:
I've used this tire in the front only so far, and have had excellent results (dry conditions only). Excellent cornering and holds air.
The only reason I haven't tried one in the rear is I like to experiment with different tires. As a former pro cross country motocrycle racer, changing tires for each event and for varying conditions was a regular event.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Kevin Witherstine
a Weekend Warrior
from Prosper, TX, USA Date Reviewed: June 24, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Johnson's Branch
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$45.00
Purchased At:
Richardson Bike Mart
Strengths:
really fast tire, not 2 difficult to mount, seem to hold air
Weaknesses:
I don't like the cornering at all. When I hit a fast corner (~20 mph) with a little loose over hardpack I come close to losing control.
Yeti 575 with Crossmax XL, and Yeti AS-Rsl with Crossmax SL
Bottom Line:
They are nice and fast, but I just can't deal with the cornering problem. After about 4-5 rides, these are hanging in my garage having been replaced with the Maxxis Crossmark UST's. As of right now, I'm Maxxis on all my rigs.
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Submitted by
Ed
a Cross Country Rider
from Fort Worth, TX Date Reviewed: February 22, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Cleburne, Boulder Park
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At:
Bicycles Inc.
Strengths:
Extremely fast rolling. Surprisingly aggressive cornering. Supple feel, great on slick surfaces. Awesome overall feel!
Weaknesses:
Not a long wear tire. Outer knobs have short life span for aggressive XC riding.
A great racing and all around XC tire with limited life span. You'll be replacing these more often, but the experience they provide make the frequency of replacement worth it. Running Stan's and no flats so far. Love these tires!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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