Description:Our most affordable Roll X model. All condition XC tire for fun and function. If you need one tire to do it all in an affordable package, this is it. Flak Jacket puncture protection.
Submitted by
claude claude
a Racer
from claude Date Reviewed: May 2, 2005
Favorite Trail:
rubagatacaretucuni
Duration Product Used:
More than 3 years
Price Paid:
$200.00
Purchased At:
bike word
Strengths:
yo
Weaknesses:
yo
Similar Products Used:
yo
Bike Setup:
yo
Bottom Line:
yé
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Submitted by
Rock Magnet
a Weekend Warrior
from East Hartford Date Reviewed: March 6, 2005
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Newington Cycles
Strengths:
None! That was easy. OK, tire is lightweight - yippee!
Weaknesses:
Piece of sh*t tire related to the dung heap.
Bike Setup:
2003 Stumpjumper HT.
Bottom Line:
Tire was stock on bike. 3 pinch flats on first two rides left me steaming changing flats while 20 degrees outside. Thinner than a condom. Disposable tire created for one purpose only: to bring down total bike weight on the showroom floor. I would never put any Specialized tire on my bike. I just purchased a new SJ FSR Expert 2005 with the "new improved" Specialized Adrenaline Pro 2.0, aramid bead, 120tpi. Same story: piece of sh*t. I will post same review for that tire as well. Swapped out after 1 ride.
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Submitted by
Erik
a
from Boise, Idaho Date Reviewed: July 29, 2004
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
roll relatively fast
Weaknesses:
not the best grip around corners, wear fast
Bike Setup:
03 EPIC COMP
Bottom Line:
These came stock on an '03 Epic. I absolutely hated them in the beginning with pressure at 60psi (recommended by LBS). They were absolutely awful. Then I dropped the pressure down to 38psi - much better. The trails I ride are very dry with some sandy spots. These tires do ok with proper technique. If you don't corner properly, you'll wash out quick. With that said, they have made me a better rider because they've forced me to corner properly in order to beat my friends. Don't expect them to instill confidence, if that's what you're looking for. They are more for speed than traction, though I’ve ridden faster tires. At 600 miles, they have nothing left. I'm not getting them again. I'll probably go with the panaracer trailblasters next - low rolling resistance, light, and decent grip. Hopefully they'll be better.
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Submitted by
Joe Bower
a Cross Country Rider
from Brighton, England Date Reviewed: July 4, 2004
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
Decent for non-aggressive riding on light trails and road. Low rolling resistance.
Weaknesses:
They pack up very quickly in mud and soft dirt, giving you absolutely no traction!
Similar Products Used:
None
Bike Setup:
2003 Rockhopper Disc with some sweet upgrades
Bottom Line:
These tyres are dangerous to your health! I made the stupid mistake of using these tyres on fast technical downhill in the rain. Needless to say this had pretty disastrous consequences! Both the front and rear tyres packed up to the point where they became slicks. I lost traction going through a shallow bend at about 20mph causing me to collide with a log, sending my flying over the handlebars! Thankfully I was wearing body armour and a helmet so I escaped with only a sprained wrist and a broken elbow.
However, it would be a bit unfair to completely condemn these. They're okay if you're not an aggressive rider and ride in only dry conditions. The tyres are also good on road since they have a low rolling resistance. It's not too hard to keep up with people who are using slicks.
In conclusion I would not recommend these tyres to anyone. You do not buy knobbly tyres for road use and they prevent you from building confidence on your bike. Here in England it is impractical and dangerous to use tyres that are designed for summer conditions. Also there are many better tyres for a similar amount of money or for just a tad more. Based on reviews on this site I’m now going to buy some Panaracer Fire XC Pros and hope I have better luck with them.
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Submitted by
Alex
a
from Scotland Date Reviewed: May 1, 2004
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Cheap, low-medium rolling resistance, big tyres so good suspension qualities
Weaknesses:
Tyres fold (squish) when cornering way too easily
Similar Products Used:
Continental Survival Pro, Ritchey (forget the model)
Bike Setup:
'95 Cannondale CAD1, mainly Deore components
Bottom Line:
Bought a pair when my Survival Pro's wore out, and these were the only reasonable tyres I could afford at the time. They're fine for cycling on the roads which I do every day to work, and fine for dirt track. Little grip in mud, they just spin. After a years use there is a lot of cracking in the tyres (from leaving the bike outside work in the rain, road salt?) - maybe this is usual for most tyres. Biggest problem is hard cornering, they just 'bottom-out', folding to the point where the rim almost hits the road. Higher pressure helps, but doesn't seem to alleviate the problem. That said, I use pretty thin rims (mavic X221). Didn't have this problem with the Survival Pro's, which theoretically should have been worse having a very thin sidewall. Have worn reasonably, perhaps quicker than most other tires I've had. Good cheap option, but I doubt they cut it for serious off-road cycling/racing. Possibly the s-works version addresses these problems.
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Submitted by
Dave
a
from Jacombs Date Reviewed: March 28, 2004
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Strengths:
Works mediocre to adequately (best rating I can give it) as a light trail/city commuting tire. Very little rolling resistance.
Weaknesses:
Horrible traction on anything but the tamest trail rides.
Bottom Line:
I came to this thread to see what others have to say about these tires because I was hating the ones that came stock on a Stumpjumper.
I'm glad to see that I'm not alone in hating these tires.
I have experienced the exact same problem as many of the reviewers here: slipping, sliding and washing out on fairly easy trails, loose gravel, rocks, and wet roots and logs.
These tires will frustrate your ride, and make you lose your riding confidence awful fast. They are plain dangerous too if you ride aggressive trails.
These tires are only fit for a hybrid bike, or for riding tame gravel logging roads. But they have no business being on serious MTB bike.
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Submitted by
Kevin Kapp
a
from Albuquerque, NM, USA Date Reviewed: December 13, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Otero Canyon
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
ABC
Strengths:
Light
Weaknesses:
Terrible in corners. These tires wash out at the slightest corner. I replaced them with Panaracer Fire XC's and had no trouble whatsoever riding the same trails. These tires are the worst I've ever ridden. It's too bad Specialized uses these on such an expensive bike.
Avoid this tire at all costs. It's the worst I've ever ridden. Specialized should be embarassed to put it on their bikes!
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Submitted by
Greg Higgs
a Cross Country Rider
from Lebanon, OR Date Reviewed: August 19, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Phil's Trail
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Stock on Epic
Strengths:
Low rolling resistance
Weaknesses:
cornering
Similar Products Used:
Spcialized Ground Control, WTB, IRC
Bike Setup:
Base model epic
Bottom Line:
These tires suck! Possibly part of the problem is that the bike sucks as well. I've had these tires wash out cornering on the best of surfaces. I've crashed and burned more times on this bike and these tires than all my other riding seasons combined. Still trying to become happy with the bike, but the tires are history.
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Submitted by
scott fraser
a Cross Country Rider
from brisbane Date Reviewed: July 7, 2003
Favorite Trail:
chocolate budda
Duration Product Used:
2 Years
Price Paid:
$20.00
Purchased At:
ryders cyclery
Strengths:
THE perfect all round tyre!! they rock - thye do everything I want - + more and they make me a better rider!
Weaknesses:
I've heard they wear quickly - but I can't see it yet- they aren't easy to buy in Australia - Please Mr Specialized can i have some swag??
Similar Products Used:
Hutcison Pythons IRC Mythos
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Blur, Fox Talas Fork, XT gears, Hayes brakes, Hugi Hubs
Bottom Line:
I've recently bought a Blur - and in Australia they come standard with Hutchison Pythin I've used these tyres on my titanium hard tail for years and have found them to have a big air bag, be really light,roll well and wear well.
However when i got the Blur i found i could do heaps more on the new bike than i could previously - I was only limited by the pythons - what I wanted and thought was impossible to get was a tyre with the same: bir air bag, low rolling resistance, logevity and light weight as the pythons - but also more aggressive and with the ability to shed mud too (Pythons are awful in mud).
I thought finding my perfect tyre was the impossible dream till i found the Specalized Roll-X's
They are really har to get as a separate tyre in Australia - but i went tyre shopping in my lunh hour and saw a pair hanging up in this shop - i think they had been on a new specalized bike but they had been swapped - lol- the person who swapped them didn't know what they were missing out on!!!
These tyres are BRILLIANT - they make me a much better rider - they do EVERYTHING!!! the hook up brilliantly they roll well they feel like they give an extra 25 mm of travel (1 inch) they give me extra confidence they corner - they do everything
The only problem is how can i get another set when these wear out (which I hope will be a very long time)
BUY THEM THEY RULE - i think these are the perfect cross country trail riding tyre - and wow are they light!!!
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Submitted by
Todd
a Cross Country Rider
from Arroyo Grande, CA USA Date Reviewed: July 2, 2003
Favorite Trail:
any singletrack
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Roll X is a pretty cool name but Wash-Out would have been more appropriate.
Weaknesses:
Cornering
Similar Products Used:
Panaracer Fire XC 2.1 Other crap Specialized Team Tire
Bike Setup:
'03 Spealized Stumpjumper FSR Comp stock expect for Panaracer Fire XC 2.1 and 2002 Egg Beaters
Bottom Line:
These tires wash-out during cornering in dry conditions at even moderates speeds. I tacoed the Mavic 221 on my new Stumpjumper FSR Comp on my fifth ride out with these tires on a trail that I ride all the time on my hardtail with Panaracers. Who cares about rolling resistance when the tire won't stick going into a corner? Traction on loose, technical climbs sufficient but not the best. Do not know about wet or muddy conditions as it has not rained since buying this bike. Do Not Buy these tires for use on dry trails. Buy them if you plan on riding on bike paths or roads and you have money to waste.
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Submitted by
Steven Hamilton
a Weekend Warrior
from Aliso Veijo, CA Date Reviewed: May 6, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Aliso/Wood Canyon
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Weaknesses:
Street riding
Similar Products Used:
Panaracer Fire XC, Bontager AC
Bike Setup:
Stumpjumper FSR, disc, Shamino 536
Bottom Line:
Not a bad XC tire. Not the greatest on the street, but handles pretty good on everything else. I was surprised how well it handled sand and mud
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Submitted by
Jester
a Cross Country Rider
from HI, USA Date Reviewed: May 5, 2003
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
stock
Strengths:
It rolls.
Weaknesses:
Slides on turns and wears quickly.
Similar Products Used:
panaracer fire xc pro
Bike Setup:
m4 stumpjumper comp, xt/xtr, avid ti brakes, etc etc
Bottom Line:
These tires came stock on a $1500 stumpjumper comp. Its unfortunate that specialized put such low end tires on an otherwise great spec'd bike. These tires slip badly on turns & uphill, especially when I hit anything gravel-like. Wear fast too. I've ridden over some real junk (like glass, etc) without a flat, which is good. Havent used them in muddy conditions, I just changed over to panaracer fire pros. Wont be buying roll-x again; however, I'll give them 2 chilis for rolling and not going flat!
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Submitted by
Chris Hughes
a Weekend Warrior
from Newport RI Date Reviewed: May 4, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Breakheart, Acadia
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Purchased At:
Caster's
Strengths:
Kept the rim off the ground.
Weaknesses:
Cornering
Similar Products Used:
Ground control.
Bike Setup:
Specialized Epic Demo Bike form Caster's
Bottom Line:
Was really looking forward to riding this Epic demo bike. With all the great reviews I was looking forward to spending a bunch of money. What happened was I walked away wondering if the handling problems were the tires or the bike or both. Twice the front end went out from under me without warning on trials I ride all the time. Either way I know I will not be buying an Epic anytime soon. I took out a Trek Fuel demo bike for a quick spin around the parking lot when I returned the Epic. Not a lot you can tell with that type of ride but my impression was that this was the way to go. I'll take it out for a real ride next week. A 50 tire is a heck of a way to lose the sale of a $2500 bike.
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Submitted by
Learux
a Cross Country Rider
from Valencia, CA Date Reviewed: April 24, 2003
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
Good traction uphill
Weaknesses:
No mudshedding capability whatsoever, Wears extremely fast. 80 miles and the show considerable wear. Works great as a rear tire. I hate it in the front. Cornering sucks and tehy break out without a warning
Similar Products Used:
Psycho Zmax
Bike Setup:
Specialized epic, avid disk
Bottom Line:
I would not buy them they came stock on the bike
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Submitted by
MARK
a
from INDIANAPOLIS Date Reviewed: April 24, 2003
Favorite Trail:
TOWN RUN TRAIL(96TH ST)
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
PRETTY FAST ROLLING
Weaknesses:
NOT VERY GOOD ON THE CORNERS OR THE CLIMBS..DOES NOT SHED MUD WELL
Bike Setup:
SPECIALIZED STUMPJUMPER FSR
Bottom Line:
I'm disappointed that this tire was put on a $1300 bike. It makes you very conservative in the corners. It doesnt seem to have very good grip on the climbs. I recently bought wtb weirwolf 2.1's and found they're much better in the corners and climbs
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Submitted by
dejj
a
from oakland, ca Date Reviewed: April 21, 2003
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Strengths:
steep downhill is okay
Weaknesses:
rear tire slips A LOT on uphill climbs slides out on sharp turns or corners
Similar Products Used:
tioga psycho
Bike Setup:
'03 stumpjumper fsr
Bottom Line:
use them only if they came as stock equipment on your bike.
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Submitted by
Tony
a Cross Country Rider
from USA Date Reviewed: April 16, 2003
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
Good for rolling out of the bike shop. Wears out fast. Good if used on light trails.
Weaknesses:
Loads up with mud quicker then an infants diaper. can't corner at high speed with these. Slips to much while climbing. Lugs tear away when used on trails here. Wears out quick.
Similar Products Used:
To many to list some good,some bad.
Bike Setup:
03 Stumpjumper FSR disc
Bottom Line:
Tires only have about half of their original thread left after only 75 miles. I rarely lock up my wheels, so it must be the hammering up hills that wears em. They do track well when bombing down hills to a point. Down hill braking is not to bad. I will go with WTBs Wierwolfs as soon as these get done shreading which won't be much longer. I will not buy these as they don't suit my riding style one bit. I never pinch flatted these I weight 175#. If you're an easyrider these should be ok for you, if not go look for something better as these will cost you $ in the long run..
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Submitted by
Warren Steele
a Cross Country Rider
from Durban, RSA Date Reviewed: March 4, 2003
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$30.00
Purchased At:
Evans London
Strengths:
Good cornering traction Reasonably light Low rollong resistance
Weaknesses:
Rear loses traction in steep climbs Mud shedding terrible
Similar Products Used:
Specialized Enduro Specialized Rockster Pro
Bottom Line:
This tyre has good cornering traction but the soft side knobs seem to roll over causing some twitchiness in the turn. Their mud shedding capability is zero. A plush comfortable ride. Rear knobs are breaking off after about 200 kms use. This is causing a loss of traction in the climb.
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Submitted by
Donald Sims
a
from Longmont, Colorado, United States Date Reviewed: January 20, 2003
Favorite Trail:
Hall Ranch, CO
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
OEM
Strengths:
They were OEM
Weaknesses:
They slide out terribly on corners. Also slip on rock faces when climbing.
Similar Products Used:
Vraptors, Wildgrippers.
Bike Setup:
Stumpjumper FSR, stock so far.
Bottom Line:
Don't like them. The trails are generally rocky here in foothills and since it's been very dry lots of loose gravel. I've had to take the scenic route a couple of times already (off the trail because I was slipping in the corner). Upgrading soon. Don't know how they would perform in wet or mud, none around here.
$ 24.99
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