After cutting both front and rear S-Works Fasttrak LK tires last weekend in my race, I decided to investigate alternatives. I had barely worn off the little mold hairs before killing these. Kind of a shame, but that's the risk of using high end light tires. I've been running Specialized tires for a long time w/ good luck, even w/ S-Works models in the past. I believe that these new tires are a bit thinner than what I've seen in past, and maybe not as durable, but certainly light (500g) and a great tread and large volume! I noticed the new ones say "thailand" on the side, whereas my older ones say "taiwan".
I recall reading somewhere that these newer "thailand" tires may be manufactured by the same factory that does Kenda? Anyone know the facts of this? They sure do seem similar to my Kenda Karma's, in thickness and appearance.
For Bend, Oregon riding, the trails are pretty dry and smooth, except for the occasional techy lava rock gardens. That is what killed mine. I think my other tires of the slightly lower level, or a UST specific model would have been just fine.
My personal opinion is that the "second tier" Taiwan made versions are more durable and not significantly heavier. Those "Control" tires measure out at 530g. Not too shabby.
Anyone else have similar opinions?
Here's a clip from the specialized site:
http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCTechPopup.jsp?pid=Tire_ControlCasing
I recall reading somewhere that these newer "thailand" tires may be manufactured by the same factory that does Kenda? Anyone know the facts of this? They sure do seem similar to my Kenda Karma's, in thickness and appearance.
For Bend, Oregon riding, the trails are pretty dry and smooth, except for the occasional techy lava rock gardens. That is what killed mine. I think my other tires of the slightly lower level, or a UST specific model would have been just fine.
My personal opinion is that the "second tier" Taiwan made versions are more durable and not significantly heavier. Those "Control" tires measure out at 530g. Not too shabby.
Anyone else have similar opinions?
Here's a clip from the specialized site:
http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCTechPopup.jsp?pid=Tire_ControlCasing