Bikes Blog
Specialised returns to tubeless with its new S-Works Turbo tyre vary
Sep
The American model claims the event of two new rubber compounds has enabled important enhancements to rolling resistance, sturdiness, grip and puncture safety throughout the board.
The brand new Specialised S-Works Turbo RapidAir 2BR, for instance, is claimed to decrease rolling resistance by one watt per tyre, grip higher and add round 1,000 kilometres to the lifespan of a set, in comparison with the earlier S-Works Turbo RapidAir.
This tyre has already seen appreciable success within the WorldTour this season, Specialised says.
Yves Lampaert used it to win the opening-stage time trial of the 2022 Tour de France, whereas Jai Hindley and Remco Evenepoel each used it on their approach to respective general victories at this yr’s Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España.
S-Works Turbo tyres for each event
Somewhat than making one tyre to behave as a basic objective all-rounder, Specialised says growing a number of, extra extremely optimised tyres allows riders to decide on the best choice for his or her particular wants.
With this in thoughts, the brand new S-Works Turbo tyre vary comprises three tyres;
- Specialised S-Works Turbo RapidAir 2BR
- Specialised S-Works Turbo 2BR
- Specialised S-Works Turbo (clincher)
All three new S-Works Turbo tyres use the identical, newly developed dual-compound tread.
This tread is claimed to supply important efficiency beneficial properties in key areas equivalent to rolling resistance, sturdiness, grip and puncture safety.
The slick centre strip makes use of Gripton T2, which Specialised refers to as its “pace compound”.
Specialised claims this rubber compound reveals each exceptionally low rolling resistance and excessive sturdiness traits.
The shoulders of the tread use Gripton T5, an “all-round compound” that, the US model claims, prioritises grip, however nonetheless nonetheless provides low rolling resistance and good sturdiness.
Specialised has additionally up to date the tread sample, with a barely extra outstanding diagonal dashed sample. It’s mentioned to assist with grip on “uneven, imperfect roads”, in comparison with a very slick tyre.
The variations between the three tyres, then, are all the way down to the casings.
Alongside the S-Works merchandise, Specialised has additionally introduced a brand new mid-range tyre, the Turbo Professional T5.
It deviates from the premium tyres by utilizing a heavier, extra strong casing with a single compound (Gripton T5) tread. This permits it to come back in at a cheaper price level.
Specialised S-Works Turbo RapidAir 2BR
The S-Works Turbo RapidAir 2BR makes use of the lightest, most supple casing Specialised makes.
It makes use of a two-ply, 120 TPI (Threads Per Inch) tubeless-ready building, with the plys solely overlapping on the sidewalls.
Specialised claims this makes for a quicker tyre in comparison with these with “a conventional 3-ply casing”, which it says will increase rolling resistance because of the presence of additional materials beneath the tread.
An up to date BlackBelt puncture safety strip sits beneath the tread and is claimed to supply 12 per cent higher puncture resistance than its predecessor.
Out there in a single 700 x 26c measurement, it prices £65 per tyre and is claimed to weigh 230g, 30g lower than the earlier model.
Though many amateurs and professionals are transferring to wider tyres, Specialised says a 700 x 26c tyre gives the optimum steadiness of rolling resistance, aerodynamic efficiency, weight and dealing with when matched to its flagship Roval Rapide CLX II and Alpinist CLX II wheelsets, or the cheaper CL II variations, which share the identical rims.
Specialised says it expects a median lifetime for the S-Works Turbo RapidAir 2BR of 4,000km / 2,500 miles for a entrance tyre and three,500km / 2,200 miles for a rear one. That is mentioned to signify an enchancment of round 1,000km in comparison with the earlier model.
Specialised S-Works Turbo 2BR
The S-Works Turbo 2BR is a race tyre designed for all-season use.
Specialised says it’s the “quickest, most sturdy efficiency tyre” it has ever made, and is good for the whole lot “from cobbled classics to your every day lunch journey”.
It makes use of a two-ply, 120 TPI tubeless-ready casing, however right here the plys overlap beneath the tread and BlackBelt puncture safety strip.
Specialised says this will increase the sturdiness of the tyre by 8 per cent in comparison with the earlier model of this tyre, however ups rolling resistance and weight barely in comparison with the brand new RapidAir 2BR tyre.
In keeping with Specialised, the brand new S-Works Turbo 2BR is 3 watts quicker per tyre than the earlier model.
Specialised additionally says it’s as quick because the outdated S-Works Turbo RapidAir 2BR. Connecting the dots, that will make it 1 watt slower per tyre than the brand new RapidAir 2BR tyre talked about above.
The S-Works Turbo 2BR is offered in sizes from 700 x 26c to 700 x 30c, with tan sidewall variations accessible in 700 x 28c and 700 x 30c. It prices £55 per tyre.
A measurement 700 x 26c tyre is claimed to weigh 260g.
Common lifetime for the S-Works Turbo 2BR is claimed to be within the area of 6,000km / 4,000 miles for a entrance tyre and 5,000km / 3,200 miles for a rear one.
Specialised S-Works Turbo
For many who haven’t but switched to tubeless, the S-Works Turbo is Specialised’s new high-performance benchmark for a clincher tyre.
It makes use of an identical two-ply, 120 TPI casing to the S-Works Turbo 2BR tyre (with the plys overlapping beneath the puncture safety strip and tread), however makes use of a lighter clincher bead.
Specialised says it provides a discount in rolling resistance of two watts per tyre in comparison with the earlier S-Works Turbo clincher, together with 8 per cent higher puncture safety, however stopped wanting providing direct comparisons to its tubeless counterpart.
The S-Works Turbo is offered in sizes from 700 x 24c to 700 x 30c, and prices £45 per tyre.
A measurement 700 x 26c tyre is claimed to weigh 220g.
Specialised Turbo Professional T5
Together with the S-Works Turbo vary, Specialised has additionally introduced a brand new mid-range clincher tyre, the Turbo Professional T5.
It makes use of a heavier and extra strong 60 TPI casing with a single compound (Gripton T5) tread, and is claimed to supply higher grip and sturdiness at a cheaper price level.
The Turbo Professional T5 is offered in sizes from 700 x 24c to 700 x 30c, and prices £35 per tyre.
A measurement 700 x 26c tyre is claimed to weigh 240g.
Tyre system tennis
When the earlier S-Works Turbo RapidAir launched in July 2019, Specialised steered it will herald a brand new period of tubeless dominance in highway biking, as a result of it was mentioned to mix the pace of clinchers, the journey really feel of tubulars and the improved puncture safety of tubeless tyres.
Quick ahead to June 2020, and Specialised carried out an abrupt about-face with the discharge of the unique, non-tubeless-compatible, Roval Rapide CLX and Alpinist CLX wheelsets.
Designing for clinchers solely, it mentioned, allowed for lighter wheels, and including mass to bolster the edges for tubeless compatibility would have outweighed the potential advantages.
It’s truthful to say Specialised-sponsored riders had loads of success utilizing this setup too.
Maybe unsurprisingly, although, this newest U-turn follows the current launch of the Rapide CLX II and Alpinist CLX II wheelsets, which noticed tubeless compatibility reinstated.
As some had suspected, the unique wheelsets have been designed to be tubeless-compatible all alongside, Specialised admitted. An ill-timed damaged rim and tyre blow-off throughout testing by Peter Sagan had instigated a change in tack previous to launch.
Specialised is now declaring tubeless to be the best-performing possibility once more, even going so far as to say “in case your tyre is rolling, you’re quicker on tubeless”.
It claims its personal testing reveals a tyre arrange tubeless has a median rolling resistance benefit of round 8 per cent in comparison with one arrange with a butyl inside tube, as a result of there may be much less materials to deform and fewer friction throughout the system.
As already talked about, Specialised-sponsored riders have achieved a lot of success this season with the brand new tubeless setups as effectively.
Specialised additionally says tubeless tyre techniques deform “extra simply in response to highway imperfections, providing you with higher grip and a extra comfy and managed journey”.
Lastly, it claims including its personal RapidAir sealant “doesn’t have an effect on the rolling resistance”.
If true, this is able to be a formidable growth, as unbiased exams have proven tubeless tyre sealant usually provides a small however measurable quantity of rolling resistance to tubeless techniques.
Is that this the top of the tubeless versus clincher (versus tubular) debate, then? Specialised appears eager to nail its colors firmly to the tubeless mast this time, a minimum of relating to its top-performing tyres, however who is aware of what the longer term holds.
2022 Specialised S-Works Turbo tyre vary specs and availability
The brand new vary of Specialised S-Works Turbo tyres is offered now.
The 2 tubeless-ready tyres (the S-Works Turbo RapidAir 2BR and S-Works Turbo 2BR) are each authorized to be used on hookless rims, to a most tyre strain of 72.5psi / 5 BAR.
Specialised says its inner security testing reveals the tyres exceed the ISO’s “burst strain customary” of 110 per cent of 72.5psi / 5 BAR (the minimal inflation strain a tubeless tyre should be capable to stand up to with out blowing off an ETRTO-compliant hookless rim), as a substitute providing a “margin of security to 200 per cent” of the usual.
Nonetheless, Specialised says it recommends utilizing hooked rims as a result of these enable for inflation pressures as much as 110psi / 7.58 BAR, with the intention to cater for a wider unfold of terrains and for riders of differing weights.
Specialised S-Works Turbo RapidAir 2BR
- Worth: £65
- Sort: Tubeless-ready
- Tread compound: Twin compound (Gripton T2 and T5)
- Casing: Two-ply, 120 TPI
- Out there measurement: 700 x 26c
- Claimed weight: 230g
Specialised S-Works Turbo 2BR
- Worth: £55
- Sort: Tubeless-ready
- Tread compound: Twin compound (Gripton T2 and T5)
- Casing: Two-ply, 120 TPI
- Out there sizes: 700 x 26c, 700 x 28c, 700 x 30c
- Claimed weights: 260g, 280g, 300g
Specialised S-Works Turbo
- Worth: £45
- Sort: Clincher
- Tread compound: Twin compound (Gripton T2 and T5)
- Casing: Two-ply, 120 TPI
- Out there sizes: 700 x 24c, 700 x 26c, 700 x 28c, 200 x 30c
- Claimed weights: 200g, 220g, 240g, 260g
Specialised Turbo Professional T5
- Worth: £35
- Sort: Clincher
- Tread compound: Single compound (Gripton T5)
- Casing: 60 TPI
- Out there sizes: 700 x 24c, 700 x 26c, 700 x 28c, 700 x 30c
- Claimed weights: 220g, 240g, 260g, 280g
Supply hyperlink