Test Specialized Tracer TLR 2025: The all-rounder in Specialized's new gravel range impresses with very good performance in a variety of conditions, and it is also light and easy to handle.
Who remembers the cyclocross boom of ten or fifteen years ago? Those who don't haven't missed a thing from today's perspective. As a cyclocross racing sport, cross-country is still popular in certain circles, but gravel bikes have conquered the wider market. While cross bikes represent a small niche in the road bike market, more gravel bikes are sold today than road racers. So it's no surprise that the industry is reacting and tailoring its products to new customer demands – demands that, of course, the manufacturers themselves have often awakened. One example of this is the new Specialized Tracer TLR 15, one of several new drop bar tires in the US manufacturer's range.
For years, the US company offered a cyclocross tire called "Tracer," which is currently still available as a 33-inch tubular tire on clearance. The tubeless tire is already sold out on the Specialized website, and it has also taken on the somewhat cumbersome "2Bliss Ready" designation. The Specialized Tracer TLR 2025 is a completely new tire, tailored for gravel bikes like the Specialized Crux, which still retains a lot of cyclocross DNA.
Specialized Tracer TLR: New profile, new widths
What's changed on the Tracer? First, the tread pattern, which now consists of individual, trapezoidal lugs. These become taller and larger from the inside out and are arranged in an arrow-shaped pattern; the negative portion of the tread pattern also increases towards the sides. The tire has a beautifully rounded contour, which the powerful shoulder lugs don't change. The three-ply casing has an averagely fine weave of 60 tpi.
Specialized has adapted to general practice and offers the Tracer (as well as the other new gravel tires) in the usual 5 mm increments – as 40, 45, and 50 mm. Even if the nominal size can lead to different actual widths depending on the rim, this is a small improvement that promises better orientation when tire clearance is tight. On the test wheelset with a 24 mm wide hooked rim, the 41 mm width is pretty accurate. The Tracers are easy to mount, can be inflated with a floor pump, and remain permanently leak-proof. The sample set weighed 450 and 445 grams before installation, which is quite light for a 40 mm gravel tire.
Convincing driving behavior in different conditions
And now to the ride impression: Lightweight tires and a 1.400-gram wheel set guarantee sharp propulsion and agile handling when steering and pedaling out of the saddle. At a pressure of around 2,5 bar (the 40 Tracer is approved for 2 to 4,5 bar), the all-rounder rolls smoothly and comfortably without feeling spongy when leaning.
In both dry and wet conditions, the Specialized Tracer TLR handles everything from compacted soils to loose, coarse gravel; the not-too-aggressive tread pattern ensures secure grip in every situation, even when it gets muddy. For more extreme conditions, Specialized offers the Terra with more pronounced lugs (which gives the name to the now discontinued cyclocross mud tire has assumed), which, however, is only available in widths of 45 mm and above. The tire's rounded contour proves its worth when cornering, allowing it to lean seamlessly.
How durable the Specialized Tracer TLR with its soft T5 rubber compound is remains to be seen; even after a few hundred kilometers, it's impossible to say anything about the robustness of the casing. In practice, the new gravel all-rounder is certainly impressive. With a recommended retail price of €50, this tire is also quite affordable—it's worth trying out, whether on a Specialized Crux or another bike.