Specialized S-Works Turbo TLR review: The new race tire offers top road performance with easy tubeless installation, backed up by independent testing. Especially in the 30 mm version, this is a fast training and competition tire for anyone who rides on rough roads.
Given the flood of bicycles, components, and accessories offered under the Specialized brand name, it's easy to forget the brand's very first product: a racing tire called the "Touring." At 28 mm wide, it was rather generous for its time and, with its slick tread and herringbone shoulders, anticipated current designs. How long ago was that? Almost 50 years ago – the tire was launched in 1976, a few years before the first bike bearing the Specialized logo.
The brand certainly deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as well-known tire manufacturers – especially since its products are on par with the competition. Or perhaps even superior? With the new Specialized S-Works Turbo TLR, the brand now offers a racing tire that, with its many excellent features, is ideal as an all-rounder and is equally suitable as a fast training tire and a robust competition tire.
Reorganization without “2Bliss Ready”
Specialized revamped its tire lineup this spring, swapping the cumbersome "2Bliss Ready" abbreviation for the more common "TLR" and removing the 26-inch version of the Turbo – the tire for racing and training is now only available in 28 and 30 mm widths. Compared to its predecessor, the manufacturer claims a 20-gram reduction in weight and a 10% reduction in rolling resistance. The 120-tpi casing remains, as does the rubber compound with the harder Gripton T2 in the center and softer T5 on the tire shoulders. Their profile has changed minimally or not at all; the casing consists of two layers on the sidewall and three layers plus a puncture protection strip under the tread. The wear marks on the tread are 1 mm deep – this means the tire has a decent amount of rubber, which speaks for long mileage.
After unpacking, the first thing to do is to weigh the scales: Both Turbo TLRs weigh 30 grams each in 294 mm width with a black casing. The tanwall version presented at launch is slightly lighter, with the test samples weighing 28/266 grams in 259 mm. This closely matches the official specifications, and the tires are also comparatively light.
Specialized S-Works Turbo TLR: tuned for wide rims
On various rims with 23 mm internal widths, the Turbo TLRs maintain their nominal width exactly, which suggests that Specialized has already tuned its new models for such rims. Some other 28-inch wheels are almost 23 mm wide on the 30C rim; conversely, on narrower rims, the Turbo might be a bit narrower. So, with the new Turbo, you pretty much know where you stand—if you ride a frameset with limited tire clearance, you won't experience any unpleasant surprises. The tire may take a few hours to expand to its full width.
Tubeless installation is almost sensationally simple. Both sizes of the Specialized Turbo TLR can be pushed over the rim with a little effort without tire levers; when inflated, they build pressure on both hookless and hooked rims with the first stroke. And all this can be done with a regular floor pump and screwed-in valve cores. No mounting fluid is required either – once the Turbo TLR is in the rim, it runs perfectly true. This gives this tire a leg up even over well-known competitors – inflating and aligning tubeless racing tires is often a time-consuming process and impossible without a compressor pump.
Smooth running even below minimum pressure
Specialized specifies a tire pressure of 28 to 4,5 bar for the 6,5-inch tire and 30 to 4 bar for the 6-inch tire. The maximum pressure for hookless rims is 5 bar for both. However, both tires can also be ridden at well below 4 bar. Then they show their comfortable side without feeling in any way spongy – even when leaning, where the extremely good grip of the T5 compound is noticeable. The compound also provides a lot of security on wet roads. If you go a bit above the minimum pressure, the Turbo TLRs feel fast and smooth, with the 30-inch tire even seeming slightly superior to the narrower version. On the typically potholed asphalt of West German back roads, this tire is a real source of comfort.
After a good 700 kilometers, the tires are still completely free of small cuts or holes; the front tire even still shows the fine center seam. The durability of the new Turbo TLR therefore appears to be high. In this context, the test results of the portal bicyclerollingresistance.com Interestingly, the Turbo TLR boasts an extremely puncture-resistant tread and excellent wet grip. Given its low weight and perceived low rolling resistance, the tire is ideal for anyone who doesn't want to compromise on puncture protection or ride quality.
At €75, the Specialized Turbo TLR is priced in line with similarly priced racing tires from competitors. These are usually heavily discounted in stores, while the all-rounder from the US manufacturer is rarely available for significantly less than the RRP. It's still a worthwhile purchase – and anyone who owns a nice S-Works racer will be able to handle the slight price premium...