Cyclingdirt spotted these new prototype tubular cyclocross tires from Specialized under sponsored rider Todd Wells at the USGP New Belguim Cup race in Fort Collins, CO, this weekend.
Three tread patterns were on hand, all of which are tubular and all sized at 33mm to comply with the UCI’s new regulations, and Wells says they err on the side of being a bit smaller just to be safe. The first uses their fast rolling Trigger file tread pattern in the center with some bigger, taller directional side knobs to help with cornering.
The second is the Terra, which is designed for mud with an aggressive, widely spaced tread pattern. Lastly, there’s a modified version of their superlight mountain bike tire, Renegade, and called the Tracer. The tread pattern on this one looks just like the MTB version, and it’s designed to fall between the other two in terms of tread height and usage.
We’re working on getting some photos…more as we get it.
UPDATE: All three will have 260tpi polycotton casings, glued on treads (versus vulcanized) and single-compound 62a rubber. They use a latex inner tube with a nylon layer under the tread to help prevent punctures. Weight is around 400g per tire.
