When hammering through rock gardens or threading the needle on steep, loamy chutes, your tires are the make-or-break contact between staying upright and eating dirt.
Specialized knows this all too well, and they’ve gone back to the drawing board with their Butcher and Eliminator tires, working with World Cup pros to fine-tune the grip, stability, and speed needed to push the limits of modern trail and enduro riding.
What are the latest updates? Optimized tread spacing and design that delivers serious traction and control—whether you’re seasoning your local flow trails or dropping into the gnarliest EWS-style terrain. Plus, Specialized offers two casing options to suit your riding style. Let’s dig in.
Butcher: Ultimate Grip & Control for Any Trail, Any Condition
If you’re looking for an aggressive, high-traction front tire that thrives in various conditions, the Butcher should be at the top of your wish list. Specialized tweaked the tread design to put 12% more block surface in contact with the ground, which means better grip, superior cornering confidence, and improved vibration damping for a smoother ride.
Specialized Butcher – Key Features:
- GRIPTON T9 compound maximizes grip and control.
- New tread pattern with Block-In-Block shoulder knobs rolls fast and grips harder when leaned over.
- Two casing options:
- Grid Trail: All-purpose trail casing with bead-to-bead protection.
- Grid Gravity: Two-ply downhill casing for maximum durability—perfect for e-bikes and aggressive riders.
Tread Highlights – Specialized Butcher
- Increased tread height and volume for enhanced grip in loose and wet conditions.
- 12% more contact surface on the ground.
- Stable alternating shoulder knobs for predictable roll-in and high-speed cornering confidence.
Specialized Butcher – Specs & Weights:
- 27.5×2.2 Grid Trail T9 – 1000g
- 29×2.4 Grid Trail T9 – 1048g
- 29×2.4 Grid Trail T9 (Tan Sidewall) – 1048g
- 29×2.6 Grid Trail T9 – 1110g
- 27.5×2.4 Grid Gravity T9 – 1260g
- 29×2.4 Grid Gravity T9 – 1307g
- 29×2.6 Grid Gravity T9 – 1330g
- Price: $75 (Grid Gravity) $70 (Grid)
Eliminator: The All-Around Weapon for Technical Terrain
The Eliminator is the Swiss Army knife of Specialized’s gravity lineup, built to excel in technical terrain, whether it’s loose over hardpack or full-on enduro chunk. The tread pattern gets a refresh with squared-off leading edges for extra bite on steep climbs, plus an updated Block-In-Block knob design that enhances both traction and stability in corners.
Specialized Eliminator – Key Features:
- New tread pattern with increased knob volume for better grip.
- Block-In-Block outer knobs dig in for extra confidence on the limit.
- Smooth center tread keeps things quick on the flats.
- Two casing options:
- Grid Trail Casing: GRIPTON T7 compound for speed and efficiency.
- Grid Gravity Casing: Dual compound (T7 center for speed, T9 shoulders for grip) for max confidence in the roughest terrain.
Tread Highlights – Specialized Eliminator
- Non-ramped edges increase climbing traction.
- Taller, chunkier shoulder knobs boost cornering stability.
- GRIPTON T7 compound on Grid Trail & dual T7/T9 compound on Grid Gravity.
Specialized Eliminator – Specs & Weights:
- 27.5×2.4 Grid Trail T9 TAN – 975g
- 27.5×2.4 Grid Trail T9 – 975g
- 29×2.4 Grid Trail T9 TAN – 1004g
- 29×2.4 Grid Trail T9 – 1004g
- 27.5×2.4 Grid Gravity T7/T9 – 1240g
- 29×2.4 Grid Gravity T7/T9 – 1330g
- Price: $75 (Grid Gravity) $70 (Grid)
