Where did my Knobbies go?
Written: Nov 01 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great fast rolling tire with good traction
Cons: Low Durometer
The Bottom Line: Does not last long enough to be worth the money
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| FlanderFlop's Full Review: Specialized Team Master Team Edition |
So I was headed out west for a pair of races and I needed a new rear tire that had a relatively low profile that I could ride on fast relatively hardpacked terrain. I have had good experiences with Specialized tires, so the S-works Team Master seemed like a good choice.
To be sure this tire worked well, it was light weight and had good traction on the gravel roads and hard singletrack of Monterey, CA. After one pre-ride lap I was satisfied that I would race this tire. 60 miles into the race the tire was doing well, but unfortunately I was having some failings, and ended up dropping out. The next day as I inspected my bike I noticed that there was an unusual amount of wear on the tires. A few of the knobbies were ripped clean off, and many looked a little worn. This was unexpected after only 70 miles of riding.
I spent the next week traveling up to the next race up in Washington. I did some riding, but rode my other bike, so the Team Master had some time off. The course up in Washington was also well suited to the Team Master tire, fast terrain with some loose gravel, but little mud and mostly hardpack trails. Despite the excessive wear from the previous week I continued to run this tire.
The race went well and 296miles later I came to the finish line. I was excited to have made it that far, but looking at the bike I realized that most of the tire had not made the trip. There was almost no tread left on the tire. Where knobbies had once been there were craters that made the tire look as if it had just recovered from a severe case of small pox. The side knobbies were severely worn and undercut. After the race this tire went into retirement. In all the years I have been riding I have never worn through a tire this quickly. Personally I figured it was some sort of defect, and I got a bum tire, but upon talking to another fellow I met at a recent race, it seems that this is a common problem with this tire.
So although this tire provides a great ride the cost per mile of riding is not really worth it. So unless you have a cool sponsorship deal and get your tires for free I would avoid these tires.
Recommended:
No
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