CX/Gravel Tire Test: Specialized Pathfinder TLR 40

Specialized has recently revamped almost its entire tire lineup, and the Pathfinder is the first tire we've tested from this new series. The Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss Ready has long been one of our website's most popular semi-slick gravel tires, so we are not surprised that the new Pathfinder TLR quickly gathered enough Pro Member votes to get tested.

We can already tell you that the new Pathfinder TLR is a completely different tire, and all the important aspects have changed: casing, compound, and tread pattern. This is unsurprising since it comes from a different factory in another country.

The casing is now 60 TPI compared to the 120 TPI casing of the old Pathfinder Pro (read our review). We see this more often with tubeless-ready tires because a 60 TPI casing is stronger, and you need a stronger casing for tubeless-ready tires. On paper, the most significant advantage of the new Pathfinder TLR is that it is lighter than the old versions, which were quite heavy for this type of tire.

The compound is now the Gripton T2/T5 dual compound, with the harder T2 compound in the center and the softer T5 compound on the sides. Specialized also claims great improvements here, but we have not been able to confirm this in previous tests of this compound, as the original single compound Gripton was one of the strongest performing compounds.

The tread pattern is also new, and we expect that some of the weight reduction is due to it because the tread is more open, and the knob height is substantially lower than that of the previous Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss Ready.

The Pathfinder TLR is also available in new sizes: 35-622, 40-622, and 45-622. We find it odd that they chose 35-622 instead of a 50-622 version. We are seeing larger and larger gravel tires, and Specialized is going against the trend since the previous Pathfinder was available in the 38-622, 42-622, and 47-622 sizes.

What is also new and very much in line with current trends is that all sizes are available with tan or black walls. We tested the 40-622 version with tan walls, and below are our results.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Specialized
Model	Pathfinder TLR
Year	2025
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At
Manufacturer part number	00025-4492
EAN	0196625207969
TPI	60
Compound	Gripton T2/T5
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	40-622
Specified Weight	470 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	65
Made In	Members Only
Available Sizes	35-622 (700x35c) 40-622 (700x40c) 45-622 (700x45c)

Specialized Pathfinder TLR 40 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	470 grams
Measured Weight	449 grams
Measured Width Casing	38 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	39 mm
Measured Height	35 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	0.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	1.5 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	3.10 mm
Measured Total Thickness Sidewall	Members Only
All size measurements are taken at low air pressure on a 17.8 mm inner width rim.

Rolling Resistance Test Results

Rolling Resistance Test Results
Inner Tube	None (30 ml sealant)
Measured Width	38 mm
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 66 psi/4.6 bar 33-35 = 60 psi/4.1 bar 36-38 = 54 psi/3.7 bar 39-42 = 50 psi/3.4 bar 43-46 = 46 psi/3.2 bar 47-50 = 42 psi/2.9 barHigh Air Pressure (54 psi / 3.7 bar)	Members Only
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 55 psi/3.8 bar 33-35 = 50 psi/3.4 bar 36-38 = 45 psi/3.1 bar 39-42 = 42 psi/2.9 bar 43-46 = 38 psi/2.6 bar 47-50 = 35 psi/2.4 barMedium Air Pressure (45 psi / 3.1 bar)	Members Only
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 44 psi/3.0 bar 33-35 = 40 psi/2.8 bar 36-38 = 36 psi/2.6 bar 39-42 = 33 psi/2.3 bar 43-46 = 31 psi/2.1 bar 47-50 = 28 psi/1.9 barLow Air Pressure (36 psi / 2.6 bar)	20.8 Watts CRR: 0.00624
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 30-32 = 33 psi/2.3 bar 33-35 = 30 psi/2.1 bar 36-38 = 27 psi/1.9 bar 39-42 = 25 psi/1.7 bar 43-46 = 23 psi/1.6 bar 47-50 = 21 psi/1.4 barExtra Low Air Pressure (27 psi / 1.9 bar)	23.8 Watts CRR: 0.00713
The CX/Gravel section is a multi tire size section, air pressures have been adjusted to the measured casing width. All numbers are for a single tire at a speed of 29 km/h / 18 mph and a load of 42.5 kg / 94 lbs. Use the formula: RR (Watts) = CRR * speed (m/s) * load (N) to calculate rolling resistance at a given speed and load.

Puncture Resistance Test Results

Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread	44 Points
Total Puncture Score Sidewall	Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Members Only
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Members Only
Tread Total Tire Thickness	3.10 mm
Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Members Only
Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Members Only
Sidewall Total Tire Thickness	Members Only

Hard Surface Static Grip Test Results

Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average	76 Points
Wet Grip Center	Members Only
Wet Grip Edge	Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center	0.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	1.5 mm
Grip in points = coefficient of friction * 100 CX/Gravel grip test rim width = 23.0 mm
Wet Grip Test and Off-Road Tires (info)

Conclusion

Unfortunately, the new Pathfinder TLR is not convincing compared to the previous Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss Ready (read our review). Apart from the weight, there is very little progress, with even some aspects showing regression. The weight is now only in line with the competition since the old Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss Ready was a heavy tire.

And yes, we tested the tire in the correct direction despite what the photos might suggest. Specialized chooses to place the Pathfinder logo only on one side, so we only flipped it for the photos.

Unfortunately for Specialized, many other manufacturers have improved their products over the past few years, making the current version less competitive than the previous version, which was one of the best choices of its time.

Compare the new Pathfinder TLR and old Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss Ready on our comparison section

RATING: 3.7 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Recommended

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