Road Bike Tire Test: Specialized S-Works Turbo T2/T5 26

The Specialized S-Works Turbo has been around for as long as we can remember. We tested the original version back in 2016 (read our review), several years after its initial introduction. Specialized recently started updating its tire lineup with their latest Gripton Tx compounds. The tube-type S-Works Turbo now comes with the same T2/T5 dual compound as the 2Bliss Ready version we tested a while back.

Although the new compound probably is the most significant update, we also see an updated tread pattern that's also used on the tubeless versions of the S-Works Turbo (Turbo 2Bliss Ready (read our review), and Turbo RapidAir 2Bliss Ready (read our review)). The casing material is still 120 TPI, but it now has the latest "hybrid-Kevlar Blackbelt" breaker under the tread. This new and updated Blackbelt breaker improves puncture resistance by roughly 8%, according to Specialized.

Specialized claims the all-new S-Works Turbo saves 4 watts of rolling resistance per set of tires over the previous S-Works Turbo. We can't confirm the 4 watts savings as our rolling resistance test indicates rolling resistance has actually increased by 1 watt for a set of tires.

Something else that's interesting is that Specialized now offers the 24-622, 26-622, 28-622, and 30-622 sizes instead of the 22-622, 24-622, 26-622, and 28-622 sizes of the older S-Works Turbo. In reality, Specialized downsized all sizes to comply with the latest ETRTO standards, and the new 26-622 size is now the same size as the 24-622 size of the old S-Works Turbo. We've seen this before with other brands; double-check the size when you're used to the size of the old one and don't want to end up with a tire that ends up smaller on your bike.

This is a test of the 26-622 S-Works Turbo T2/T5, and we'll compare it to the old 24-622 S-Works Turbo, the 28-622 2Bliss Ready version of the S-Works Turbo T2/T5, and a bunch of other tube-type tires.

The Specialized S-Works Turbo T2/T5 performs very strongly in our tread puncture resistance tests with a solid score of 74 points. In comparison, most other tube-type tires with a similar construction and weight come in at roughly 50 points. Performance in the wet grip tests is also solid. However, just like the other Specialized tires with the same tread pattern, we see reduced edge grip due to the tread pattern consisting of tiny knobs along the tire's edge, which flexes too much and reduces contact patch.

In our other tests, we see average to strong performance, and we can't find a flaw that would prevent us from recommending this tire. As previously mentioned, one thing to be aware of is the specified and measured tire size. The new version measures very small for a 26-622 rated tire. Given the small size, weight has also increased over the previous edition of the S-Works Turbo when we compare the actual tire sizes.