MTB Tire Test: Specialized S-Works Fast Trak 2BR T5/T7

NOTE: We added hard surface wet grip test data on 2023-6-9. The rating of the Specialized S-Works Fast Trak 2BR T5/T7 has been upgraded by 0.2 points because of very good results in the hard surface wet grip test.

Specialized renewed their mountain bike tires in 2021 and introduced the T5, T7, and T9, versions where the T(number) stands for the hardness of the compound. The S-Works Fast Trak 2 Bliss Ready T5/T7 comes with a dual compound with the T5 compound (faster) in the center and the T7 compound (grippier) along the edge of the tire.

The S-Works version of the new Fast Trak is the only version with a dual compound. Also available are CONTROL (more protection) versions that come with a single compound and are available in either the T5 compound for more speed or the T7 compound for more grip. An even more protected GRID version is also available, but that one is only available with the T7 compound.

The new "T versions" of the Fast Trak also come with a redesigned "Block-In-Block" tread pattern that, according to Specialized, is an overall improvement over the older tread pattern that we've known for quite some time. We're not sure if the casing has changed, but it's still specified as 120 TPI for the S-Works version and 60 TPI for the CONTROL and GRID versions.

The S-Works version that we've tested is the lightest version of the Fast Trak, but we're not sure if it's also the fastest considering it comes with the slower T7 compound along the edge of the tire. Let's just dive into the test results and see if we can spot some surprises.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Specialized
Model	S-Works Fast Trak 2BR T5/T7
Year	2022
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At
Manufacturer part number	00122-4022
TPI	120
Compound	Gripton T5/T7
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	60-622
Size Inch	29"
Width Inch	2.35
Specified Weight	615 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	50
Made In	Members Only
Available Sizes	29x2.20 29x2.35

Specialized S-Works Fast Trak 2BR T5/T7 Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	615 grams
Measured Weight	628 grams
Measured Width Carcass	57 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	58 mm
Measured Height	54 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	2.5 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	3.3 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	1.8 mm
Measured Total Thickness Sidewall	Members Only
All size measurements are taken at an air pressure of 35 psi / 2.4 bars on a 17.8 mm inner width rim.

Rolling Resistance Test Results

Rolling Resistance Test Results
Inner Tube	None (40 ml sealant) (current protocol)	Conti MTB 29 (225 gr butyl) (test protocol)
Rolling Resistance 55 PSI / 3.8 Bar	Members Only	Members Only
Rolling Resistance 45 PSI / 3.1 Bar	Members Only	Members Only
Rolling Resistance 35 PSI / 2.4 Bar	24.1 Watts CRR: 0.00722	27.6 Watts CRR: 0.00827
Rolling Resistance 25 PSI / 1.7 Bar	26.0 Watts CRR: 0.00779	30.5 Watts CRR: 0.00914
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	24 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	1.8 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	64 Points
Wet Grip Center	Members Only
Wet Grip Edge	Members Only
Measured Knob Height Center	2.5 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	3.3 mm
Grip in points = coefficient of friction * 100 MTB grip test rim width = 30.0 mm
Wet Grip Test and Off-Road Tires (info)

Conclusion

The Specialized Fast Trak S-Works 2Bliss Ready T5/T7 isn't the fast XC tire we hoped it would be. At the lowest air pressure of 25 psi / 1.7 bars, rolling resistance comes in at 30.5 watts (single tire) which is more than 10 watts higher than the Continental Race King Protection that offers a similar knob height. We're also not impressed by the performance in the puncture tests, with a low score in the tread puncture test and a very low score in the sidewall test.

When we compare the new S-Works Fast Trak T5/T7 to the older pre-Gripton compound version we tested back in 2016 (read our review), we see the older version outperforming the newer version in all our tests. We're also surprised this new version of the Fast Trak comes from a different factory, but we're not sure how much the factory change has to do with the lower-than-expected performance.

RATING: 3.0 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Recommended

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