Page 90 - AMB Freelist

sections. The Ground Control has plenty of edges, but on loose over hard pack it could still push wide if I didn’t pay attention to getting my entry speed, lione and body position just right. I think this would also make a great front and rear combination for a light trail bike, even with something a little meatier upfront.
While I thought I’d want the Fast Trak to offer some even closer centre tread, it rolled nicely and was more predictable than expected when cornering. I only used this is a rear tyre (with the Ground Control up front) and I really liked the rounded profile for a very consistent transition when cornering. It hooked up when needed and had no surprises. Running these front and rear would be a good setup for good rolling speed and protection.
GROUND CONTROL AND FAST TRAK:
CONTROL 2BLISS READY T5
With the same tread pattern, these 60tpi tyres having the same 2Bliss Ready bead but without the extra protection of the Grid casing, and with a faster rolling T5 compound. It’s worth bearing in mind that 60tpi casings are quite strong anyway, and pretty airtight, and the Control casing does have sidewall protection to assist with pinch flat resistance. So this is far from the fragile option, but the lower weight and lower rolling resistance does put them more firmly in the cross-country camp.
They weighed 773g for the Ground Control, and 686g for the Fast Trak, which is about 100g lighter per end.
The tyres were notably more supple when fitting them, but I could still get them to inflate with a track pump, as the 2Bliss ready bead sat in place in the rim well. For pressures, I set them at 19.5/21.5psi before riding.
With the T5 tyres onI still rode predominantly on loose over hardpack (looking at you, SE QLD). The combination of lower weight and slightly reduced rolling resistance added up, with rides to the trails feeling more spritely and my bike feeling a little more agile on the trails. Agile could also be taken as slidey and easy to move around, but for a tyre billed as an XC tread, that
comes with the territory as far as I’m concerned. You sign up for a bit of shimmy with XC tyres, it’s how you deal with it to go fast that makes the difference.
And on that front, I found the tread performance the same as the T7 Grid models, with the Ground Control pushing through the looser corners, but otherwise the combination was as predictable as it was versatile.
The main difference was the casing, rubber and set up. I didn’t have flats on either tyre, and kept the original pressures to ward off any sidewall squirm. This is partly why the tyres would drift a little more in the looser corners, but I’d say the compound played a small role there. A few wetter areas were far from sketchy, but the overall trail feel was more lively than on the T7 Grid tyres.
MY TAKE
The Ground Control and Fast Trak combination is quite versatile as a front and rear combination, with a more aggressive front tread partnering with a faster rolling tread on the back. Both suit front and rear combinations, erring towards light trail and cross-coun- try/marathon respectively. I have preferred to have a more aggressive front tyre and faster rolling rear since I first matched a Ground Control to a Tioga Psycho K in 1998. As such, the combina- tion as tested was akin to running a Maxxis Ardent Race and Ikon, or a Rekon and Rekon Race, or Pirelli Scorpion Mixed and Hard
– there are plenty of other combinations out there. But the casing and compound options do put Specialized in their own game compared to an extent, and I think having that choice is great.
I’d reaching for the Grid T7 models if my riding was fast trail focused, and I didn’t want to drag too much tyre around but wanted great support and traction. If I was looking to cover more ground, and have a little more durability on mixed surfaces, especially in events, I’d be fitting up the Control T5 units. Kudos to Specialized for continuing to innovate with their tyres, and for keeping the costs reasonable as well.
Mike Blewitt
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