Specialized

Ground Control Flex Lite T5/T7 TLR Tire

What Our Gearhead® Experts Are Saying:

"The dual-compound setup on the Ground Control Flex Lite T5/T7 TLR Tire is doing real work — the center knobs stay predictable and quick through long XC efforts, and the shoulder compound grips up noticeably when I weight the outside edge through a corner. The tubeless-ready casing holds pressure well at the lower end, which opens up trail feel considerably on hardpack and natural terrain."

XC racers and fast trail riders have long had to make a choice: optimize for rolling speed or optimize for cornering grip. The Specialized Ground Control Flex Lite T5/T7 TLR Tire ends that negotiation. The dual-compound tread places a faster, harder center compound where efficiency matters most — climbing, maintaining speed on flats — and a tackier, more aggressive shoulder compound where traction is the priority: hard-cornering exits, braking zones, and off-camber sections where a tire loses confidence quickly.

The 60TPI casing keeps the overall package light and supple underfoot, and the tubeless-ready construction allows us to drop pressures into the range where the tire can actually deform over roots and rocks rather than deflecting off them. At 29 x 2.2, the profile threads through tight XC courses without excess weight or width penalty; the 29 x 2.35 option fills out the contact patch for slightly looser or more varied terrain. The tread depth and shoulder knob geometry are dialed for hardpack and natural surfaces — this is a tire that performs best when the trail is firm and conditions reward speed.

For riders pairing tires front and rear, the Ground Control Flex Lite T5/T7 TLR Tire makes sense as a dedicated rear in mixed setups — rolled fast under power, tucked into the trail when braking loads hit. Running it front and rear is the right call for pure XC racing or weight-conscious trail builds where every gram and watt matters. Riders pushing through loose or wet loam will want something with more aggressive shoulder knob height up front, but for the conditions this tire is designed for, it's a focused, high-performing choice.