The Ground Control's rolling speed is very reasonable, and it'll feel extra-fast to anyone coming from something with more tread. The fact that the knobs aren't super tall helps keep them from getting hung up on roots, which means there are fewer surprises on wet roots or rocks.
I only got in a couple of wet rides before summer arrived with a vengeance, so I can't definitively comment on the tires' performance in the slop, although they held their own during those few soggy sessions.
Those intermediate knobs help create a very predictable tire, one that's free of any vagueness or dead spots. Sure, they're not going to dig in like a meaty enduro tire, but they still managed to find traction in moon-dust filled chutes, and when pushing into flat turns where the ground was covered with a layer of dried evergreen needles. The overall level of grip was impressive, especially considering the lower tread height. Thankfully, the Ground Control tires met and exceeded my expectations in nearly every aspect of their performance.
It's a true trial by fire, since the only way to determine how a tire will handle steep, loose terrain, or dusty, blown out corners is to dive right in and see how it goes. The first ride on a set of tires with an unfamiliar tread pattern is always an interesting experience. I've been running 21-22 psi in the front and 22-24 psi in the rear, pressures that have worked well, even in the harder packed and dusty conditions that have prevailed over the last couple of months. Getting them set up tubeless didn't pose any issues, and once inflated they measured true to their stated 2.35” width. The 29 x 2.35” Soil Searching version weighed in at 880 grams.Ī Transition Spur served as the test bike, and the Ground Control tires were installed on a pair of Roval Control wheels, which have a 29mm inner rim width. The Ground Control Grid T7 retails for $60, and is available in 27.5 x 2.35, 2.6" and 29 x 2.2, 2.35” versions. The typical sidewall color is black, but there's also the tan-walled Soil Searching version shown here, with the proceeds from the sales of this tire going to benefit Specialized's program that supports trail builders around the world.
The Grid casing provides even more sidewall protection, and the T7 compound is the grippiest available for Specialized's XC tires – their scale goes up to T9, which is used on the more aggressive enduro and DH tire models. The third option is the Ground Control Grid T7 that I've been testing for the last couple months.
In any case, the Control T5 has a 60 TPI casing and a little more sidewall protection than the S-Works version. Remember when I said Specialized's naming scheming wasn't overly complicated? I might need to take part of that back – having a tire casing that shares a name with the tread pattern seems a little silly. Next up is the Ground Control Control T5. The lightest option is the S-Works version, which uses a T5 / T7 rubber compound (the higher the number the grippier the rubber), a 120 TPI casing, and a narrow, 2.1” width to keep the weight down to a claimed 595 grams. There are three different casing / compound options for the Ground Control.