soil searching tyres

Specialized’s new tyres build trails

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We think about tyres riding on trails, even riding in trails, but never actually building them. Specialized is changing that.

What we have here is a pair of the latest Specialized Butcher T9 tyres. They use the same tread design, construction and compound as regular T9’s but these tyres actually help to create new and maintain existing trails.

Indicated by the amber wall design, these tyres support the Soil Searching initiative, a project which helps to employee trail builders so that they can keep the places where we ride in top notch condition. From every sale of Soil Searching tyres, Specialized will donate a portion of the proceeds to the project.

Availability

  • UK: Butcher T9 29 x 2.3 £45.00
  • ROW: Butcher T9 2.3 and 2.6 plus Eliminator T7 in 2.3 and 2.6

Here’s the official word from Specialized:

soil searching tyres

What’s mountain biking without trails? We created Specialized Soil Searching in 2018 to fuel and support the energy and passion of the trail building community. By sponsoring trail builders, hosting dig days, and spearheading fundraisers, we’re creating a community to further the development and maintenance of trail systems that are the lifeblood of our sport. With our new limited-edition Soil Searching tyres we’ve created another to way support our trail systems—a portion of each sale goes directly toward funding this critical trail work.

Specialized Soil Searching provides financial, organisational, and outreach support for trail systems around the world. Soil Searching focuses on three essential and interdependent aspects of trail work—ambassadors, dig days, and fundraisers. Through these channels, we work to support opportunities that will assist riding communities in maintaining and growing their trail networks. Supporting trail advocacy is the right thing to do for the sport.

In 2019 and 2020 alone, Specialized Soil Searching provided over 11,000 volunteer hours through more than 200 sponsored Dig Days on six continents with the help of 50 supported trail builders and advocates around the world.

With the introduction of our limited-edition Soil Searching tyres you can support trail builders on every ride. Every Soil Searching tyre you buy helps us support Specialized Soil Searching and its mission. Available in our race-winning Butcher tread pattern and equipped with our premium T9 sticky fast rubber, the Soil Searching limited-edition tyres come in a striking, classic skin wall casing. When you ride Soil Searching tyres you’ll hit the perfect line for the perfect cause

The tyres are not yet available but don’t fret, they will be very shortly. They are going to be available online only and are the same price as the standard Butcher T9, £45, we are going to be running one size, 29 x 2.3.

Specialized

Andi is a gadget guru and mountain biker who has lived and ridden bikes in China and Spain before settling down in the Peak District to become Singletrack's social media expert. He is definitely more big travel fun than XC sufferer but his bike collection does include some rare hardtails - He's a collector and curator as well as a rider. Theory and practice in perfect balance with his inner chi, or something. As well as living life based on what he last read in a fortune cookie Andi likes nothing better than riding big travel bikes.

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Comments (8)

    If they want to generate a much larger amount of funds I politely suggest the fund raising is done on blackwalled tyres rather than the (IMHO) ghastly tan wall

    Nice concept

    But do the tan walls leak like sieves, just like the 5 black tubeless ones our family has? The sixth tyre was returned as it blew off the rim on first inflations…
    Never buy Specialized tyres again…

    Interestingly, Matt, I used Spesh tubeless for the first time on the build I did last summer and they’re the easiest seating tubeless I’ve run so far, with no discernable leakage.

    ” a project which helps to employee trail builders”
    Time to hire a new proof reader.

    As a potential beneficiary of the Soil Searching programme in our far-off continent, I think that this is a fabulous idea!
    Now I had better learn more about their tyres, I’m only just hanging on to keeping up with Maxxis’ lineup.

    Nah, just stick with Maxxis, Loic does.

    Great idea tbh, I can only see two problems 1. Not everyone will like the tan wall and 2. imo the Butcher is a rubbish tyre. I currently have the Hillbilly and Slaughter on my bike so it’s not that I’m anti-Spesh it’s just my opinion the this particular tyre.

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