Specialized has at last released the Cotton TLR tyre that we’ve seen pro racers riding for months, the US brand claiming that the new tyre offers “lower rolling resistance than any other race tyre in the WorldTour peloton”.
Specialized’s Cotton tubed clincher has been available for a long time and it’s extremely popular; but it hasn’t been available in a tubeless ready option until now.

“The Cotton TLR brings the legendary road feel of our Cotton tyres into the modern tubeless era – faster, smoother, and more connected to the road than anything we’ve ever made,” says Specialized. “It’s built for riders who demand pure speed and the supple ride quality that only cotton can deliver.”
Specialized gave Red Bull – BORA – Hansgrohe riders the first six pairs of these tyres in early 2025, and here’s our man Liam showing them on Soudal Quick-Step bikes at last year’s Tour de France.

The tyres use Specialized’s 320 TPI (threads per inch) Poly-Cotton-Corespun casing – a mix of polyester and cotton that “allows the tyre to deform and grip the road with microscopic precision” – with the brand’s Gripton T2 compound down the centre of the tread for low rolling resistance, and T5 compound on the shoulders for increased grip. Those materials are already used in the tube-type Cotton tyre.
For years, Specialized has been fond of telling us that “smoother is faster”, and that’s a story that it’s continuing here, saying that the Cotton TLR provides: “Noticably smoother ride quality; better road conformity and grip; improved rolling resistance through reduced casing-tube friction; confident cornering and superior road feedback”.

As well as racers, Specialized says that the Cotton TLR is suitable for sportive riders, but as you’d guess, it’s not recommended for all-season riders looking for high durability (greater than 5,000km/3,100 miles).
The Specialized Cotton TLR tyres come in three widths: 28mm, 30mm, and 32mm. Specialized claims weights of 280g, 290g, and 320g, respectively.
They’re built to ISO standards and are “fully compatible with hookless rims within current standards”.

Specialized reckons that the Cotton TLR tyres are typically mountable without tyre levers, although you may require a lever to get them off. We’ve yet to use them, so we can’t comment on that.
Price? You’re looking at £85 per tyre.
























