Specialized Slaughter GRID Tire

My go-to rear tyres on long rides during dry season here in the Philippines. Good, fast rolling tyres for the trails I usually go to (e.g. hardpack sand, fire roads). Great value for money. Traction is a bit iffy in loose sand over hardpack especially on steep, technical terrain.

Great all around rear tire for fast rides and different terrain. Sidewall is tough enough for lots of edgy gnar but still light enough to be nimble and fast.  I’ve ran 10 different combinations on my current rig and keep coming back to this tire and the Maxxis Aggressor. Nothing else compares to these two for fast rear tires. The slaughter let’s you drift easier though. 

EVERY bike shop will always have this tire in stock, making it a great option for the times you just need a rear tire while you wait for your order DDs to arrive in the mail. 

Traction:

The center has short standing lugs spaced tightly together. While the tire is on the center lugs it'll feel extremely rough but will provide tons of traction on hard pack terrain. The same center lugs will cause the breaking point of traction occur earlier but after some time on the tire it becomes very predictable and feels rather playful. 

The side lugs stand in a very aggressive stance, square profile and directional. On hard pack these lugs will do nothing but slip. As the trail tears from hard pack to loose then these side lugs start to show great amounts of traction in yet again predictable breaking points. 

Durability: 

Don't run low tire psi! This is an AGGRESSIVE tire and only comes to life when ridden fast. Higher tire psi is needed since the center lugs are tiny and provide zero cushion against rock/rim strikes. This tire will outlast your front tires! Once the side lugs start to rip apart the tire will drift at random times compared to that fresh feeling, this takes a rather longer period of time when compared to other tires. 

Casing: 

It's a trail tire with thicker sidewalls. Once again run higher psi to prevent the casing from slashing. 

Conclusion: 

Great value! Easily available! Rides fast! Super fun! Most people will hate this tire because it's unlike most tires you'll ever run. Love it at bike parks, long alpine climbs, enduro races, traveling and everywhere else. Runs wonderful in PNW loam and if it rains then put your cowboy hat on cause it's gonna be loose! On slabs and hard pack it's great for going fast and slowing down quickly in control. Definitely not as comfortable feeling as knobby tires but that's a given sacrifice for the party. 

Tire combos: 

Run this tire with a square profile front tire with aggressive fast responsive knobs such as the maxis highroller