Cotton casing tires ride differently than standard nylon construction. The 320 threads per inch polycotton casing in the Turbo Cotton flexes over road imperfections instead of transmitting every chip and crack directly into your hands. That suppleness comes from the material itself—cotton fibers bend and recover in ways that synthetic casings don't, which translates to a smoother ride quality that you notice immediately on rough pavement. The tradeoff is durability. Cotton casings wear faster than tougher nylon constructions, which makes the Turbo Cotton a race-day tire or something you save for routes where the road quality justifies the performance.

Specialized uses Gripton compound in the tread, which provides consistent grip in dry and wet conditions without the wooden feel some race compounds develop when temperatures drop. The compound stays tacky across a wide temperature range, so cornering confidence doesn't disappear on cool morning starts or shaded descents. BlackBelt puncture protection sits under the tread as a layer of aramid fiber that stops sharp objects before they reach the tube. That protection adds minimal weight while addressing the main vulnerability of supple race tires—the thin sidewalls and tread that make them fast also make them susceptible to cuts from road debris.

The tire requires tubes and won't seal tubeless, which matters if you've been running tubeless setups and want to try cotton casings. You'll need to carry a spare tube and CO2 or a pump since roadside repairs mean replacing tubes rather than adding sealant. The foldable bead makes the tire easy to pack as a spare, and the tire mounts normally on standard clincher rims without the tight fit some high-performance tires require. Pressure recommendations vary by size: the 24mm runs at 115-125 PSI, the 26mm at 95-115 PSI, and the 28mm at 85-95 PSI.... Read More