A couple months ago, the guys from Specialized dropped off a set of their new prototype Fast Trak tires for us to test. We mounted them up to our S-Works Stumpjumper 29er hardtail and hit the trails. Specialized has put up a lot of hype around some of their new  tread designs. They utilized finite element analysis in the design and engineering phase, which they claim enabled them to heavily optimize performance.

After spending a good deal of time on the new prototype Fast Trak tires, we are stoked with them. They outperform the previous Fast Trak tread in all areas. We found both the braking and cornering performance to be exceptional. These tires held their own on the climbs and rolled great. Pedaling along they held their momentum nicely and out of the saddle they had plenty of bite. We hope that the production models perform like the prototypes we've been riding. If that's the case, you might get your next podium finish rolling on Fast Traks. The first production batch should be rolling into Specialized dealers this summer.