The legendary Cotton tyre is finally embracing the future! After what feels like an eternity of anticipation, Specialized has officially unveiled their highly-anticipated tubeless-compatible version of the iconic Cotton tyre.
For years, the Turbo Cotton and Cotton tyres have been a staple in the Specialized lineup, with the original clincher version even being the choice of champion Tony Martin when he clinched the World Time Trial Championship back in 2012. But the journey to this tubeless iteration has been a slow burn. We first caught glimpses of these new tyres, with their logos cleverly obscured, as far back as June 2025 at the Critérium du Dauphiné, signaling that their arrival was a long time in the making.
But here's where it gets a little confusing for some: Specialized's tyre offerings can sometimes feel like a labyrinth. Let's clear the air on how things stand.
The original Turbo Cotton is still very much in the game, available in 24, 26, and 28mm sizes. These are classic tube-only tyres, easily identifiable by their distinctive golden/yellow sidewalls. You might also remember the Hell of the North (HOTN) version, which offered a bit more puncture protection and tread for rougher terrain – sadly, this one is no longer available on their site.
Then there's the 'Turbo Cotton Folding Racing Only tyre'. This one, available in 26 and 28mm, boasts a super-supple 320 TPI (threads per inch) casing, the advanced T2/T5 compounds, and that beloved cotton construction. However, it's strictly for use with inner tubes.
Fast forward to about a year ago, at the Opening Weekend races, we noticed teams sporting the S-Works Turbo TLR tyre. You'd recognize it by its unique sidewall color and hot patch logo. This model is already tubeless-ready and goes up to a 30mm width.
It seems the cycling community has been clamoring for a tubeless tyre that captures the sublime ride feel of the cotton-sidewalled models, but in wider sizes. And that, my friends, is precisely what the new Cotton TLR aims to deliver. These new tyres feature a polyester core wrapped in cotton, a clever design choice that should help in effectively containing tubeless sealant.
Specialized themselves claim that these new tyres "bring the feel of cotton with the speed and precision of modern tubeless technology." What's a fun tidbit from their press materials is that initially, only six pairs of these new tyres existed! The Bora Hansgrohe team apparently got their hands on them and were so impressed, they wouldn't give them back, prompting Specialized to ramp up production. It’s a fantastic PR story, but what truly piqued our interest at the Opening Weekend was seeing what appeared to be a clear sealant applied to the outside of the Cotton tyres on the Red Bull Bora bikes. The team mechanic mentioned it was for added protection, and we're eager to uncover more about this.
And this is the part most people miss: The new Cotton TLR tyres will be available in 30, 32, and 38mm sizes. Specialized has quoted weights of 280, 290, and 320 grams for these respective sizes. They employ a 320 TPI construction and utilize Specialized's renowned Gripton T2/T5 compound. For context, Specialized released five new road and gravel tyres less than a year ago, including the S-Works Turbo TLR, which shares the same compound but with a 120 TPI casing.
The brand also assures us that the tyres are manufactured to ISO standards for a seamless tubeless setup, though they haven't specified which particular standards.
So, what do you think? Are you excited about the return of the cotton tyre in a tubeless format, or do you believe modern synthetic materials have surpassed the benefits of cotton? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
