Have ridden well over 100km on the new Spesh tire combo (Purgatory 2.4 front, Captain 2.2 rear) so thought it was time to review.

I guess because I loved the High Roller/Crossmark comb so much I expected to be let down in some way by any new combo of tires. That hasn’t been the case with the Spesh duo.

The Purgatory 2.4 has been great on front, every bit as capable as the High Roller but lighter and I’d also say it rolls better while not giving anything away in terms of size and volume. Similarly The Captain 2.2 on the rear represents a significant weight saving, and while it has a more aggressive tread all round compared to the Crossmark (and subsquent improvement in traction) it still rolls very well thanks to the tightly spaced center knobs.

The plentiful sharp rocks around Central Victoria can be brutal on tires, especially sidewalls. Early days but the Spesh 2Bliss Control level tires have withstood mashing rocks in much the same way as the High Roller/Crossmark combo.

Negatives of the Spesh combo? As of yet, haven’t come across any.

Tubeless wise, no problems and not too many surprises. Just like when I changed my uni’s over to tubeless a couple of years ago you immediately notice the reduction of rotating mass and related energy benefits, plus the supple ride and the different noises the wheels make – the hollow rolling hum, the different ping as the tire hits things. Funny. Tubeless is great when it works with no problems, it’s not life and death though – riding is fun with or without tubes. I’m still running around 25psi though have bought a pressure gauge to better keep track of pressure/performance combo’s in the future.