Specialized Purgatory Grid 2Bliss Ready T9 tyre review

Specialized’s Purgatory Grid 2Bliss Ready T9 is an aggressive yet still rapid downcountry and fast trail tyre for those who want year-round grip without sacrificing too much rolling speed.

If the previous iteration was a departure from its predecessors, this latest version is even more of a step change from its cross-country roots thanks to a more aggressive tread pattern and the brand’s downhill-oriented T9 rubber compound.

That's backed up by a bargain price of £37.50 / $65, as long as you can live with the single 2.4-inch width on offer, a slightly higher weight of 1,036g and a slower-rolling feel.

While the T9 Purgatory rolls slower and is heavier than rival mountain bike tyres, it makes up for it in the grip stakes, with a secure and predictable feel in a wide range of conditions.

The casing is supple yet tough, adding to the tyre's controlled nature and making it well suited to aggressive downcountry bikes or lighter-weight trail bikes.

Specialized Purgatory Grid 2Bliss Ready T9 tyre specification and details

The Purgatory is available in a choice of two compounds and casings, so you can mix and match between them.

Unlike its predecessor, which was sold with either Specialized’s hardest T5 or middling T7 compound, the new version is available with the T7 or softest T9 flavours.

T9 is the compound Specialized offers its enduro and downhill tyres in, hinting at the more aggressive intentions of the new Purgatory.

It’s also available in a tougher Grid Trail casing, as well as a lighter Grid option, as before. Both are 60 TPI (threads per inch) affairs. The Grid casing features additional sidewall protection (similar to Maxxis’ EXO), while the Grid Trail adds further bead-to-bead protection on top of this.

I’ve been testing the lightest Grid casing in T9 and 29x2.4in size, with my sample weighing 1,036g.

That 2.4in width is the only available option, and while the T7 compound is offered in both 27.5 and 29in sizes, the T9 is only available in 29x2.4in

The tread is a big departure from the previous-generation Purgatory.

The alternating 2x2x3-block central tread, with wide paddles, has been replaced by what the brand calls a block-in block pattern, where each knob has another inside it. The blocks themselves are wider-spaced for a more open tread arrangement, with much more of the tyre casing exposed.

The side knobs are still a staggered design, although these are also wider-spaced and feature more aggressive siping and the block-in-block approach of the centre tread.

All the tyres use foldable beads and are tubeless with Specialized’s 2Bliss technology.

Specialized Purgatory Grid 2Bliss Ready T9 tyre performance

I tested the Specialized Purgatory Grid 2Bliss Ready T9 in the hills and trail centres of North Wales and Shropshire, as well as on cross-country trails within riding distance of our Bristol office.

I mounted them on Hunt’s Proven Carbon Race XC and Crankbrothers Synthesis XCT Alloy wheels, fitted to my Transition Spur.

Conditions for testing were incredibly mixed, from dry and dusty hardpark through to deep mud, and wet rocks and roots – all typical of UK riding.

Fitting, inflation and width

The Purgatory tyres were incredibly simple to install. They slid onto the Hunt and Crankbrothers wheels I tested them on without the need for tyre levers, with the supple casing making this an easy task.

They seated and inflated quickly with only a high-volume track pump; I didn’t need to call on my dedicated tubeless booster pump or a compressor.

The beads banged into place at 35psi and the tyres held air well throughout the test period, only needing the occasional top-up by a psi or two to my preferred 22psi front and 24psi rear pressures.

They blow up very close to the stated sizes too. Once inflated, I left them overnight at 40psi before dropping to my preferred tyre pressures. At this point, I measured the carcass at 61mm (2.4in) at the widest point and the tread at 60mm (2.36in)

Specialized Purgatory Grid 2Bliss Ready T9 tyre grip, feel and durability

Right out of the box, the latest Purgatory impressed with its tenacious grip. From dry hardpack and loose kitty-litter trails through to watery mud, and slick rocks and roots, the tyres provided confidence-inspiring traction.

This is especially true of the T9 variant. The rubber isn't that soft to the touch, but it has very slow rebound characteristics. Combined with the supple Grid casing, it feels belligerently capable and I had real confidence to trust it in all conditions.

The tread pattern is teamed with a casing shape I really got on with; it’s neither so square you really need to lean into it, nor so round it feels vague and lacking in an edge to bite into the trail.

In sloppier mud and loam, the knobs dug in well; any losses in traction were not sudden and felt controllable.

The downside is the tyre feels draggy when fitted at both ends. As a front tyre, the T9 Grid is exceptional, and similar to Maxxis’ MaxxGrip compound, but as a rear it feels draggy. The T7-compound version would be better suited to the rear of the bike to improve rolling speeds.

I didn’t run into any durability issues with either the Grid or Grid Trail casing. Both stood up well during the test period, without a single cut or puncture over several months. This is more than can be said for similar casings from its competitors.

All this performance is even more impressive when you consider the price of £37.50 / $65, which makes the only real downsides the single 29x2.4in size, the relatively high weight and the slow-rolling nature of the T9-compound variant.

How does the Specialized Purgatory Grid 2Bliss Ready T9 compare to the Purgatory Grid 2Bliss Ready T7?

While I was impressed by the T9 Grid at both ends, I also tried the harder-compound T7 variant in both Grid and Grid Trail casings fitted to the rear.

I ended up preferring the T9 up front and the faster-rolling T7 out back, rather than the T9 at both ends. With that T9/T7 combo, all-round grip and control were excellent, and the combination rolled well.

While less sure-footed than the T9, the T7 still impressed. It rolls faster and feels a touch more skittery in the wet, but in dry conditions it's not far off the T9 in terms of confidence and control. It feels as though it rolls a fair chunk faster though, so for some the trade-off may be worth it.

I also tried the T7 Grid on the front, where it continued to impress. If you prioritise speed, the T7 is a great choice to run at both ends, or you could team it up with the brand’s even faster-rolling Ground Control out back, as I did for another portion of my test period.

Specialized Purgatory Grid 2Bliss Ready T9 bottom line

The Purgatory has always been a top-performing, well-priced tyre, but this latest iteration is the best and most versatile yet.

The choice of casings and compounds gives you a range of options to tailor this tyre to your needs, all backed up with a tread pattern that performs well across a host of terrains.

It’s not a category-crossing tyre like the Maxxis Minion DHR II or Schwalbe’s Magic Mary, nor a beefed-up cross-country tyre like Specialized’s own Ground Control or the Maxxis Rekon. It’s a trail tyre through and through.

Compared to its key rivals, the Schwalbe Nobby Nic and Maxxis Forekaster, it's tougher and grippier than both, if weightier and slightly slower in the T9 compound, and an awful lot cheaper.

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