The Larsen TT is designed by top US racer Steve Larsen. And it's our guess that the world's a lot sandier where he lives. The tiny, triangular multi-point tread is absolutely superb in loose gravely conditions, where it scrabbles grip out of the dust like nothing else. However, any sort of damp means it fills up immediately and the 'teeth' are too tiny to bite on roots or rocky stuff, and there's no real shoulder tread to lean on either. It's slower than we expected on the drag test, too, although the very low weight means it still feels fast and agile on the bike.
The skinny profile blows up narrow, even for a 1.9in tyre, and it's a tight squeeze on and off the rim. A 2.35in 'freeride' version is available, though, and if you want something fast for dry man-made trails or hard-pack, don't let the slightly low scores put you off entirely. Price is good too.
