Originally Posted by
trailangel
If you don't pump up your tires with some air, it's not going to matter what size is on the bike.
+1
This was my first thought also. Road bike tires need to be pumped up before each ride. This could explain the improved performance from the newly installed tire.
My limited experience with Specialized tires has not been good.
The rear wheel typically caries about 60% of the weight, favoring mounting the larger tire, and or higher pressure on the rear.
Bicycle tire pressure calculator