Review - Goodyear Connector 40c Gravel Tyres

A gravel biking tyre is distinctly different from a mountain bike or a cyclocross tyre – it should be at least 40c in volume and have a tread pattern that is capable of handling both rock strewn trails as well as gravel and sand. The new Goodyear Connector Tubeless Tyres are a great example.

I fitted the Goodyear Connector Tyres to my 3T Exploro – set up tubeless on a set of Stan's NoTubes S1 Crest wheels. They were quick to mount up and felt robust and well made from first inspection.

The tread pattern on the Connectors is a fine 'micro-diamond' design, and not as aggressive as some gravel tyres that I have tested, such as the Vee Tire T-CX, or the WTB Nano. The clear virtue of this is that the tyres are notably faster rolling and better for asphalt and light gravel sections than many, though predictably it does mean traction is slightly lower on slippery and loose surfaces compared to more aggressively knobbly competition.

The added volume in a gravel tyre means it is capable of taking significant impacts, without pinch-flatting. Being tubeless obviously also helps in this pursuit, and it allows you to further increase the contact area by running the tyres at a lower pressure. The Goodyear Connector Tyres come in 40c width – the profile that has fast become my preferred tyre size for cyclocross and adventure bikes.

Through repeat testing on leaf-strewn roads and slippery late autumn trails, the Goodyear Connector tyres have been impressive. They feel fast on the tarmac, and fast on the hard pack off-road sections. As mentioned, they struggle a little on off-road mud and rock, due to their fine tread pattern; but this is always a compromise on an 'adventure bike' tyre, as you want both on-road speed and off-road performance. The Connectors find a pretty good middle ground in my opinion.

Overall, the Connector is an impressive introduction to the Goodyear Bicycle Tires brand. It is a well built, durable, puncture-resistant, and fast rolling tubeless tyre; providing consistently good performance in a wide range of 'gravel' conditions. These will remain on my 3T Exploro for the majority of the winter months, and I trust they will continue to provide great performance in a mix of challenging conditions.