Review – Goodyear County Touring / Gravel Bike Tyres

Review Goodyear County Touring Gravel Bike Tires
I have been searching for the perfect tyre for mixed surface touring for some time; something that offers low rolling resistance on asphalt, but a good degree of grip and puncture resistance on gravel roads and bike paths. The new Goodyear County 35c tubeless tyres looked to tick many of the sought-after boxes, so I fitted them to the Kona Rove to test them out…

Last year, I reviewed the Goodyear Connector Tyres; those are 40c tubeless tyres aimed at the gravel rider—with a fine tread pattern offering impressive grip on off-road trails, but still with a fast rolling speed on asphalt. The Connector's remained on my cyclocross bike for the whole of the winter, and were impressive in their durability, and versatility. With that in mind, I was interested to see what the Goodyear brand could offer in the more road-focussed touring tyre category.

The County is a 35c diameter tubeless tyre, designed to be used on the road and on light off-road paths. Previously I have used 30c tyres for road tours, but I have found them a little punishing on poor surfaces and on the occasional bike path diversion. 35c is a significant step up in terms of volume and comfort, and helps to cushion a fully laden bike, especially when run at lower tubeless pressures.

I have been running the Goodyear County tyres on a set of 29er mountain bike wheels, fitted to my fully rigid Kona Rove. The improvement in comfort and grip compared to 30c and 32c tyres is marked, and the County feels plush and sure-footed on both tarmac and light gravel surfaces, inflated to 55-60 PSI.

The tubeless set-up has the obvious advantage of also reducing the chance of punctures, particularly pinch-flats, which are a greater concern for a fully-loaded bike. To date, I have yet to have a puncture with the Goodyear County tyres.

Despite the extra volume, the Goodyear County also seems impressively quick. The central section of the tyre is an almost slick strip, with just a fine herringbone style tread; this provides a low rolling resistance and effortless feel. The side knobs on the tread pattern then provide reassurance when cornering, and the lower pressures on a tubeless set-up mean the tyre hugs the ground rather than bounces over it.

Durability of the Goodyear County tyres is also proving admirable. Throughout my review period they have shown little sign of wear and tear, and they have managed to withstand numerous rough off-road ventures. This is a key component of any tyre that might be used for bicycle touring.

The combination of grip, low rolling-resistance, puncture protection, and comfort provided by the Goodyear County tyres makes them a smart choice of touring tyre. For that reason, I am almost certain they will be my tyre of choice for this year's 'Big Tour' (details of that coming soon); that, is probably the best accolade I can provide for a product, and demonstrates that Goodyear are undoubtedly making great tracks in the bicycle tyre market.

>> Shop the Goodyear County Tyres at Chain Reaction Cycles here <<

Review Goodyear County Touring Gravel Bike Tyres

Goodyear provided the County tyres to Life In The Saddle for testing


Comments

  1. Thanks for the review!
    Regarding durability, you've stated that the the tires wouldn't show much wear yet. For far did you ride them?

    ReplyDelete

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