Goodyear Connector Ultimate gravel tyre

£40.00

This tyre is built around Goodyear's Tubeless Complete carcass, which combines a tubeless bead with an airtight layer, reinforces it with anti-cut sidewall layers, and tops it off with R:Shield puncture protection beneath the central tread.

Available in black or with tan walls, the Dynamic:Silica4 compound is largely the same as the Vector 4Season road tyre's, but tweaked for all-terrain use.

The tread consists of a virtually continuous central band of tightly packed shallow blocks, and it varies in width between 11mm and 17mm. The shoulder has larger, more widely spaced and 2mm high tread blocks. The largest (3mm) Y-shaped blocks provide edge grip every 18mm around the outside of the tread.

Our 78kg reviewer found that dropping the pressure down to 25psi provided enough squash over bumps and gravelly irregularities to noticeably enhance speed and comfort. The large contact patch sees some of the shoulder blocks engaging, meaning direction changes feel confident.

The Connector Ultimates are quite willing to change pace when stomped on, and the smooth central tread makes sustaining speed far easier than with some of the more knobbly competition.

On every dry surface, these tyres excel – even when pushing hard – and the Connectors find grip and clear mud quickly from their tread in sloppy, wet areas.