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Tyres
Goodyear Eagle Sport clincher tyre Goodyear Eagle Sport clincher tyre Goodyear Eagle Sport clincher tyre Goodyear Eagle Sport clincher tyre
2020 Goodyear Eagle Sport tyre 700x28c

Goodyear Eagle Sport clincher tyre

8
by Neil Gander
Wed, Oct 07, 2020 19:45
1
£20.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Good performance at any price, and at £20 these are a steal
Quick
Assured handling
Amazing value
Not quite as compliant as you might expect from a 28mm tyre
Weight: 
279g
Contact: 
www.goodyearbike.com
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The Goodyear Eagle Sport is an entry-level road tyre from one of the world's big brands, and it delivers well above its price point.

There are only three tyres in Goodyear's Eagle range: this entry-level Eagle, the Eagle F1 and above that the Eagle F1 SuperSport. That's the lot. We reviewed the F1 last year and were impressed.

> Buy these online here

Now, a low-cost tyre that offers 'durability' is often code for a plasticky compound that lasts forever but sends the rider into the ditch on the first wet corner, so it was with some trepidation that I took the bike out, freshly shod with the Eagle Sports. Happily, it was a dry day and the tyres behaved impeccably. The second outing was on sodden roads with localised flooding. Surely, this would be the litmus test... No, after a few cautious turns I began to trust the Eagle Sports to stick to the line and for the whole of the rest of the test period I never had an anxious moment.

'Aha,' I hear you say, 'but that tenacious grip means the tyres most be slow and draggy.' Again, no. They feel lively from the off and the stats don't lie: up one local Strava climb, the fearsome 'Past the Chinese', I notched up a PB out of 32 passes, without being aware of trying particularly hard. A fortnight later, just to show it wasn't a fluke, I did it again.

> Buyer’s Guide: 18 of the best winter tyres

So with tests in both wet and dry conditions passed with aplomb, there was really only the 'durability' bit of Goodyear's claims to go at. Obviously, with a test period of only six weeks I can't vouch for the longevity of these tyres, but I've tested rubber costing twice the price and more which has cracked and split within the year, so at £20, if these see out the winter I think I'd be happy enough with that. I had no punctures and there are no pointless grooves in the tread to attract small stones and other enemies of the cyclist.

2020 Goodyear Eagle Sport 2.JPG

In fact, these feel like good winter training tyres. With the reliable road grip aided by the little bit of extra width from the 28mm test tyres, I'll be riding these into the autumn and beyond.

If I was going to flag up one shortcoming, it would be that the Eagle Sports didn't soak up as much road rattle as I might have expected from a wider tyre. Perhaps this is down to the fairly low threads-per-inch count of 60 (the F1 gets twice this number). Running them a little softer helped (around 85psi at the back) with no noticeable loss of speed. The ability to run on lower pressures is another advantage of wider tyres and may also contribute to the surefootedness.

2020 Goodyear Eagle Sport tyre 700x28c.jpg

The Goodyears were easy to fit, no tools required (just!). On my 19mm internal rims they gave a nice rounded profile and the vernier calliper showed them at a smidge over 27mm, with a rim-to-tread height of 28mm.

If you have room in your frame for a slightly wider tyre, I'd recommend giving these a go.

Verdict

Good performance at any price, and at £20 these are a steal

road.cc test report

Make and model: Goodyear Eagle Sport tyre

Size tested: 700C, 28mm

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Goodyear says:

The all-new Eagle Sport features top-level construction, materials, and responsiveness. Its design balances multi-condition grip and robust durability.

Dynamic:Pace Compounding for Grip and Longevity

Balanced Casing for Weight and Durability

Value-Conscious Performance without Compromise'

Apart from not really knowing what a "balanced case" is, or how it affects weight or durability, the tyre delivers on the grip and performance claims.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

The tyre uses Goodhear's "Dynamic:Pace" compound.

The company says, "The Dynamic:Pace compound was developed to improve puncture resistance while maintaining dependable grip and low rolling resistance by utilizing silica and strengthening additives."

The tread-count is 60, whilst the higher-level tyres in the Eagle range have 120tpi.

It comes in three widths: 25mm, 28mm and 30mm.

There's a handy guide on the Goodyear website to show you the optimum tyre width for your rim's internal dimensions.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

These looked cleanly moulded and consistent around the bead.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

Only a mark off for the slightly buzzy ride which I put down to the low thread count. Grip and speed were excellent.

Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10

Goodyear flags the Eagle Sport up as a durable tyre. Over a six-week test it's difficult to say, but I had no punctures or any other problems and at the end of the test there were no cuts in the casing.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
6/10

At a claimed 280g, they're about 45g heavier than the next tyre up in the range, the Eagle F1, for an equivalent width. They're not going to be your first choice for racing, but that's not really the point. The weight didn't translate into sluggish performance.

Rate the product for value:
 
10/10

At £20, if they'd performed like dogs I wouldn't have been surprised. For the level of assured handling and good pace delivered, it's an outstanding price.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Totally fit-and-forget tyres – get on with the ride!

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Impeccable handling, great grip, puncture resistance and pace.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

A slightly rattly ride which was improved by lowering tyre pressures, but otherwise not much!

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

Not the cheapest tyre we've ever tested by any means – that prize goes to the B'Twin Resist 9s which came out very well at a mere £12.99 (now £13.99).

The Goodyear Eagle F1 is an obvious upgrade, which is still good value even at more than twice the price of the Sport.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

It's easy to spoil a good bike with poor tyres so I was really pleased that the Goodyear Eagle Sports made my bike feel sprightly and fun to ride. Grip in the wet and dry was excellent, I had no punctures and at £20 there's very little to complain about. The low thread-count tells a little in the road buzz.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 54  Height: 6'2  Weight: 73kg and holding steady

I usually ride: Cannondale CAAD10   My best bike is: Tomassini Prestige

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: A few times a week  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: touring, sportives, general fitness riding, mtb,

Goodyear Eagle Sport clincher tyre 2020
Goodyear Eagle Sport clincher tyre
Goodyear 2020
goodyear

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1 comments

Avatar
RoubaixCube | 2 years ago
0 likes

Just as point of note. The Legendary Vittoria Rubino Pro's are still being sold on wiggle for £15. At time of posting they only have 23 & 25mm tyres in stock but I have seen 28mm occasionally pop up for sale so you have to keep checking in every so often if thats what you want.

I think Wiggle orders them in small batches from Vittoria and only orders a new batch when they are all sold out.

(These tyres are more akin the the 2013/14 Pro III's so they arent the newer IV or the Pro G2.0's hence the price)

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