Graded as Goodyear’s ‘rowdy trail tyre’, the Escape now features two tread designs and more volume, allowing riders to run their Escapes at lower pressures with greater confidence.
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The Escape product matrix now features an Inter and Max tread option. For downcountry riders who want to balance the need for traction with lower rolling resistance, the Inter offers a 4/3 tread block spacing. The Inter’s tyre profile is also slightly rounded, giving it a more progressive and predictable grip when leaning the bike over for those high-speed berms or tight off-camber switchbacks.
Riders who want a more aggressive Escape tread pattern can select the Max. With its larger shoulder tread blocks and 3/2/2 tread block pattern, the Escape Max is ideal as a front and rear tyre combination for daring trail, enduro and downhill riders. Or as a front tyre option for ‘downcountry’ riders confident about weighting the fork into corners and technical terrain.
Escapes now in 2.4 widths
Beyond the tread pattern upgrade, there’s a significant change with the Escape’s sizing. Gone is the 27.5’ diameter option, and the 29’ Escapes have grown wider, up from 2.35’ to 2.4’ casings. Riders can also choose two casing constructions with either the faster rolling Inter or Max tread patterns, allowing for a lot of mixing and matching.
The Trail Lite is a 60 TPI casing optimized for weight and suppleness to deliver more trail feedback. Riders who want bead-to-bead reinforcement and always choose the A-line down any technical trail, are best served by the Trail Plus casing. It features butyl inserts on the bead edges, delivering more casing support and better resistance against those dreaded pinch flats – always a risk when running tyres at those low pressures that enhance grip.
Compounds? Goodyear offers three choices with the new Escape range: UHP, Grip 2 and Grip 3. The UHP is optimized for rolling speed and durability, Grip 2 is an intermediate compound, and Grip 3 is ideal for those riders willing to sacrifice some flat-terrain pedalling drag from the tyre, for the stickiest possible rudder contact when descending on technical trails.
All the options
What about those weight ratings? The new Escape range’s lightest option is the Inter in 29 x 2.4in, with a Trail Lite casing and UHP compound, at 820g. The Grip 2 option adds no weight, but add the Trail Plus reinforced casing and the Inter 29 x 2.4in has a weight of 965g.
As a fast-rolling rear enduro tyre, the Escape Inter 29 x 2.4in in Traill Plus casing is a legitimate sub-1000g option.
Riders who want the more aggressive Max tread pattern can start with the 29 x 2.4in version in Trail Lite with the Grip 2 or Grip 3 compound at 865g.
Want a softer rubber compound and tougher casing for the most confident double black diamond trail descending experience? That will be the Escape Max 29 x 2.4in in Trail Plus with Grip 3 compound, at 1,025g.
