Goodyear Transit Tour S5 tyre

The Goodyear Transit Tour S:5 Secure Reflect Urban Tyres are solid workhorses, and what they lack in speed and feedback they give back in sheer durability. The compound gives a reasonable amount of grip, and they aren't a bad price either.

• Pros: Excellent puncture protection; easy to fit
• Cons: Wire bead adds to the weight; quite a dead feel to the ride

There are two tyres in Goodyear's Transit range, the Transit Speed, which John reviewed here, and this, the Transit Tour, which is modelled on Goodyear's Assurance All-Season car tyres, apparently.

The S:5 reviewed here, with its 5mm aramid-infused sub-tread layer, is the heaviest of the three Tour options (though it's lighter than Goodyear claims). There is a slightly lighter (claimed weight) S:3 version, with a 3mm aramid breaker, or a tubeless compatible version which has a stickier compound and is folding rather than rigid like the S:5 and S:3, which use a heavy wire bead.

The Tours have a smooth central strip for quick rolling on the road while the rest of the tyre has a directional siped tread to offer all-weather traction. I'm guessing Goodyear means they remove water, which is necessary on a car but not so much on a 35mm bike tyre – you aren't going to be aquaplaning.

It does add a little to off-road grip, though. I used these a lot on the local 'hardpacked' canal paths which, with the amount of rain we've had, are getting a little bit muddy and sloshy in places. The Transit Tours bite in a little better than a full slick, especially at the edge where you have some larger rubber blocks.

On the tarmac, rolling resistance isn't too bad. The 5mm puncture protection layer does firm up the ride a bit – it's not that supple and you can feel every bump in the road if you have them pumped up much above 60psi.

For cruising around town, though, they are quick and comfortable enough, and if you are travelling further afield, once you have them up to speed they'll cruise along quite comfortably.

Overall grip is okay in the wet and dry, good enough for the speeds and angles you'll likely be cornering at on an urban bike anyway. They felt confident enough entering and exiting cold and greasy roundabouts, keeping up with the flow of rush hour traffic.

The compound used is more about durability than performance, and they have stood up well to hedge-cuttings, flints and some gravel track abuse.

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Alongside the aramid strip under the tread, the Tours also have an anti-cut reinforced sidewall. I didn't find them difficult to fit to a range of wheels, and they've stood up fine to being ridden hard into rough, rocky sections of track, showing no signs of damage after eight weeks of use.

As well as this 35mm width, all versions are available in a 40mm or 50mm option too.

When it comes to value, the Tours look pretty good at £35. Continental's Contact Plus tyres also come in a range of widths, have reflective strips on the sidewalls like the Goodyears, and a thick puncture protection layer underneath the tread, and are £39.95.

Schwalbe's Marathon Plus has long been renowned as one of the best urban tyres on the market, and the latest version has an rrp £38.99.

Overall, the Goodyear Transit Tours stack up well on price against the opposition, offer a decent ride quality and grip, and are tough as old boots.

Verdict

Hardwearing and durable tyres that offer pretty decent levels of performance