Goodyear Eagle F1 tubeless tyre

The Goodyear Eagle F1 tubeless tyre grips well whether it's wet or dry, rolls well and – although slightly heavier than other top-end tubeless options – proves an excellent allrounder thanks to a really airtight carcass and a very competitive price. They're not the most supple, though, and some of the opposition feel quicker too.

Goodyear offers the Eagle F1 in an abundance of ways, from 23 to 32mm in clincher tube type (see Dave's review here), to 25-32mm in Tubeless form.

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I've got the 28mm tubeless in black – there are no tan wall options here as it's fundamentally porous. Also, if you're looking for something race-specific, the Eagle F1 Supersport version is lighter and faster (at the expense of puncture protection and durability).

Tubeless tyres can be notoriously hard to fit, but the Eagle F1 doesn't pose any major problems. The large 'dual angle' bead is a test for the thumbs, but you can always resort to a tyre lever, and once on I was able to inflate them with just a track pump on multiple wheelsets.

Goodyear calls the compound Graphene Silica Road, and if graphene sounds familiar it's because Vittoria has been using it in its Corsa tyres for a few years now – and created some of the grippiest tyres out there.

Graphene offers the holy grail of more grip, less rolling resistance and lower wear, according to Goodyear's science numbers versus a 'standard' compound (10.1% more rolling efficiency, 8% more traction and 7.2% less wear). And who can argue with science numbers like that?

In reality the Eagle F1 tubeless rolls well, and grips well in both dry and wet weather. In the dry I was able to attack descents with confidence and, although I still rate the Vittoria Corsa Speed G Isotech as the most grippy, these come in not far behind – and on a par with the ever-popular Continental GP 5000 TL.

During a month and a bit of testing, I've had plenty of opportunity to test wet weather performance and it's been consistently good. Out the saddle on slippery slopes or rolling into corners the hang on well (unlike the Schwalbe Pro-One in the same situations).

Wear rates and durability are obviously a hard one to review in only a month, but I've managed about 1000km on these and to be honest they look as good as new. I'll update the review as I continue to put more miles on them but so far so good.

This 28mm width is optimised for 19mm internal width rims, and on the Scribe Race-D wheelset they do indeed measure 28mm.

> Should you get tubeless tyres? Are they your best option?

One notable difference between the Eagle F1 and other tubeless tyres I've used, such as the Cadex Race 25, is how infrequently they needed blowing up. I can easily ride a week and a half before my analogue gauge registers any drop, and presumably this is due to the 1/2 Ply TC Liner. The downside is the liner does add a little weight.

Speaking of weight, the 28mm version is listed at 300g, and we weighed two at 303g each. Accurate, then, and pretty average for a 28mm tubeless tyre, although we have recently reviewed some, such as the 271g Hutchinson Fusion 5 Performance, that are lighter.

Although not class-leading, comfort is good. The 120tpi casing provides good road feel, and I've taken to doing all my training on 28mm tyres as they really help cut road buzz – they're not only more pleasant, but quicker.

Value

At £50 these are £5 more than the tubed version, and even though the wider (30mm and 32mm) ones are more again at £55, the price looks great against the competition.

> 32 of the best tubeless wheelsets under £1,000

For all out performance and rolling I'd still recommend the Continental GP 5000 TL, but that's £69.95. And for an unbeatable ride feel, the Vittoria Corsa Speed absolutely nails it – but is £64.99.

For training though, it's extremely hard to overlook the Eagle F1 at £15-£20 less with only a miniscule reduction in performance. The tubeless liner also makes the Goodyear extremely easy to live with, as they need pumping up less frequently and continue to perform well when the roads get wet.

Verdict

Good value, impressively airtight and strong grip in any conditions