Goodyear Eagle tubeless-ready tyre review

Goodyear’s Eagle tubeless-ready tyre sits at the lower end of its performance range of tyres, above the tube-type Eagle Sport and Vector Sport, but beneath the more premium Eagle F1 R.

As the brand's cheapest tubeless-ready tyre, it’s intended to offer the benefits of tubeless technology in an economical package.

There are more puncture-resistant road bike tyres available, but the Eagle offers reasonably lightweight tubeless performance in a relatively affordable package.

Goodyear Eagle tubeless-ready tyre details

The Eagle features Goodyear’s R:Shield breaker puncture protection belt over a 60 TPI (threads-per-inch) casing. This breaker runs beneath the tread of the tyre, but does not extend across the sidewalls.

During my test period, I experienced multiple punctures from thorns when using the Eagle with tubes installed on my fixed-wheel commuter bike.

Granted, the thorns would likely have sealed had I been set up tubeless at the time, and punctures can be somewhat of a lottery. However, the R:Shield breaker doesn’t appear to be exceptionally sturdy.

When installed tubeless on my road bike, the tyres sustained one puncture from a large piece of glass, which required the use of a Dynaplug to fix.

I’ve been testing the rubeless-ready version of this tyre, although a tube-type option is also available. For reference, Goodyear also offers a Tubeless Complete casing for its higher-tier tyres, which is claimed to soak up less sealant into its sidewalls.

Having tested both, I didn’t find the Eagle to be particularly porous and it sealed well using 50ml of Orange Seal sealant.

The tubeless-ready Eagle is available in sizes from 700x25 to 32c and I have been testing the 28c version.

This measured up at 29mm when fitted to 22mm internal-width rims, which in my experience is fairly consistent with sizing from Schwalbe and Continental.

All sizes are available in black as tested, or a brown-coloured sidewall Goodyear calls 'transparent'.

Goodyear Eagle tubeless-ready tyre performance

As far as ride quality is concerned, the Eagle felt reasonably supple and not sluggish or notably slow-rolling.

That said, I found Goodyear’s Dynamic HP compound to feel quite hard in comparison to competitors such as the Schwalbe One, or to the Dynamic UHP compound of the pricier Goodyear Eagle F1 R.

It performed well in the dry, but wet grip was average at best, and I found myself thinking that many riders would be better served by Goodyear’s Vector 4Seasons as a training tyre for tougher conditions.

It’s a little heavier, but much grippier, with more reliable puncture protection and a similar price tag.

Tyre choice is always a compromise, though, and riders willing to sacrifice some wet-weather grip and puncture protection for a relatively lightweight, sporty and affordable tyre may be happy with the Eagle.

I found the Eagle to be too much of a jack of all trades, and would sooner commit to a heavier and sturdier training tyre, or take a hit on the extra expenditure of a higher-end tyre if seeking racier performance.

At a claimed 305g for a 28c tyre, the Eagle TLR is one of the lightest tubeless-ready tyres within its price bracket. I found Goodyear to be true to its claims, with my scales reporting a nearly spot-on 303g per tyre.

Interestingly, the Eagle is slightly lighter than the higher-performance Eagle F1 R, which demonstrates weight isn’t everything when it comes to performance. Based on my experience of the puncture protection, the phrase ‘with weight comes reliability’ may also ring true here.

Goodyear Eagle tubeless-ready tyre bottom line

The Goodyear Eagle Tubeless Ready proved to be a reasonably priced tubeless training tyre, offering middle-of-the-road performance at relatively low weight.

Riders who stick to smooth and well-maintained training roads may appreciate its low weight and reasonably supple feel, but those who take to the back lanes and ride in all weather may be better served by a sturdier training tyre with more reliable wet grip and improved puncture protection.