Review
Gravel tires cover a wide spectrum of riding styles and conditions. Wide not only in the sense that there are many options to choose from, but also in a literal sense. With options in 2.35″ size starting to become common, these 45 and 50mm Goodyear Connector Inters are no longer the odd bunch. The 50mm wide version measures 2″ in mountain bike sizing. 700c tires still measure in millimeters while 29inch tires are imperial. Goodyear describes the Connector Inter as their off-road, intermediate gravel surface race tire. You do not need to be racing to use the Inters, they perform adequately during day-to-day commuting, spirited gravel rides or pseudo mountain bike excursions.
I have put in over 1700kms on these tires since January, and they still look practically new.
The 50mm Connector Inters look really good
The Inter is the second most aggressive option in the lineup of four tires from Goodyear:
Inter and Slick are also available as fitment options for Zipp 303 XPLR wheelsets. The carscass and the width are optimized for full aero advantage on those rims. The pair tasted here are the regular versions that will work on any modern gravel wheel. The Reserve 40|44 gravel wheels I have been testing have a 27.4mm front and 27mm rear internal rim widths. We will talk about those wheels shortly in a separate review. Goodyear supplied a pair of Connector Speed tires as well, but since it was winter, I opted to run the knobbier option until the ground hardened up and my appetite for speed and distance increased. The Connector Inter comes in 40, 45 and 50mm widths. For most people looking to add some confidence to their commuter or ride exclusively on champagne gravel, the 40mm will do fine. My partner runs 40mm tires on her Kona Ouroboros and with its slack geo and Fox 32 SC fork, it serves plenty of comfort and stability for her. She never once asked for a wider tire for more comfort.
The tread pattern is a three part story.
Center, Intermediate and side knobs.
It seems like that is the direction the tire width bonanza is headed. The volume that provides comfort can also provide speed. The sensation of speed through vibration is often debunked as proof of speed. The human mind can be easily fooled by the information it receives, especially in the form of certain frequencies.
Side knobs are further down the sidewall. You’d have to lean the bike pretty hard to reach them. On the flat bar Stigmata with a dropper post, this is easier to do than on a drop bar setup.
The V3 Stigmata is not a forgiving bike. Seekers of comfort and pillowy ride quality must look elsewhere. Its stiff frame is designed for power transfer and speed on the road. Off-road, paired with the deep dish reserve wheels, the Stiggy can be jarring. The 40mm tires I ran for a couple of weeks in December were fun and fast on to-and-from work trips. On fast and chunky gravel roads, the rim made contact with the rocks way too often for comfort, even at 30psi.
Intermediate knobs do most of the cornering. Side knobs can be hard to reach unless you are riding very aggressively.
The pressures one needs to run with 45-50mm gravel tires are quite interesting. With many online calculators throwing some wild numbers out there, I settled on 20psi for the front and 22-24psi for the rear Connector Inter from Goodyear. These are similar tire pressures I run on my Enduro and DH casing mountain bikes!
The Connector Inter in 50mm weighs in at 640grams on my scale. Slightly more than advertised on the package. The Goodyear gravel tires come in a single available compound called the Dynamic: UHP. This is a single compound offering that is uniform throughout the rubber to lower rolling resistance and increase life span. The grip is there most of the time, but the life span seems as long as is advertised. 1500 kms have not put a dent in their tread depth at all.
Tread pattern is a mix of tightly spaced chevrons on the centre with accompanying blocks, to tiny diagonal rectangle block intermediaries. On the shoulder, the bigger knobs do the heavy lifting on banked corners.
Branding is subtle and the technical information you need is moulded into the rubber
Traction is a mixed bag:
-Dry Road: Confidence-inspiring and sure-footed.
-Wet Road: Sheds water well. No complaints as a winter tire.
-Dry Gravel: While the gravel composition is different from place to place, it holds its line well, although less confident than some of the other options from Continental and Schwalbe. Climbing traction is sparse.
-Wet Gravel: Significantly more confident than dry. Doesn’t pack up.
Snow traction is very good. When it got really deep, we ALL walked.
20 psi on the front means the feel is a little vague on the street. But the Goodyears roll fast across a wide spectrum of pressures. I’ve upped the pressures to 25 for road use, and they do well.
The off-road pressure is harder to nail down on the 45mm version when things get rough. They haven’t flatted yet, even when I found the bottom of the tires. 50mm seems to be less sensitive to a couple of psi variations.
I’ve learned to trust the rubber Goodyear makes. On the mountain bike, the Wranglers have been phenomenal, on the Trail bike, the Escape series have been robust and reliable, on my gravel bikes, I am looking forward to more time on the Inters and riding the 50mm Connector Speeds for the next few months.
The Goodyear Connector Inter is a 110CAD // 89 USD // 89 EUR tire that will last thousands of kilometres of on and off-road use.