Goodyear Vector Sport Tubeless Road Tyre

The Goodyear Vector Sport Tubeless Road Tyre is designed to be puncture resistant – which is you want from winter rubber – while being easy to fit, comfortable and with tubeless compatibility. I found they stood up well to winter use and are a good option if you're looking for durability and keeping punctures at bay rather than all-out performance.

For more options, check our best road bike tyres buyer's guide.

I'm a big fan of dependable and reliable winter tyres I can mount on my winter bike – and then pretty much forget about. So it was fingers crossed when it came to testing Goodyear's Vector Sport tyres .

But they come up trumps to begin with – they're easy to set up and to inflate as tubeless without the need for a tubeless inflator, even on my older rims. And once inflated, there was no leakage.

Surprisingly and a little disappointingly they came up narrow, the 28mm tyres measuring around 26mm on the rim. But with the tyre available in 25, 28, 30 and 32mm widths, you can size up if you wish. Personally, I'd always go for as wide a tyre as my frame could accommodate.

As a tyre built for puncture resistance they're not that light, but at 350g they're still slightly lighter than other winter tyres I've ridden.

2024 Goodyear Vector Sport Tubeless Road Tyre 700x28 Angle.jpg (credit: road.cc)

For my first few rides in the wet I found them a little slippery around corners, but this improved, presumably as the factory-fresh finish rubbed off.

That said, I'd always recommend treating winter tyres with more care when you're cornering, as they lack the suppleness of summer options, though I found these no more slippery than competitors' tyres. I had no issues with them for general road riding, and being a bit more cautious in the wet these proved fine.

> How to fit tubeless tyres: everything you need to know in this step-by-step guide

For me personally, these have a lot to live up to, because since 2023 I've ridden with the same set of Hutchinson Challenger TLR tyres on my winter bike, clocking up a lot of mileage without a single puncture. The set my dad bought on my recommendation has also been free of punctures.

2024 Goodyear Vector Sport Tubeless Road Tyre 700x28 Top.jpg (credit: road.cc)

The Goodyear Vectors proved puncture-free with one exception. They survived thorns, glass and assorted road debris until I hit an exceptionally large pothole disguised that was by a puddle. Neither tyre deflated instantly, so I don't think they punctured, but both rims were sufficiently damaged by the impact that the tubeless seal was compromised, with both tyres going flat over the next 10 minutes.

Frankly, I don't think any tyres would have survived the incident, and after putting tubes in the tyres both have held up well since.

2024 Goodyear Vector Sport Tubeless Road Tyre 700x28.jpg (credit: road.cc)

The Vectors feature Goodyear's Dual R:Shield breaker belt, an anti-puncture layer you can see on the inside of the tyre. A strip around the edge of the tyre gives you a thicker casing so that sharp objects can't break the surface.

Goodyear doesn't quote an expected life for these tyres, but after a few thousand kilometres there are neither flat spots nor obvious signs of wear, so the portents are good for getting through several winters on them, depending on your mileage, of course...

Value

At £55 each they're not the cheapest option out there, though you might well be able to find them for a good deal less. But even their full price might be one worth paying, thanks to their resistance to punctures in all but the most extreme circumstances.

My long-time favourite Hutchinson Challenger TLR tyres come in at the same price, give or take 5p, and if paying full price I think I'd plump for the Hutchinsons, which have lasted incredibly well and just edge the Goodyears on grip. But if you can get the Goodyear tyres at a big saving, that would probably swing it for me.

George rated the £59.99 Vittoria Ridearmor tyres for their grip, puncture resistance and road feel, though at 383g per tyre they are a little heavier.

And if your riding takes in rougher roads the £49.99 Panaracer GravelKing Slick TLC is a great choice, though the narrowest width on offer is 32mm.

Overall

My main criticism of the Goodyear Vectors is that they came up narrower than I expected, though with four widths available you could always go up a size. And I think they're much superior to the sort of winter tyres from even just a few years ago. If you want tubeless tyres for winter and perhaps year-round commuting where avoiding punctures is more important than speed, these are an option well worth considering.

Verdict

Impressive winter tyres that major on puncture resistance though they do come up a little narrow