The new Goodyear Peak XC mountain bike tire is the smallest of the offerings in their new range, which also includes trail, enduro and downhill options. The 2.25″ cross country tread comes in 27.5 and 29er sizes, using a low/mid height, openly spaced knob pattern shaped for speed. We had a couple weeks to rip it around our home trails in Greensboro, NC, prior to the launch. Here’s how it went…
Goodyear Peak actual weight & width
Mounted to the ENVE M50fifty rim (22mm internal width), the Goodyear Peak XC 29×2.25 measured a hair over 2.2″ (56mm). Goodyear recommends this tire go on a rim with a 25mm internal width, but the ENVEs are what I had available. So, put them on a wider rein and they’ll likely measure true to the 2.25 claim.
As tested, though, they had a nice round profile that worked quite well for me in the corners and rolled very fast. I doubt spreading it another 0.05″ (1.25mm) would make much difference.
Claimed weight for the Peak Ultimate 29er tires is 697g, and ours weighed in at 697g and 705g.
Ride review & video
Honestly, I’m impressed with the Goodyear Peak Ultimate. It’s not just the traction, which is superb for our conditions. Greensboro’s trails are a mix of dirt, hardpack, loose over hard, pine leaves over hard, and plenty of roots. The Peaks grabbed hold of it all.
Kitted out, I’m sitting around 192-195lb, and I ran 26-28psi in the tires. At that level, they provided plenty of grip and comfort without ever feeling squirmy. The Ultimate is their higher level casing, with a higher thread count (they won’t disclose what the TPI is), and it’s supple, yet supportive. There’s a fine line between having a flexible sidewall that’s able to contour to the ground and something that can’t support the tire under hard cornering, and this one seems to strike the right balance.
Knob height is low, which helps them roll fast. Hard braking can lock them up a bit easier than something with more aggressive knobs, but for an XC tire they stop at an acceptable rate. And they don’t tend to skid out in corners unless you really lean on the lever pretty hard. I think the lower pressure I was running helped with this, so it’s really the combination of casing structure, rubber compound and knob shaping that all plays into the predictable handling.
For a new range, the tires seem really well thought out. This set’s on my personal bike and will get lots of use, so long term we’ll see how it goes. First impressions are good, though, so I’d say they’re worth a look when it’s time to replace your tires.
