In 2018, Goodyear and Rubber Kinetics teamed up to launch an all new range of bicycle tires bearing the ‘winged foot’. Then, in 2019, the tire line up got the F1 Ultra High-Performance upgrade with Eagle F1 and F1 Supersport road tired added to the mix. Now, like clockwork, Goodyear and Rubber Kinetics bring us their next advancement – Tubeless Complete. But it’s not just tubeless tires, there are also two completely new tire families added for year ’round performance or performance on a budget.
Tubeless Complete + Dual Angle Bead + Forward Facing Fitment
The new tubeless Goodyear tires have three main features to set them apart, starting with Tubeless Complete. This is Goodyear’s name for their tubeless technology which uses a “multi-compound material layer” that is added to their Road-UHP tire casings for improved air retention. It also serves to increase the tire durability without adding much to the weight. Supposedly less sealant will leak through the sidewalls or evaporate from the inside as well.
Just as important is the construction of the bead itself. Goodyear’s tubeless tires use what they call their Dual Angle bead which is designed to seal well on both sides of the bead. The outer edge is meant to seal against the rim for easy tubeless set up while the inner lip helps to maintain air retention at full pressure.
Importantly, Goodyear tires with the Dual Angle bead are compatible with both Tubeless Crotchet (TC, or ‘hooked’) rims, or tubeless straight sidewall (TSS or ‘hookless’). This is only for their tubeless tires. Their tube-type tires must be used on TC or hooked rims.
The last piece of the puzzle is what they call Forward Facing Fitment. No, this isn’t about a directional tread pattern. Instead, it speaks to the fact that looking forward, these tires are designed for use with modern rim widths. Since they’re meant for wider rims, they’ll maintain the ideal casing shape and tread cap positioning with wider rims for the ideal ride.
The charts above perfectly illustrate the proper rim width fitment for each tire size, with tube type at the top and Tubeless Complete below. The blue dot represents the ideal rim width for each tire size, while the yellow range gives the acceptable rim width even though it might not be ideal. For the Tubeless Complete lineup, both 25 and 28mm tires are best set up on 19mm inner width, while the 30 and 32mm tires are best set up on 21mm inner width rims.
Eagle F1 & F1 SuperSport Tubeless Complete
While the Eagle F1 and F1 Supersport are not new tires, the Tubeless Complete models of the two are brand new. Meant as high end tires for Fast Road to Racing, the F1 Supersport ditches the tread for the lightest construction of the two.
Construction wise, the two are very similar with a tubeless liner, Dual Angle Bead, 120 tpi casing, and their Dynamic:GSR or Graphene Silica Road rubber coumpound. Compared to a standard rubber compound, Goodyear claims their Dynamic:GSR compound is 10.1% better in terms of rolling efficiency, offers 8% better traction, and 7% better wear. 
Offered in a number of different configurations with tube type or Tubeless Complete, if you want the tan walls though, it’s tube type only. Pricing for the Eagle F1 and F1 Supersport ranges from $60-70 per tire.
Vector 4Seasons
Completely new to the lineup is the Vector 4Seasons. The name kind of gives it away, but these tires have been designed with less than optimal riding conditions in mind. But they’re also meant to work well on those dry training days as well, making it a good training tire for all four seasons.
The Vector 4Seasons uses a different Dynamic:Silica4 rubber compound, which compared to Dynamic:GSR offers 8.7% better wet grip, 6.3% better abrasion resistance, and 1/1% better puncture resistance from the rubber compound alone. Puncture protection as a whole is also improved with their R:Armor casing reinforcement and 30mm wide R:Shield anti puncture belt. A larger tread cap with deeper grooves and micro tread on the shoulders should offer better grip when it’s pouring or slushy, and the tire is offered in tube type or Tubeless Complete.
Again, the Vector 4Seasons is offered in a number of sizes, with prices ranging from $65-70 per tire.
Eagle Sport
Finally, the Eagle Sport is not a part of the Ultra High-Performance Goodyear family, but it is new. Geared toward long term durability and value, the Eagle Sport is available in tube type only.
Using another rubber compound, this time the Eagle Sport Dynamic:Pace compound gains 8.7% better compound puncture resistance compared to the Dynamic:GSR rubber compound. A 60tpi casing keeps thing durable, and the tire still features a folding bead.
Offered in three sizes from 25 – 30mm, the Eagle Sport checks in at $30 per tire.
Actual Weights
Prior to the launch, Goodyear sent out a number of their new tires for us to check out, and of course weigh. Different tires were sent to Tyler and I, hence the difference in scales. Of note is that multiples of the same tire had weights that were very consistent with only one set being more than 1g different – which speaks highly of their manufacturing quality.
(Clockwise from top left)
- F1 Eagle Supersport Tubeless Complete 700c x 28mm – 290g
- F1 Eagle Tubeless Complete 700c x 30mm – 312g
- Vector 4Seasons Tubeless Complete 700c x 28mm – 335g
- (Second) Eagle F1 Supersport Tubeless Complete 700c x 28mm – 291g
- F1 Eagle Tubeless Complete 700c x 28mm – 297 & 298g
- Vector 4Seasons 700c x 30mm – 349g & 352g
First Impressions
I’ve been almost exclusively riding 28mm tubeless tires on the road these days, but the 30mm Eagle F1 Tubeless Complete caught my attention. I have numerous 28s and 32s in my garage, but no 30s, so I was excited to split the difference and check out the ride.
Installation of the Eagles couldn’t have been easier. Mounting them to the 21mm internal width Bontrager Aeolus Pro 37 rims, I was able to mount them by hand without any tools. After dumping in the usual amount of Stan’s in one tire and Orange Seal in the other ( I like to try different sealants front/back to see if there’s any difference while testing), both tires snapped into place with a floor pump. After inflating to 60psi, I was very happy to see that the complete absence of leaking sealant or the faint hiss of air loss. These tires seated up tubeless better than any road tubeless tire I’ve mounted in recent memory.
Since I mounted these to their recommended 21mm inner width rim specification, it should probably be little surprise that they measure almost exactly 30mm wide after stretching for a week. It’s noteworthy though that they measured almost the same as soon as they were mounted on the rim – they have actually stretched very little in a week, and still measure almost perfectly true to size.
With a ton of different projects and launches going on, I haven’t gotten out on these as much as I’d like, but I have done multiple rides in both completely dry and completely wet conditions.
Their first ride was a perfectly sunny day with hot temperatures, and they felt about as good as you could expect. The ride quality is very smooth without being mushy, and at 60psi for a 155lb rider, they feel very lively when you get up to sprint.
The next ride was a different story in terms of weather after getting lit up by a pop up thunderstorm. Fortunately, I had prepared well enough to have brought a rain jacket, and even though everything else was soaked through – it reminded me riding in the rain can be a lot of fun. Especially once the storm passes and the pavement looks as if it’s smoking from the heat.
More importantly, it gave me a chance to test out the wet grip of the tires and for the most part they were very good. I had one instance where I was making a hard right turn on a busy road and the rear slid out for an instant, only to catch again and I stayed upright without problem. The front tire was glued to the pavement, which makes me think the rear might have hit a bit of oil on the pavement. It was also only the second ride on the tires, so they’re not even broken in yet.
There have been a number of tubeless road tire launches recently, and they just seem to keep getting better and better. If you’re still on the fence about tubeless, these might be the ones that change your mind. And if you’re already riding tubeless on the road, these are certainly worth a try.
