BUDGET

Goodyear Eagle Sport
R600 per tyre

The Eagle Sport is a tube-type clincher tyre that punches well above its weight. Often, cheaper tyres that punt durability are plasticky and dangerous in the wet; but these are surprisingly tacky and they have a supple ride feel, even when pumped to 100psi+. The tread pattern is uncomplicated, with no unnecessary grooves to trap grit and pieces of glass, and they’re also relatively light: the 28mm tyre I tested weighed around 280g on my kitchen scale.

The Goodyear Eagle Sport is a classy, durable tyre that doesn’t cost the earth.

They’re available range of widths from 25mm to 32mm, with tan or black sidewalls, to suit any bike whether it has disc brakes and lots of clearance, or rim brakes and minimal clearance. The set I tested plumped up a teeny bit wider than 28mm on a set of Fulcrum rims, so keep that in mind when you’re choosing a width.

We’ve been riding them for a few months now and all signs are positive that they’ll last a long time. No punctures yet, either 🤞

There’s a wide range of Goodyear road tyres, including tubeless options, and all are durable and well-priced. Orim Global are the local agents and they’ll gladly put you in touch with a stockist in your area.

On a set of Fulcrum rims, the 28mm Goodyear Eagle Sports we tested measured 28.36mm wide.

MID-RANGE

Panaracer Agilest TLR
R1 095 per tyre

If you have a gravel bike, you’ll probably be more familiar with Panaracer’s GravelKing range, but the Japanese company also makes some excellent road tyres. The Agilest is a newcomer in the tubeless category, and it’s well-priced compared to the competition. Tread? There is none; but the rubber is sticky and supple, and grips the tarmac nicely in both wet and dry conditions.

The Agilest has a sandpaper tread, which might be scary if you’re used to grooves. But the tacky rubber compound grips the tarmac nicely.

They feel very light when you take them out of the box – measured weight was around 240g per tyre. Are they too light for the rigours of South African riding? That’s debatable, but we haven’t experienced any punctures since we’ve been riding them. The lightweight casing does translate into a supple ride, however. Not as supple as the Vittoria Corsas, but close, and they do a great job of conforming to bumps and impediments in the road.

The Agilest’s packaging is hard to miss.

Unfortunately, my Cannondale CAAD could only fit 25s, but they’re also available in 28mm and 30mm widths. If you have a disc brake frame with more clearance, I’d go as wide as possible to maximise the road-melting and speed benefits of riding at lower pressures. Chat to Switchback Sports about stockists in your area.

The advertised width was pretty much on point, fitted to a set of American Classic tubeless rims.

HIGH-END

Vittoria Corsa N.EXT TLR
R1 500 per tyre

Vittoria Corsa is a hallowed name among tyres – the Corsa Pro TLR (R2 500 per tyre) is the tyre of choice for World Tour teams like Visma-Lease a Bike, Alpecin-Deceuninck and many others. Now, with the Corsa N.EXT, Vittoria has attempted to deliver similar speed and handling characteristics at a less outrageous price point.

The N.EXT makes much of the tech from Vittoria’s pro-level Corsa tyres available to more riders.

Where the Corsa Pro uses a cotton casing construction, the Corsa N.EXT uses nylon, which is meant to be more robust and durable. (After all, us weekend warriors don’t have team cars following us around to give us a new bike every time we get a puncture.) They’re similar to competitor tyres such as the Continental GP5000s and Schwalbe Pro Ones, both of which cost a fair bit more.

You can have any colour you like with the N.EXT, as long as it’s black. (Sorry, tan-wall fans.)

Ultimately, what you get with the N.EXT is a lightweight and responsive tyre that performs very much like its Pro-level cousin, but at a price point that suits a wider range of riders. They roll smoothly and the lightweight casing gives you excellent road feel, especially at the lower pressures afforded by the lack of tubes. They’re great tyres – and yes, they probably will make you faster.

Corsa N.EXTs should be available at your local bike shop, or contact Aero Agencies to find a stockist.

The 26mm tyres we tested inflated slightly wider than spec on a set of American Classic tubeless rims. Bear that in mind if your clearance is tight.

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