The Goodyear Connector Inter is all about gravel performance tailored, as the name suggests, towards mixed conditions. It is designed to work well on everything between super-fast surfaces and seriously demanding terrain. The tread reflects that perfectly: a central strip with smaller, closely packed knobs, then a broad transition zone towards the sidewalls with larger, more widely spaced knobs, and finally aggressive shoulder knobs at the edges.
So is it the perfect compromise between speed and grip? The ideal balance and the ultimate all-rounder? It is an intriguing tread concept that sounds very promising and, on paper, aims to deliver the perfect mix of efficiency and traction. Let’s see if it lives up to its promises in our search for the best gravel tire of 2026.
All-Rounder with Highs and Lows: Goodyear Connector Inter in the 2026 Gravel Tire Group Test
It has a promising tread design and plenty of bold claims, but how does the Goodyear Connector Inter actually perform in our tests? It gets off to a strong start. At 559 g, it is a little lighter than the test group average, supporting its racing and all-round ambitions. It doesn’t fare so well against its own sibling the Goodyear Connector Speed, which weighs only 518 g. Still, it’s not exactly heavy.
The Connector Inter also posts a good result for rolling resistance, at 14 watts. That puts it just under 1 watt below the average, which is a strong showing for such a versatile tread. In fact, the Inter is even marginally faster than its sibling with Speed in the name, despite the weight penalty. Of course, there are still significantly quicker gravel tires in the test field, but only a few that promise such a broad range of uses at the same time.
Grip, however, is not quite as outstanding as promised. The Connector Inter offers solid traction in pretty much all conditions, but it never truly excels, landing squarely in the middle of the pack. That still suits its all-round character, because on gravel, damp ground and tarmac, this gravel tire performs really well – just not with quite the same standout grip as its closest rivals. While the performance doesn’t lead the pack, the handling is more noteworthy: the Connector Inter feels smooth and direct, tips confidently into corners and delivers plenty of grip in a consistent and predictable way. That said, the looser the surface gets, the more the tire starts to struggle. Compliance is also very good. Thanks to the soft rubber compound, the tire offers plenty of comfort, and places itself towards the top end of the test field.
When it comes to puncture protection, the Connector Inter’s strong performance begins to fade. Both puncture resistance and pinch-flat protection are below average. And while pinch-flat protection sits only just below average, resistance to penetration was much weaker. All in all, it is not a convincing result in this area.
AGILITY
- cumbersome
- balanced
- playful
GRIP
- low
- high
COMPLIANCE
- low
- high
ROLLING RESISTANCE
- slow
- fast
PINCH-FLAT PROTECTION
- low
- high
PUNCH RESISTANCE
- low
- high
Conclusion on the Goodyear Connector Inter
The Goodyear Connector Inter gives you a solid all-round package. With its low weight, confident handling, high compliance and impressive efficiency, it is in many ways a very good choice if you are after a versatile gravel tire for mixed conditions. The problem is that puncture protection is significantly below average, and that takes the shine off the overall package. If you tend to ride in terrain where punctures are a real concern, you are better off looking at a different gravel tire.
Tops
- High comfort
- Good efficiency
- Even grip distribution
Flops
- Below-average puncture protection
Made in Taiwan | Size (ETRO) 45-622 | Width in mm¹ 45,7
Height in mm¹ 40,33 | Weight 559.3 g | Price € 69.95
¹measured dimensions at 1.75 – 3.0 Bar, depending on tire width
More information at goodyearbike.com.
The Testfield
This tire was tested as part of the Gravel Tire Comparison Test 2026 – an overview of this comparison test as well as all other tested gravel tires can be found in the comprehensive comprehensive Gravel Tire Comparison Test 2026. For the top models in the racing category, you should take a look at the Race Gravel Tire Comparison Test 2026.
Challenge: Getaway XP | Gravine XP
Continental: Dubnital | Terra Adventure | Terra Competition | Terra Hardpack | Terra Speed
Goodyear: Connector Inter | Connector Speed
Hutchinson: Caracal Race
MAXXIS: Rambler | Reaver
Michelin: Power Adventure | Power Gravel
Pirelli: Cinturato Gravel H | Cinturato Gravel M | Cinturato Gravel S
Rene Herse: Corkscrew Climb TC Semi-Slick
Schwalbe: G-One RS Pro | G-One RX Pro | G-One R Pro | Thunder Burt | G One Overland Pro
Specialized: Pathfinder TLR | Tracer TLR | Terra TLR
Vittoria: Terreno Pro T30 | Terreno Pro T50 | Terreno Pro T60
WTB: Vulpine S | Vulpine | Resolute
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Words: Calvin Zajac Photos: Jan Fock
