Vittoria/Geax Goma 27.5 TNT Tire - Review

Feb 9, 2015 at 9:28
by Richard Cunningham  

Geax Goma 27.5 TNT tire - test review


Geax is owned by Vittoria - one of the most renowned road bike tire makers. The correct pronunciation is "Gee - axe." Since Geax's debut in the mid 1990's, the brand has produced a number of fast rolling cross-country designs, and to its credit, it was among the first brands to jump onto the UST tubeless bus. Since its inception, however, Geax has failed to put forth a competitive tire for the sport's edgier trail and all-mountain riders. The new Goma 27.5 TNT AM tire arrived for testing while Vittoria was in the middle of rebranding Geax under its own name, so at present there are Goma 27.5 TNT tires being sold with both Vittoria and Geax hot patches. Not to worry though, the Goma 27.5 tire is listed on both Vittoria's and Geax's websites and are sold through the same retail networks.

Geax bills the Goma TNT as a premier AM/trail and enduro racing tire that is designed to perform in a multitude of conditions. All wheel sizes are supported in both 2.25 and 2.4-inch widths. Gomas are also sold in a lightweight carcass, a reinforced all-mountain/tubeless TNT carcass and in applicable sizes, in a DH two-ply carcass. Our 2.25-inch TNT test tires weighed 840 grams each, with an MSRP of $63 USD.
GEAX Tires @GEAX

Geax Goma 27.5 TNT

The Goma's big chance came when a test bike arrived mid-winter, inadequately shod with skinny tires in my least favorite tread pattern. Lacking an alternative, I mounted up the Gomas tubeless with Stan's sealant. The task required a small amount of wrestling, due to their tight fit on Stan's Arch EX rims, but they aired up, as promised, with a standard floor pump and without the need to remove the valve cores. "TNT" stands for "Tube, No Tube," referring that the tire can be run either with a tube, or tubeless. TNT also refers to Geax's heavily reinforced side walls and the Goma's patented UST rectangular bead profile, which helps to seat and lock the bead in matching tubeless rims. TNT tires require sealant, but not much. The front tire held air for three days without a drop. With sealant added, both tires maintained pressure within two to three pounds pressure for well over a week's time.

Reinforced casing: Geax builds the Goma tires with a 120 thread-per-inch nylon-fabric casing that has an additional layer of high-strength fabric to ward off abrasions and punctures. Extra toughness is ensured by a rugged later of rubber that coats the sides of the carcass. Protection and toughness come at a price, though, pushing the weight of the Goma TNT to 840 grams - 100 grams heavier than the non-tubeless version.

Sticky tread rubber: Geax uses its mid-compound, 50 Shore-a hardness "Sticky" rubber compound for the Goma's tread. Like most of the better-performing all-mountain/enduro tires, the Goma has a simple tread pattern, with center blocks arranged in pairs, flanked by one row of edging blocks on either side. Tread is directional and the edging blocks have a unique grooved edge to give them extra bite as the tire is leaned over in a corner, especially on hard surfaces. "Rounded" best describes the Goma's tread profile. The edging blocks stand at about the same height as the center tread.
Geax Goma 27.5 TNT tire - test review
Tall center-tread and sticky, 50 shore-a rubber made for great braking traction in a straight line.

Geax Goma 27.5 TNT tire - test review
A look down the center of the Geax Goma tire shows its grooved edging blocks and sparse tread design. The Goma sheds mud and crud in wet conditions.

All sizes: Geax sells the Goma in 26, 27.5 and 29 inch wheel sizes, in 2.25 and 2.4 inch widths, and in both the light and TNT casing styles, all of which can be perused here. Our test tires were the 2.25-inch width, measuring 2.2 inches (56 millimeters) at the widest point and 27.625 inches in diameter (700 millimeters) at 30 psi, mounted to rims measuring 21 millimeters between flanges.


Riding Impressions

Trail conditions during the review interval were varied. Most of the riding was over rocky, sandy and clay soils, with surfaces ranging from wet, with slick mud, to loose sand and gravel, and bone dry hard-pack. As mentioned. the Gomas were mounted tubeless to narrow, 21 millimeter internal-width Stan's Arch rims. Inflation pressures ranged from 32 to 25psi. The primary test bike was an Intense Spider 275 and the Goma tires were mounted front and rear. Overall, Geax's Goma TNT tires received high marks for durability, with nary a scar on the tread or casing, and with no flats or burping air during two months of testing.

Geax's new Goma rolls well on dirt, but its sticky rubber tread feels decidedly slower when grinding on paved surfaces. Acceleration is muted slightly by the heavier construction of the TNT tubeless option, but the Gomas manage to get rolling quickly enough that test riders were often unaware that we were spinning 840-gram tires. Climbing traction was good, better than expected from a tire that is so heavily crowned. I expected the tire's aggressive center tread to claw up rock faces and soft, loamy sections - which it does beautifully. But, most rear tires with conspicuously rounded profiles break traction instantly when climbing loose gravel or when a whiff of dust lubricates smooth, rock-hard soil. Not so with the Goma. I managed a few personal best technical climbs that, if you asked me earlier, had me convinced they would expose a fatal weakness of the Geax tire. Vittoria's factory is keen on conjuring up rubber compounds, so I must attribute the Goma's climbing grip to either magic or science.

Geax Goma 27.5 TNT tire - test review

Space between the Goma's center tread and its edging blocks, combined with the tire's arched profile meant that riders had to lean the bike a lot to find grip in fast corners.



Turning tests revealed why so many riders like tires with rounded treads. Goma tires feel seamless when transitioning left-right-left, making twisty trails feel more like flying than bouncing a bike through the woods. Geax's minimalist tread design leaves a wide space between the edging and its center blocks. When the pace is moderate, there is plenty of turning grip, but when pressing the bike hard into the bends, the Goma breaks traction - often abruptly - as it passes through the treadless no-man's-land and the trail surface has yet to encounter the tire's edging blocks. Over-banking the bike to force the tires onto their edging tread was the obvious cure, but we still had "moments," primarily on sweeping hard-pack turns or when descending in deep, parallel ruts. I expected the tires to be worse when turning in slick mud, but the Gomas managed a controllable drift where I had expected them to slide as if it were black ice. Without a couple of runs down the slimy roots of Morzine, I can't report on the Goma's performance in extremely wet conditions, but they found predictable grip on mud-slathered rocks.

Braking performance was better than average, with massive grip available for straight-line stopping on any dirt surface. Leaned over, the Goma's tread will not break traction abruptly, drifts predictably, and provides a useful measure of control, but there is noticeably less grip available should you need to use the brakes in an off-camber or turning situation than with the industry standard, Maxxis High Roller II. That said, I could charge down my favorite switchback descent without skidding up the corners. Test riders did our fair share of skidding and drifting, mostly on rocky descents, which should have run the tread down in a hurry, but the Geax tread showed little wear for over two of months of abuse.


Pinkbike's Take:
bigquotesThose who prefer tires with a rounded tread profile will enjoy the Geax Goma 27.5 TNT tire. After putting time on the Gomas as both a front and rear tire, we would recommend it as a rear tire for hard chargers, paired with a different design up front with more defined edging blocks like Schwalbe's Magic Mary or the Maxxis HR II. That said, Gomas on both ends of the bike would be a tougher, grippier and longer lasting option for riders who swear by the likes of a Specialized Purgatory. The Goma represents the first winner that Geax has fielded in the AM trail categories and while we would stop short of proclaiming that the Goma TNT is an EWS winning tire, it certainly has proven to be durable enough to withstand a similar level of punishment. The Goma could be perfect for an AM/trail rider seeking a good performing all-condition tire that will be churning out the miles long after its popular competitors have become semi-slicks. Oh, and while the transition is taking place, it might be a good idea to ask for the Vittoria/Geax Goma tire. - RC



See full size and additional images in the test gallery.



Author Info:
RichardCunningham avatar

Member since Mar 23, 2011
974 articles

74 Comments
  • 41 10
 Gee-Axe? I worked at a shop for years and have always said "geeks" ...credibility: -1
  • 5 4
 I've only heard "geeks" as well.
  • 150 14
 yeah but you're American thus have no concept of how to pronounce words correctly Razz
  • 3 2
 Just ordered some 'Geeks' as I thought they were pronounced from On One on a BOGOF, the sales person called them 'Gear ex'??
  • 2 1
 dont geax make shoes
  • 6 0
 I've been running the 2.25 goma's and I pronounce it "gee-axe" for a few hundred miles now and I'll tell ya, it blows away my old conti Mountain kings and x kings or whatever. Running the regular non tnt as tubeless through a lot of abuse and multiple enduro races on the east coast. I found the opposite of the review.. high speed racing conditions I feel glued to the trail in corners with these tires...
  • 5 2
 Yea just because you work in a shop where everybody pronounces it the same way does not make that "correct" ... With that said ... when you look at it there seems no other way to say it than "Geeks"
  • 8 12
flag pcmxa (Feb 13, 2015 at 8:10) (Below Threshold)
 Obviously it is "geeks." The same way Moab and coat rhyme. Though, I personally have decided to pronounce coat, moat, goat, boat, to rhyme with Moab. Smile
  • 9 5
 how could anyone think it is pronounced "geeks" when there is an "a"
  • 12 1
 Because of the "ea" , like speak, freak, eat ... ect
  • 3 0
 Is it just me or are there a lot of mtb companies who's names are hard to pronounce/aren't said the way you would think like Bontrager, geax and shwalble ext...
  • 3 4
 then it would be gee-x
  • 2 1
 Anyway, never mind about the geeks or gee axe or gear ex, what about the Tyres themselfs, has anybody got any good things to say about them as I've just got mezcalls and saguaros to try on my Xc hack!?
  • 6 0
 guess why they are changing the name
  • 2 1
 Median,
What's weird about Bontrager? The other two are Euro so they pronounce their A's like Aah and E's like Eh.

Geax = G(eh)(Ahh)x

Schwalbe = Shhh Vaaal Beh
  • 1 0
 @median aren't those all more or less pronounced phonetically? Shu-walb-eeee. Bon-treg-ur.
  • 1 3
 ballardsk, Supposedly the tires with TNT and AKA casings are good but generally, will roll slower due to being a single compound. These are basically Minion copies just without the triple compounds.
  • 3 0
 WillCoates; shoes are made by GEOX
bike's shoes are made by Geax.
probably Geox will produce tires as well as Geax do
:-)
  • 2 0
 I was always told it was pronounced "go", just with French spelling.
  • 5 1
 U am with po-ah. Like after a good dump. ... poooo-aaaaah.
I am over in the USA just now. If the light is red you can still turn rIght, 1000 channels and nothing on. World news.... what is the world. Drive on the wrong side. No gear stick and clutch. 16" of rain last weekend from a couple of showers. Would have been 3 mm back home, you can buy a car tyre in wall mart bit not an apple, they are holding a "green" conconference to decide how to be more green. Average mpg (American only gallon remember) is 25 pg. .. lol. My alhambra does 50 and takes 7 people.... but the sunshine is nice Smile (joking Americans.....) don't get too upset. The people I have worked with and trained over here this week are really nice.
  • 1 0
 "Ballardski"

I run a non TNT Goma on the front of my Tallboy LT and a Saguaro on the rear. Best volume of any tire I have owned and they wear really well. Geax/Vittoria is the best kept secret of MTB tire manufacturers!
  • 2 0
 Since they changed the name to just plain old Vittoria all the GEAX labelled tyres were getting sold off cheap, still are on PlanetX for those in the UK.
I got two sets of GEAX DHEA tyres and absolutely love them, can't fault them at all, especially since I only paid £18 for two tyres! £18 for a pair of triple compound DH tyres!
  • 14 1
 Somebody needs to do a comparison of the DHF and all its lookalikes: goma, butcher, G5, etc.
  • 3 0
 ^ yes. They all look the same to be (but I assume there is in fact some difference in performance)
  • 11 2
 No one's done it because the Minion will butcher all gomas.
  • 3 0
 the minion is more of a DH tire is it not? I would say the gomas are more of a faster rolling trail/ enduro tire..
  • 2 1
 I dunno, never ridden a goma. Maybe I should actually read the review lol
  • 1 0
 Nah, minions come in all sorts of casing flavors, not just DH 2ply. I was running DHr/HR in a single ply 2.3 on my first AM bike 8 years ago.
  • 7 0
 Started using these on my Mach 6 after going through several sets of Schwalbe HD/RR combo. I run 2.4 on the front and 2.25 on the rear. Loving them and the wear that i'm getting out of them. I run them between 28-32psi depending how rocky the terrain. They are mounted to Loaded AMX Carbons hoops. I ride them on hardpack, loose over hardpack, and rocky, and they just keep delivering. I did manage to slice a sidewall, but these were the non TNT versions and some seriously rocky conditions.

Overall I'm pleased and would buy again. Similar products used: Minions, High Rollers, Hans Dampf, etc.
  • 2 0
 I recently put a 27.5 x 2.4 Goma on the front of my Enduro and the value is hard to beat ($40 online for TNT/grey sidewall version). It's as sticky as the finest Colorado icky but also takes abuse from sharp rocks. It seems to pair well with the 29mm internal rim.

The Goma is a bit heavy at 1000+ grams but for a 2.4 tire I feel like the performance gains are worth it. I'm not looking to win any XC races though. I weigh 190 pounds (13.5 stone for the brits/86 kg for the rest of ya's) with gear and run 23 PSI on very rocky trails with drops and off camber tech sections. I've used XR4's, Ardents, and Butchers and there is a noticeable improvement in traction. I'm thinking of picking up the 2.25 for the rear when my current XR4 wears out.
  • 9 0
 I say gee-axe
  • 5 1
 Good tire, was using it 6 months on my bike, front and rear, but I warn you, stay home when it's wet outside.

The tire has no grip on wet surface. Other than that it's a great tire for when the sun is shining and it's dry. Smile
  • 1 0
 +1 Great tire when it was dry, but as soon as some moisture was on the ground they turned into slicks. I would stick with minions.
  • 7 0
 Gee or Jee? As in Gee Atherton?
  • 21 0
 G as in Xee Atherton.
  • 9 9
 Jinjers have no soul, jinjer mijets are the worst!
  • 2 0
 www.pinkbike.com/photo/11905032

I wish I ran these at 18-20 PSI to properly compare to my current HRII's (which I LOVE on my fat Nextie rims). I don't think I gave the Goma's justice by running them at 30+ PSI.

Bryan
  • 2 0
 Was using them for six months, they were ok in the summer but I think they were trying to kill me in the winter absolutely no grip what so ever at speed just slips of every thing. Point and shoot and pray. Their off now for a hans dampf sg rear and muddy mary evo front
  • 1 0
 Love this tire in the rear. Bought it on sale for less than most other fordable bead tires available. Narrow, rolls well, grabs with on the brakes, predictable in the corners, and wears like it's made of steel! I have it paired with a WTB Vig up front.
  • 3 0
 RC: "Turning tests revealed why so many riders like tires with rounded treads."

Maybe I'm your crowd but not so much in mine. Give me some moto treads.
  • 2 0
 I prefer flatter tread, like HRIIs. I want the edges to dig in early. But, a lot of riders out there love round-top tires
  • 2 0
 I had those in my Rallon as OEM, didn't last one month. Terrible grip on loose, and really soft carcass so I switch them for a pair of Wild Rock r'2. I wouldn't use those again here, so many sharp rocks.
  • 1 0
 PinkBike featured a 6:00 video on the Geax Goma back in 2013. It was all hyped up.

www.pinkbike.com/news/Geax-Goma-Enduro-Tire-Sea-Otter-2013.html

I bought the 2.25 Gomas for my Norco Sight a couple months ago. I like them way better than the Kenda Honeybadgers that the bike was spec'd with.

They are a great value.
  • 1 0
 I just swapped out my last Goma for a new one after close to 300 miles of tough southwest trail riding. They are everything they promise and more. The wear like iron but stick like glue.
  • 3 0
 Haha I want to know RC's least favorite tread pattern.. Nevegals? Nobby nics? Velociraptors?
  • 3 0
 The new Spider 275 is pictured there. In that review RC seemed pretty underwhelmed with the Maxxis Ardents it came equipped with. Perhaps that's what he was referring to.
  • 2 0
 And poor Richard having to ride on those tiny, out of date 21 mm wide rims lol
  • 5 0
 Made me cry....
  • 5 1
 I say just buy Minion DHF.
  • 1 0
 i rode it on teneriffa F+R. whole week of abuse, allmost not worn out, great grip on dry/loose conditions, good on wet as well.
will be the tyre of my choice for that kind of conditions again this year.
  • 4 0
 Real world tyre sizes here

www.reifenbreiten-datenbank.de
  • 3 0
 Being as round as they are, I would assume that they are a great candidate for wide rims.
  • 1 0
 I agree. I'm going to try them on some 30mm IW rims to see how the edging blocks work in a flatter profile. I rode the 2.4's at Shimano Di2 camp a couple of days ago. The bigger tire has more pronounced edges and they cornered awesomely.
  • 3 0
 I say $63 USD is better than many other options out there.
  • 1 0
 They're $35 on Pricepoint for 650B TNTs
  • 1 0
 I'll stick with Maxxis Ardent 2.4's. I love them. Suck when its wet, but I didn't buy them for that. Wet I run Conti King and X.
  • 1 0
 How are mountain bike tires more expensive than motocross tires. Guess it's more expensive to make smaller tires with less rubber.
  • 1 0
 These tires are scarey in wet conditions. Pitched as a new England do it all, in reality, nothing beats an ardent and a highroller...
  • 2 0
 Onza Ibex 2.25 & ".4, love that.
  • 1 1
 I run the 2.25 on the rear with DHF Minion on front. Great combo. I wouldn't run this as a front though, very rounded profile.
  • 1 0
 Vittoria were renowned for road tyres, but those in the know have moved to Veloflex Wink
  • 1 0
 Props for true measurements. The 2.4 is probably darn near 28" diameter.
  • 1 0
 I always said jee-ox. Hmm
  • 3 1
 I say gax.
  • 1 0
 The tread pattern kinda looks like an Ardent.
  • 1 0
 because the guy who designed the Ardent (among other popular Maxxis treads) is now the tire designer for Vittoria.
  • 1 0
 who dat?
  • 1 0
 Ken Avery.
  • 2 2
 Huh, I always thought it was pronounce "Go"
  • 2 1
 derp 2.4
  • 1 0
 Nice sidenobs
  • 1 0
 Go-Goma.
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