Easton EA90SLX Wheelset
Comments
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Only that, as you probably know, the SLs are the same price (or should be) but with more spokes, thus supposedly making for a stronger wheel.
But a good wheel by all accounts.
http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/cate ... lset-314490 -
Bought a pair of these wheels in April this year & have covered approx 1500 miles on them. Up until now I have always ridden Mavic Open Pros on Ultegra hubs with Sapim Lazer Spokes.
As you would expect the Eastons are a quantum move on, they are more responsive & far better when climbing (have just returned from the Alps & you could really feel the difference when climbing)
Although there are no doubt better & lighter wheels available (at a price)the criteria that made me decide on these was :-
Price & value for money - Chain Reaction had them at what I considered at the time was a good price.
Weight - there are no doubt lighter wheels but the life & durability of these for most normal riding when you are paying out of your own pocket is questionable. If you have deep pockets then go for the lightest wheels that are compatible with your weight & style of riding.
Durability - hvaing spoken to several people about wheels in general & in particular Easton wheels they appeared to have a pretty good record, in fact the EA90SLX's have the latest modified hub. So far with me they have remained absolutely true & spin freely, despite riding on some pretty crappy roads.
Avilability of Spares & Servicing - these wheels use basically conventional spokes (allbeit without the cranked end) therefore they can be trued with a conventional spoke key. The hubs are easily serviced ( see Eastons web site). Spares are readily available & can be ordered by your LBS from EXTRA UK the Easton importers.
Profile - they are a good compromise between deep& normal section rims, I don't TT so do not need deeper section rims that can be a pain in cross winds
Ride - this is very subjective, however they are a distinct improvement over the Mavic Open Pros & are in no way harsh. Some riding friends who ride on Fulcrum wheels speak of them having a "wooden" or dead feel to them, I can't say that about the Eastons.
I considered two other wheels. - Shimano Dura Ace the latest one carbon/alloy bonded rim. Although lighter it did not seem to offer any significant improvement for the increase in price, additionally despite it being a Shimano product I felt the technology for this application was too new.
The other wheels that fell into the "ball park" were the DT Swiss Mon Chasserell, these were only available with white rims & spokes & being a "fashion victim" I could not have put these on my bike at any price.
At the end of the day Graham the decision is yours & I suspect will be dictated by your budget your weight, your style & type of riding. In an ideal world we would be able to take out & test a range of wheels but that is only for Cycling Plus testers. On that theme the mag. did a wheel test earlier this year, I cant remember the edition though.
Good luck.
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yes I have a pair of Eason EA 90SLX wheels and I love them.. I used to have a set of Mavic wheels and when I changed from them to the Eastons I was really amazed at how awesome the ride difference was.
I have a mate with dura ace 7850 CL wheeks and there is not much weight difference between the eastons and shimano's and they ride about the same.. Very very comfy wheels
some pics here if you want http://homepage.ntlworld.com/spythedude/EA90/
and a pic of them on the bike
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Thanks for taking the time to post such comprehensive replies guys, it is appreciated.
The Eastons do look like very good candidates, and Wiggle are knocking them out at £344 + skewers, so seems like a bargain. i didn't realise what the difference was between the SL and SLX so thanks! I guess the SLs should be slightly stiffer then? My weight is 70kg so no problems from that angle but I suppose stiffer is better if I'm not after shaving off every possible ounce.
Agree with your commentt on the DT Swiss Mon Chasserell... they do an RR1850 at a similar price to the Eastons, but coming in at 1850g compared to 1472g/1532g there is quite some weight differential.
I think it's coming down to those two, probably the Easton's on account of the weight difference. The other options on my list are Ksyrium SLs (£515) or Campag Neutrons (£360) but the Mavics look very expensive in comparison although I do like not having rim tape... and I don't know much about the Campags.
Cheers,
Graham.0 -
What's wrong with white wheels? :oops:
DT do standard 1450's in silver/grey. It's only the mon Chasserals that are pimped.
Considered Fulcrum 3's (£340, 1,635g, no rim tape req.) or are you after a uber light climbing set? I've only done a couple of hundred miles on mine but I'm more than happy with them.0 -
Not after anything superlight - I'd rather edge over 1500g for stiffness/reliability.
It's an impressive looking shortlist now, going to be difficult to decide!0 -
graham - neutrons and neutron ultras get very very good write-ups, and are used by professionals. i would discard the ksyrium from your considerations and look at neutrons, eastons, and the shimano dura ace wheels - though i'd be concerned they were new technology also.0
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I have a pair on my Lemond Buenos Aires, an upgrade from the Bontrager Race it came with. Absolutely love them. Very light, spin up nicely and stay true.
Only caveat was that the rear hub was fairly grease-free so developed a graunchy noise after a couple hundred miles. fixed by lbs though and now perfect.0 -
Thanks again for the replies everyone.
I have plumped for the Easton EA90 SLX, £344 from Wiggle.
Can't wait for them to arrive now so I can try them out (though there will be the usual rigmorole of not being in when they get delivered, then working out how I get them back from the post depot!)
Just wondering out of interest what skewers you guys use with them? I assume I'll be able to borrow those from my broken Ksyriums until I get a separate set(?).
:-)0 -
they should come with skewers0
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Doobz,
I would be well chuffed if they did, but the FAQ on their website gives the impression they don't... Only one way to find out I suppose, wait and see :-)
Graham.
"Q. Why don't Easton wheels come with quick release skewers?
Our observation was that riders with wheel upgrades often choose to purchase aftermarket skewers as well. There are many high quality skewers available, so the decision on which one to buy is based upon styling, weight, ease of function and cost. In short, when you purchase Easton wheels, you're paying for technology and craftsmanship of the wheel itself. If we included skewers, it would increase the purchase price, as well as limit your skewer selection. "0 -
was that the response from wiggle? Thats very weird indeed..
I bought mine from wiggle less then 4 months ago and they came with Easton Branded lightweight skewers..0 -
No, that was on the FAQ on the Easton website.
But sounds hopeful from what you say, it will be a nice brucie bonus if they are included.0 -
Did they come with easton skewers as I fancy a pair myself
Guppy :shock:0 -
I bought a pair of EA90SLX from wiggle last year, great wheelset, and they came with skewers.0
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Well I've had the Eastons for over a week now so time to report back.
First up, they did come with skewers :-)
I am well chuffed with them and would go so far to say that there is a subtle but noticable improvement over my old Ksyrium SLs, mainly when the pace is high and keeping it high on the inclines.
They look pretty good too and not at all common like the ksyriums were a few years ago.
Recommended.0 -
Glad to hear you're pleased with them. I've just ordered some EA90 aeros for my new bike - I cant wait for them to arrive0
