Easton EA50 spokes

Longwaydown

Hi all,

Have just collected my new Cube Agree GTC race with Easton EA50 Aero rims and have ridden the grand total of 7 miles.

Have just been out cleaning and admiring my new purchase and have noticed the spokes on the rear wheel don't seem to have a great deal of tension and make a sort of "clicking" noise when I'm riding. They are laced in a 2 overlap pattern on the drive side and radially on the other. The drive side seems to have a bend in the spokes and doesn't look quite right.

I'll take the wheel back to the shop but I was wondering if anyone else has had experience of these wheels and any similar problems?

andi1363

These wheels came with on my Cube agree HPA. Like you I noticed a distinct lack of spoke tension complete with spoke noise and so much flex that the brake would rub with out the saddle efforts. This is deliberate I believe as these wheels are notorious for breaking spokes. Google search. I had mine tensioned and then they started to break. Eventually the dealer replaced the wheel under warranty. I sold them pronto on Ebay.

Longwaydown

I took the wheel back to the shop a couple the following day and they sent it back to the importer after explaining to them what happened (the importer didn't want the shop to touch it) and so far, I'm wheel less. I understand that it has been completely rebuilt but I'm, yet to see it. In fairness to the LBS, they've been updating me and offered the use of another wheel in the meantime.

A bit poor for an £1800 bike purchase... Still, I live in hope it will be sorted quickly.

ugo.santalucia

Yet another example of terrible quality control, design and manufacturing in the wheels industry.

Go handbuilts, these days it even makes sense economically... the industry lures you in with flashy looking wheels, that don't work and offer replacement as the cure for all problems... the real cure would be to have a proper set of wheels

Longwaydown

I'm told these are hand built! Got the wheel back today and it seems to be sorted. The bike technician said when he put pressure back in the tyre there was no pinging indicating it had been done properly (I can't think of the correct term - de-stressing??) so fingers crossed it's right this time.

One of the reasons I went for this spec was the wheels - hope I'm not wrong..

rake

there are some comments here.
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... -set-31941
make up your own mind.
they are marketed as suitable for loaded touring and cyclocross use, given the spoke count thats rubbish if you ask me.
re the spokes breaking, now my handbuilt by me wheels are a similar weight to these and cost less.
they have double eyelets, welded join rims, brass nipples and 32 spokes--ea50 have none of these. given the pattern on my rear wheel, 16 spokes do the drive pulling, 8 of them cross2 and 8 cross 3. now the 24 spoke easton is radial one side, so only has 6 pulling spokes cross 2 for the whole wheel of similar j-bend design. thats 10 less (about 60% less). i'l let you decide which will transmit drive better, last longer and ride stiffer laterally.