Easton wheels (keep or replace?)

taimur

background
Guys I bought a bike last year which came equipped with "Easton Vista SLs" which i think were discontinnued and evolved as Easton EA50s or something. The wheels seemed above average with very good roll and not so heavy. After a while spokes started failing. After several spoke replacements i got fed up as i had spent more on spoke replacement than the retail value of the wheels. So i claimed warranty and asked for a higher spoke wheel and volunteered to pay the difference. Easton was very helpful they upgraded me to the better reputed EA70 wheels which had higher spoke count 24/28. They are actually lighter and roll like much more expensive wheels. What i liked best was how good they look! Wheels didnt see heavy uses since i was traning on other wheels. recently swapped my frame and components to a high end Carbon frame and Ultegra DI2 so started riding the Eastons more regularly.

With less than 1000kms on the EA70s, i got 1st spoke break on rear wheel 2 weeks ago. swapped it with a borrowed rear Mavic Aksium for race. Yesterday front wheel lost two spokes on descent at around 50km speed. barely missed having a serious accident. Whats worse, the spoke hit my Easton EC90SL Fork and chipped paint which really pissed me off as i just bought the frameset 2 weeks ago.

My team that i have been riding with for last 18 months have average to good wheels inclusive of Dura Ace clinchers, Mavic Aksiums, DT Swiss wheels, Mavic K10 Aero Anniversary Editions and ZIPs. I have never seen any one of them get a spoke break in these 18 months while I have gone through 2 Easton wheel sets with over 15 spoke snaps.

Am i doing anything wrong? No i dont think so, i am the onlyone that slows down at every bump or bad patch (but no hard braking). Our heaviest rider on DT swiss wheels and BMC SL02 carbon bike weighs 95kgs and 6ft 2 and puts 350kms on those DTSw wheels weekly. He goes over bumps like a truck and never gotten a single spoke break. i am 85kgs with strong legs so yes not very light but i dont even run the wheels for training, just weekend races. Aslo Easton FAQs state:

3. Where can I find rider weight limits for your wheels?
None of our current (2008 and newer) wheels have rider weight limits.

I am claiming warranty from Easton but i am just wondering if anyone else has the same level of issues with Eastons wheels as i had. Easton will probably rebuild with new rim and spokes on old hub or just flat replace the wheelset.

I love how they run and look but two sets have proved extremely unreliable leaving me stranded at odd places and occasionally avoiding fatal accidents. My team hinted yesterday that i shouldnt show up if bike is equipped with Easton wheels. I dont blame them since i have spoilt too many rides and wasted everyone's time.

So here is the question, once they rebuild or replace the EA70s, should i just sell and get some thing else?
If the advice is to replace them, what would you all recommend as solid wheelset. Budget would be similar to the Easton EA70s.

Please advise.

nochekmate

Ugo may come on the forum shortly to give you a more detailed account of Eastons and their poor reputation re: spoke breakages but in the meantime take a read of this - I had similar problems in the past with Easton 90SLX wheels

viewtopic.php?f=40042&t=12859350&p=17671076#p17671076

issacforce

hi i had easton 70,s both wheels went back to easton under warranty twice and took an age to come back. spokes breaking hubs being replaced, i now own a pair of handbuilt wheels mavic cxp33 rims 105 hubs 32 spokes front 36 on rear so if breakes do occur hav,nt yet you can get home, and they only cost 206pound from lbs.2prs for price of one

kangarouge

I bought a pair of Easton Vista SL wheels about three years ago and was not very keen on them at all. They cost me £200 at the time and for a long time I really thought they were a bad buy. I seriously thought of getting rid of them.

However, not any more. They now roll really well and I have had no spoke breakage whatsoever (I'm about 74kg). They have not been serviced either. I now use them frequently, though I do find they have a little bit of flex when out of the saddle on climbs.

I also have some Dura Ace/Mavic Open Pro wheels which are better but then they should be, they are more than twice the price of the Eastons.

For the price I think they were a good buy, though for a little more cash, I'm sure you could get even better wheels.

jonny_trousers

My only experience of Eastons is a pair of EA50s that came with a second hand bike I bought. They were a nightmare to deal with after punctures and the rear hub destroyed itself. I lost only one spoke, however. I'd never buy them again, but then I've only ever read good reviews of the EA90s.

taimur

Dont get me wrong, i have compared these wheels with more expensive wheels and they are FAST and smoothe! i also think they are beutiful and contribute positively to the look of the bike. My issue is reliability, the spokes breaking so frequently makes them very unreliable for the long rides. Last one on the rear wheel broke when we were out in the middle of no where, had to ride home on a wably rear at speed of 10. This time the front spoke broke on a downhil semi-sprint i was doing 50kms. Later discovered that the broken spoke stabbed the EC90 SL Fork.

but then I've only ever read good reviews of the EA90s

I am dealing with them and Easton support is so far extremely helpful. if they give me the option to pay and swap with EA-90s i will go for it. From the reviews they do seem lighter, and stronger with high spoke count.

skyblue337

I have a pair of 2009 Easton EA90SLs and I've had one broken spoke in both the front and rear wheels. I have had both repaired but I'm not sure I fully trust them. There seemed to be a theory going on another forum that once they starting breaking spokes after a few thousand kms then it happened more regularly but I'm going to give mine another go on shorter rides

gabriel959

I saw this video of the Easton factory this morning...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxTWSTo2_4Q

skyblue337

Just to keep this updated for anyone interested, I had another rear spoke go yesterday on my commute home rendering the wheel almost unrideable. This is about 200 miles after the previous repair done at an Easton dealer