Easton Wheels

[false_Aest]

Someone talk to me about Easton wheels.

General thoughts?

I've got a set of HED Bastognes (1500g)--clinchers. I'd like something a bit more rad for crits.

[jbrainin]

I suggest passing on the usual factory-made wheels and contacting Jeremy at Alchemy Bicycle Works or Ergott or any of the other custom wheel builders favored by those on this board. You'll wind up with a better, lighter wheel for the money. The wheels Jeremy built for me in 2007 are superb and still going strong over 8000 miles later.

[false_Aest]

Yeah, I hear ya.

But that's not the answer to my question.

[mgm777]

I have a pair of Velomax(now Easton) Orion II clinchers with 10K+ miles. About 1550 grams or so. They have been trouble free and are as true today as the day I mounted them. I would not hesitate to buy another pair if, under the Easton name, they're still made at the Velomax facility in Long Beach by the former Velomax technicians. The brake tracks on my wheels are beginning to show some wear, so I am starting to consider a replacement and will probably get a custom build for my next wheelset.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . of Easton Vistas on my cross bike, one pair with street tires and the other with knobbies. One pair is Velomaxed badged and the other Easton, but they're identical wheels. I've had no trouble with either set in the two years I've been switching them and riding them. They are kinda heavy--not nearly Easton's top o' the line--but they roll smooth, no problems whatsoever, and the freewheel is almost silent on both pairs. Great fun for sneaking up on people!

I'd be curious about the EA90SLX, since Nashbar has them on sale for $550 a set right now. Good deal? They are supposed to be "climbing wheels" but I wonder how they'd hold up as daily drivers? . . . :confused:

BBD

[Ken Robb]

I had a pair of Orions when they were still VeloMax. They were an improvement over my then-top-of-line Ksyriums for me because they were not as affected by crosswinds. I sold them to stick with Open Pros on Ult, DA, Chorus, and Record hubs which perform fine for me and can be easily repaired if needed. Mine have been flawless so that's a theoretical advantage as far as I'm concerned. I thought the Orions might have added 1 or 2 mph coasting down a 40-43 mph hill over the OPs but the rides were on different days so the wind could have varied enough to cause the difference. Not very scientific, I'm afraid.

I watched while a tech tried every trick he knew to unfasten a broken spoke from one of the Easton wheels with no luck. He even tried heating the spoke end with a propane torch but it was still stuck and awaiting advice from Easton when I last saw it. I guess the good news about that story is that the wheels had served a long time with no service required so the spokes got good and corroded/stuck. As I recall a big problem fixing this wheel was that the nipples are sunk inside the rim and are not available to grasp with anything but a small screwdriver. I think these are fine but I'm not sure they would provide any improved performance over what you have now.

[Lifelover]

Circuits are my favorite wheels!