Easton EC90 SL vs O2 (Ouzo Pro)

[Wayne77]

Does anyone have any experience with both the O2 and the Easton EC90 SL?
I would get the F3, but its a bit pricey for me. I was just wondering which one to spec on my pending Serotta. I can get either through Serotta, the SL is slightly less. My default choice is the O2 due to its popularity and good feedback I've heard from friends riding it. I don't like the red and yellow stickers Easton puts on their forks, does anyone know if Serotta does their own more conservative decal like they do with the O2?

I don't ace crits so I don't need ultra stiff, but I'd like something stable and stiff enough for fast decents, and farily comfortable.

Thanks,

Wayne

[Jeff N.]

If you don't like the decals, send your fork to Joe Bell (619)469-4312, in San Diego) and he'll remove the decals and paint the fork (and apply the decals of your choice, if any)any color you like, or clear coat, fabulously,for about $75.00. Jeff N.

[11.4]

In the overall spectrum of carbon fork designs, you go from the super-stiff (like the Alpha-Q X2, followed by some of the Wound-Ups) to the moderate designs (like the Reynolds Ouzo Peloton and the Easton SL) to the light but resilient ones (Ouzo O2 and the new Easton SLX) and finally to some that are just a little bit floppy for anyone but a light rider (such as the old Alpha-Q Sub -- they have a newer model which I haven't tried yet).

I really like both the Ouzo O2 and the Easton SLX (both last year's and even more this year's), with the nod going to the SLX. (I suggest the SLX right now because Easton has a $100 instant rebate on their forks right now, which gets you the SLX for the price of an SL. My comments generally apply to the SL as well -- it's just a heavier and slightly less responsive fork than the SLX, but the other comparisons have been valid, at least in my hands.) The SLX is not stiff, mind you, but very resilient -- if you're heavy, or aggessive, or hit a bump or ridge on a turn, you'll notice the fork give. But it also takes right back, and in a very controlled way. In short, it provides the shock-absorption you'd like without giving away control. The behavior isn't surprising once you're aware of it, but after a Wound Up, for example, you might suddenly feel like the SLX is squirrelly. Get used to the SLX, and I think you'll really like the feeling.

The O2 is a bit different from the SLX. I find the feeling a little less resilient. Overall the O2 tends to flex a bit earlier than the SLX and gradually stiffen up, where the SLX waits till it's under a decent amount of load and then starts to move. On chipseal the O2 is a bit more absorptive, but if you're on rough road I find the O2 moves a bit too much for my tastes. I'd back off to the Ouzo Peloton or go to the SLX -- both better forks in terms of how they behave within the flex ranges they are designed for.

If you happen to know sea kayaks, they have two basic forms of hull stability -- primary and secondary stability. Primary is what keeps them sitting straight no matter what you do, right up until they roll over unexpectedly and irrecoverably. Secondary is what allows them to be a bit tippy at first but then harden up and get increasingly stable as they are heeled over. Forks follow the same kinds of design parameters and the SLX is a good example of a fork with good secondary stability; the O2 has good primary stability. The SLX rewards a good bike handler better than does the O2.

By the way, bear in mind that most of the flexion is coming in the steer. I ride a fairly small frame (50 cm) so I get more stiffness out of a fork just because the most flexible part is so short. If you have a 64 cm frame, the flexion behavior of a long tube becomes quite different and the recovery speed decreases, so you may want to go with a relatively stiffer fork than either the O2 or the SLX.

I'm not knocking any of these forks, per se. I have a variety of forks for different purposes, ranging from the super-stiff Alpha-Q X2 (a tandem fork) to the Ouzo Peloton, Easton SL, and the SLX. If I were buying a road frame today, I'd be hard pressed not to put an SLX on. I like the finish and design work, I don't see them fail, and I like the way they ride. I can't knock the O2 either -- it's hard to go wrong with most forks these days.

[Ken Robb]

I've experience w/Ouzo Pro and Comp, O2m, F1 and Profile Design AC1 which is as good as any of them and accepts 700x28mm tires.

[Wayne77]

Wow. Thanks! That's exactly what need to know..

Originally Posted by 11.4

In the overall spectrum of carbon fork designs, you go from the super-stiff (like the Alpha-Q X2, followed by some of the Wound-Ups) to the moderate designs (like the Reynolds Ouzo Peloton and the Easton SL) to the light but resilient ones (Ouzo O2 and the new Easton SLX) and finally to some that are just a little bit floppy for anyone but a light rider (such as the old Alpha-Q Sub -- they have a newer model which I haven't tried yet).

I really like both the Ouzo O2 and the Easton SLX (both last year's and even more this year's), with the nod going to the SLX. (I suggest the SLX right now because Easton has a $100 instant rebate on their forks right now, which gets you the SLX for the price of an SL. My comments generally apply to the SL as well -- it's just a heavier and slightly less responsive fork than the SLX, but the other comparisons have been valid, at least in my hands.) The SLX is not stiff, mind you, but very resilient -- if you're heavy, or aggessive, or hit a bump or ridge on a turn, you'll notice the fork give. But it also takes right back, and in a very controlled way. In short, it provides the shock-absorption you'd like without giving away control. The behavior isn't surprising once you're aware of it, but after a Wound Up, for example, you might suddenly feel like the SLX is squirrelly. Get used to the SLX, and I think you'll really like the feeling.

The O2 is a bit different from the SLX. I find the feeling a little less resilient. Overall the O2 tends to flex a bit earlier than the SLX and gradually stiffen up, where the SLX waits till it's under a decent amount of load and then starts to move. On chipseal the O2 is a bit more absorptive, but if you're on rough road I find the O2 moves a bit too much for my tastes. I'd back off to the Ouzo Peloton or go to the SLX -- both better forks in terms of how they behave within the flex ranges they are designed for.

If you happen to know sea kayaks, they have two basic forms of hull stability -- primary and secondary stability. Primary is what keeps them sitting straight no matter what you do, right up until they roll over unexpectedly and irrecoverably. Secondary is what allows them to be a bit tippy at first but then harden up and get increasingly stable as they are heeled over. Forks follow the same kinds of design parameters and the SLX is a good example of a fork with good secondary stability; the O2 has good primary stability. The SLX rewards a good bike handler better than does the O2.

By the way, bear in mind that most of the flexion is coming in the steer. I ride a fairly small frame (50 cm) so I get more stiffness out of a fork just because the most flexible part is so short. If you have a 64 cm frame, the flexion behavior of a long tube becomes quite different and the recovery speed decreases, so you may want to go with a relatively stiffer fork than either the O2 or the SLX.

I'm not knocking any of these forks, per se. I have a variety of forks for different purposes, ranging from the super-stiff Alpha-Q X2 (a tandem fork) to the Ouzo Peloton, Easton SL, and the SLX. If I were buying a road frame today, I'd be hard pressed not to put an SLX on. I like the finish and design work, I don't see them fail, and I like the way they ride. I can't knock the O2 either -- it's hard to go wrong with most forks these days.