by The CXM Test Crew
Cyclocross, gravel, mountain biking and disc brake pavement pounding are now all possible on one wheelset, and can help justify putting down more of your hard-earned money knowing the wheels could get year round use. In Issue 29, we rounded up many of the latest “do it all” wheels, hoops that promise to handle your rides and races on several different bikes, or in several different disciplines.
And in Issue 30 we looked at the go-anywhere disc brake tubeless wheel options seen here. These wheelsets are easily swapped between bikes or help extend the versatility and performance of a single rig. Want to enter a road race on your cyclocross bike? Or add volume to your rubber for some more gnarly adventures? High pressure-tolerant, aerodynamic or wider rims can help get you there. And of course, they can help you ride lower pressure, flat less and shed some rotating weight come cyclocross season.
Our test crew rode these wheels on trails, pavement, gravel and even up and down stairs to see if they’d remain round, true and burp-free under typical rider use and abuse. Read on to see if there’s a wheel here that's right for you.
EASTON EC90 SL
The Easton EC90 SL carbon wheelset, despite being one of the most expensive options in this group, is among the heaviest. It’s also reportedly one of the most aerodynamic. And it’s the only one that combines Road Tubeless certification and XD driver compatibility with a fully sealed rim. If you have no ambition of taking advantage of those aerodynamics, or high-pressure tire compatibility, save your bones and look elsewhere. But we’ll be the first to admit that the Road Tubeless, fully sealed rim created the simplest and most-reliable setup when paired with the right tires, for us the WTB TCS or Hutchinson carbon bead options. Not worrying about rim tape is really nice. And all that extra carbon allowing 100+ psi tires creates a very robust, durable rim. Easton reports that its production models are lighter than our early test wheels, and if that’s the case, these wheels may be more competitive in weight and just as convenient.
©️ Cyclocross Magazine
TUBELESS: We tested tires as narrow as 28c and as wide as 1.8” on the Easton EC90 SL, and it performed flawlessly, with nary a burp, even over 60 miles of rough, rocky gravel in the California Sierra. In admittedly unscientific testing, the EC90 SL seemed to outperform even the company’s alloy products (older EA90 rims) in terms of burp resistance. You have to choose your tubeless tires carefully with Road Tubeless rims, and Specialized and Maxxis tires did not meet our standards for burp resistance and reliable low-pressure riding.
©️ Cyclocross Magazine
DURABILITY: If you don’t mind a limited tire selection, the Easton EC90 SL will take more abuse than anyone should be comfortable giving a nearly $3,000 USD wheelset. Some of that durability stems from the fact that the same rim was carefully engineered and tested for world-class rim braking, and we witnessed impressive testing at the Easton facility that demonstrated heat resistance under massive braking loads. With disc brakes, you won’t take advantage of this engineering during braking, but every time you hit a rock, stair or clip a barrier with a botched hop, we’re convinced the extra carbon is also helping you avoid reaching for the truing wrench, or worse yet, cracking the rim. If you have any inkling of taking advantage of the aerodynamics and high pressure compatibilty of the EC90 SL rim, they just might reward your investment with years of trouble-free wind-cheating tubeless performance.
© Cyclocross Magazine
PRICE: $2,800 USD
WEIGHT: 1,700 grams
OPTIONS: QR or thru axle front, 142x12mm or 135x12mm thru axle rear via end caps
More info: eastoncycling.com
