Easton Unveils New Gravel Chain Rings and Flared AX Handlebar – 2018 Sea Otter

Easton Cycling has embraced gravel in a big way the past few years. This year, sponsored athlete Michael van den Ham has been making the gravel rounds and his teammate Craig Ritchey will be joining him at the Dirty Kanza 200.

At Sea Otter, Easton had a few new gravel products on display, including gravel-specific Gravel Shift Rings and AX flared adventure handlebars.

Gravel Shift Rings

The new Gravel Shift Rings come in three gear combinations: 47/32t, 46/36t and 46/30t. With the popularity of 46/36t combos for cyclocross, it would be a good option for riders who want to use their ’cross bikes for gravel in the spring and summer.

[caption id="attachment_118591" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Easton’s new cyclocross and Gravel Shift Rings come in 32/47, 36/46 and 30/46 combinations. Direct mount for its Cinch-based Easton and Race Face cranksets. 2018 Sea Otter Classic cyclocross and gravel new products. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Easton designed the rings to pair with its lightweight Cinch-based EC90 SL carbon crankset and bottom bracket, and they should also work with Race Face cranksets. The outer ring is direct mount and the inner ring has a 4-bolt replaceable design. Easton included ramps and profiled teeth on the outer ring to help with shifting.

The 47/32t set weighs 197g, which sounds heavy, but more or less includes the crank’s spider. The rings retail for $150.

[caption id="attachment_118595" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Shift ramps and profiled teeth aid with shifting. 2018 Sea Otter Classic cyclocross and gravel new products. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Flared Adventure Handlebar

Easton also displayed its new flared adventure bars we shared info about recently. The bars have a 16-degree flare, 120mm drop and 80mm reach.

[caption id="attachment_118593" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Easton was also showing off its EA70 and EA50 AX flared drop bars. 2018 Sea Otter Classic cyclocross and gravel new products. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The alloy flared bars come in two models: the higher-end EA70 and more entry-level EA50 AX. The EA70 AX bar retails for $90 and comes in five widths: 38, 40, 42, 44 and 46cm. The bar weighs 290g.

The EA50 AX bar retails for $50 and comes in four widths (no 38cm). It weighs a bit more at 325g.

Putting It All Together

Easton also had a full bike on display at its tent. The frame was an eye-catching teal steel Crimson Bike model from the brand best known for its BMX frames. Of course, the steel frame was decked out in Easton parts, including EA70 AX tubeless wheels, an EC90 SL crankset, EC70 seat post and EA70 stem with an EA70 AX flare handlebar.

[caption id="attachment_118592" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Easton had this steel Crimson cyclocross/gravel frame on display, dressed with a full array of Easton bits. 2018 Sea Otter Classic cyclocross and gravel new products. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

For more on Easton’s new gravel products, see the photo gallery below.

More info: eastoncycling.com

See what’s new this year with our coverage of the 2018 Sea Otter trade show.

Photo Gallery: Easton’s Gravel Shift Rings and Flared Handlebar