Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 42 total)
  • Tell me about Easton Haven Carbon AM wheelset
  • Pawsy_Bear
    Free Member

    Anyone using these got any views? They look bomb proof and light. Considering buying, thanks

    timmys
    Full Member

    Easton Haven 1650g RRP $945
    Easton Haven Carbon 1450g RRP $2450

    $1505 to save 200g?

    wwaswas
    Full Member

    they’re the pinacle of current wheel rim technology – you’ll pay a premium for that.

    from what I’ve read they ride very differently to the Alu version so it’s not just about weight.

    if it were me I’d be looking to get a test ride on some.

    Reynolds might be worth a look too.

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    geetee1972
    Free Member

    I don’t own a set, a mate does and I’ve followed his experience with them and I’ve tried them myself.

    The first thing you notice when riding them is that they have a remarkable ‘feel’ to them. They are incredibly stiff so the bike tracks and steers better but there is also a resillience to them that can be likened to the experience of riding a titanium hardtail for the first time.

    The next thing you notice is the weight, or lack of. You get real improvements in how quickly the bike picks up speed and changes direction.

    He’s not had them all that long, I doubt anyone with a set has, but in the six months or so he’s had them we’ve been doing a fair bit of riding including hammering around in Wales and doing medium size jumps and drops, say around 3m gaps to reasonably smooth transitions, drops to flat of about 1.7m maybe 2m at a push.

    So far the wheels are still as stiff and true as they were out of the box. The hubs seem fine, but he’s not really ridden them through a complete winter yet so jury is still out on that one.

    They are also 100% UST as well, so getting tyres on and off tubeless is straightforward. He hasn’t needed a compressor or anything like that.

    Not cheap, but you can get them from Evans for £1700 or thereabouts. I know that £1700 on a set of wheels seems ludicrous when you compare it to what you’re used to, but these things are a massive leap forward in terms of ride quality and performance.

    If you think about it, frame prices went from being £600-£1000 for a medium to high quality hardtail to being two or three times that for a full suss frame. The leap forward for carbon wheels isn’t quite as big, which to me says the price will come down a bit over the next few years, but in terms of the peformance gain, I think it’s a big leap forward and the price is somewhat justified if that degree of performance is important to you.

    messiah
    Free Member

    I’d love a set… but I’d first need to dig a very large hole in which to bury my wife.

    Pawsy_Bear
    Free Member

    GT1972

    thanks, yes been looking at the Evans site. Sounds like the performance I am looking for. My XT775’s UST (1800grams) have survivied 18 months with only a few dings and a set of new bearings. Back one needs straightening now but its not too bad. Like you and your mate I ride Afan, Wales, Black Mountains, etc etc Would compliment my Zesty 714 I think very well. Also want 100% UST so no faffing around with tyres.

    I have a 15mm front and a QR rear, they compatiable asI see they are 20mm front? Assume there is some conversion kit with them?

    thanks for everyones views.

    Pawsy_Bear
    Free Member

    Messiah ha ha single divorced guy here so all my money is mine!

    messiah
    Free Member

    PS – I should say I’ve seen a set as a friend has them, and I drooled plenty. Unfortunately six weeks of his two year warranty will be lost since he broke his ankle 🙄

    Only problem he has found is that he was looking at new frames, and his wheelset is 20mm front and 135×12 rear, apparently no adapters are available and the only way to change is new wheels – which seems totally daft to me but that is what has been said. I’m sure adapters will be available at some time… surely… 😈

    toons
    Free Member

    The rear should have a 10mm Thru axle option

    rewski
    Free Member

    Do it, and get the haven bars and stem too, then I’ll buy your XT’s. Have you got a 2011 714? Just wondered what the Hutchinson’s were like.

    I’m off to plan my divorce.

    bomba
    Free Member

    Reynolds AM carbon wheels are £700 cheaper. They come in at ~1550g though.

    Pawsy_Bear
    Free Member

    2010 714, same as 2011 I think. First thing I changed was to take off the the Conti rubber and put Maxxis HR front and Ignitor rear on. 2nd up grade was Reverb. Its a great bike, I would buy another if I needed a repalcement, no hesitation.

    Ha ha divorce or the shovel and large hole 😉

    rewski
    Free Member

    Yeh I swapped the conti’s for mud x’s on my 514 as soon as autumn kicked in, might put them back on though.

    messiah
    Free Member

    I’ve had a look at the Reynolds and ENVE sites but neither of their wheels are available at the moment. The other AM/Enduro rated wide carbon rimmed wheel I have seen is the DT EXC-1550.

    The Easton blurb on being “Ballistic rated” etc makes you think it will be stronger… but is it just blurb???

    From my personal experience with fancy hubs I would be tempted to get a wheel which has a hub I know I can get spares for. I once spent two months without my race wheels while Mavic fixed them! There was talk of Easton rims being available separately… but I imagine they are in no hurry to do that.

    geetee1972
    Free Member

    Yeah the compatibility issue is a problem but it’s been done that way because it gives the maximum bearing life for the hubs. Apparently the using spacers to adapt the hubs to different sizes gives a poor interface with the frame/fork and accelerates bearing wear. Chris King for example don’t make a 9mm front hub that goes to 20mm for this reason (yes you can go 9mm to 15mm and 20mm to 15mm).

    Deveron53
    Free Member

    Before buying wheels I always think: How quick, cheap and easy will they be to get spares and get repaired?
    The Easton’s aren’t as bad as some. Sapim straight pull spokes are almost impossible to buy in the UK though. (I have a hatred of Mavic wheelsets – just try getting spares!)
    If someone wants to spend that much on wheels, who am I to stop them? I think they’re just buying the latest hype though. I was flicking through someone else’s copy of Pro Cycling yesterday and saw all the 2k plus carbon wheelsets available in the roadie world. Now it’s leaking into mountain biking.
    A pair of Hope Pro2 hubs with Sapim CX-ray spokes and Notubes Crest rims are under 1500g and under 500 quid. There are lighter hubs out there as well so more savings to be made. Standard J-bend spokes, easily repaired hubs, easily obtained rims.
    A loose rock in the rear wheel will cost about 30 to 80 quid to put right and take 48 hours max. How much and how long will it take to get a Haven Carbon repaired?
    Keep it simple. Compared to the Easton Haven Carbons, my suggested wheelset IS cheap, light and strong, I can pick all 3!

    MSP
    Full Member

    crest rims are not all mountain, its not a like for like comparison.

    heihei
    Full Member

    Mine are the wheels GT is referring to, and not a huge amount to add to what he says. I can’t justify to anyone but myself how a pair of wheels are worth £2k, but I feel like I got value for money in terms of performance they bring to the bike. I would say that there are plenty of other more cost-effective upgrades you can make on a bike (FFS you could buy most top-end frames for not much more), so despite the fact that they offer a big improvement over other wheelsets (previous set was Mavic SX which is a v good wheelset), you’d want to consider if there were other things to upgrade first (going 1×10 with XTR springs to mind which prob saves more weight).

    Deveron53
    Free Member

    Well, I use them for all mountain. But for argument’s sake, make it an Arch and add 180g per wheelset and as my 1500g calculation was erring on the heavy side, it’s more like 1463g. So, within a gnat’s chuff of 1600g for my proposed AM wheelset but there are lighter hubs than Pro2 so probably possible to get it down to 1550g.
    Oh, just a thought: will the 2 year unconditional guarantee be valid for a grey import?

    messiah
    Free Member

    My mate asked Easton about the grey imports – apparently Easton were not happy about the ebay seller. They said they will not be guaranteed ❓

    Last time I looked the price of those ebay wheels had gone up quite a lot 🙄

    messiah
    Free Member

    I’m running the Flow rims and it’s the width of them that makes them work for AM – I’m not sure that Crest/Arch have the width to happily hold a 2.5″ tyre for the riding I do??? I guess I could MTFU and try them as it’s a damn sight cheaper than buying the Haven’s :mrgreen:

    PS – I’ve bent a Flow 😆

    MSP
    Full Member

    Weights for hope pro 2 with stans flow rims, which is there all mountain wheelset and a fairer comparison – 985g (front), 1,110g (rear).

    messiah
    Free Member

    I’m sad :mrgreen: I weighed my Flow on Pro2 wheels when I first fitted them.

    Front was 900g – 20mm bolt through
    Rear was 950g – 12×135 bolt through

    So 1850g for the wheelset, and very impresively strong they have proven to be over the last two years – apart from the front rim and the four rear axles 😈

    I should say – the bearings are still excellent but the rims are looking a bit third hand.

    geetee1972
    Free Member

    I’ve been told by a number of wheel builder (which I trust) that Sapim CX-Ray spokes are no stronger than DT Aerolites and like the DT spokes are not suitable for a heavier rider (say over 80kg)or anyhwere you’re doing moderate size jumps and drops.

    I definitely fall into those categories; I’ve had Stans Arch rims and wrote one off and dinged the other beyond use. The Arch rim just isn’t up to the rigours of AM use. At least not the kind of AM use I’m doing.

    Niether it would seem are the super light spokes referenced. The lightest equivalent wheel to the Easton Havens I reckon are the Mavic Crossmax SXs, which are over 300g heavier. In terms of rotating weight, that’s a lot.

    JonEdwards
    Free Member

    I was speaking to Jon @ Justridingalong on Saturday – they’ve just started to import the ENVE rims, so you could get a wheelset built by them with the hubs of your choice. They won’t be UST without a rimstrip though, and at £700 per rim, you could end up spending more than the Eastons.

    To my mind, the thing that would make the Eastons “worth” (I use the word loosely) buying is the 2 year no quibble warranty. Do what the f… you like to them and you’ll get a new pair if you break them. That’s the theory anyway. Practice? Who knows…

    More cash than I’ve got, that’s for sure.

    geetee1972
    Free Member

    they’ve just started to import the ENVE rims, so you could get a wheelset built by them with the hubs of your choice.

    Now there’s a thought……

    BTW Saddleback are the importers.

    bennyboy1
    Free Member

    Roval Traversee – £600 & 1550g. The rear hub on the Roval’s is also basically a DT Swiss 240 so you’re arguably getting a better hub than the Easton’s.

    http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=47223&menuItemId=0&eid=0

    Why pay £1400 more for the Easton’s to only save 100g?!? :-O

    Or if you wanted to import them there’s the new 2011 Roval USA Control Trail SL Carbons – $1500 & 1350g, they’re also 15mm bolt through compatible (as are the Traversee above). $1000 cheaper than the Easton’s & 100g lighter – I know which I’d get! 😉

    http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=54122&menuItemId=0&eid=0

    dirtyrider
    Free Member

    ive got an Enve front wheel and a set of DT XC330 wheels, all on Tune hubs, with either sapim cx-rays or dt aerolite

    i cannot tell the difference between these and alu rims,

    all the talk of feel is bollocks

    chakaping
    Free Member

    Roval Traversee – £600 & 1550g. The rear hub on the Roval’s is also basically a DT Swiss 240 so you’re arguably getting a better hub than the Easton’s.

    Probably not as stiff as the Eastons, but the rims are broad and quite tough yes.

    Funny enough I have a pair I need to sell (£250) so email me if these do tickle your fancy.

    njee20
    Free Member

    I’ve been told by a number of wheel builder (which I trust) that Sapim CX-Ray spokes are no stronger than DT Aerolites and like the DT spokes are not suitable for a heavier rider (say over 80kg)or anyhwere you’re doing moderate size jumps and drops.

    Aerolites are even more expensive…

    CX-Rays have a high fatigue strength, but that’s about it! It’s odd that they’re suddenly on the radar of so many mountain bikers, I’ve had a few sets of wheels with them, but now see no point! You’ll get a stiffer wheel with Competitions or Super Comps, or a cheaper, equally stiff wheel with Revolutions. I wouldn’t not buy a wheel because it had CX-Rays, but there’s no way I’d pay the £100 or so premium for them!

    Personally don’t get the Easton wheels, a 2 year warranty doesn’t excite me considering how much they are. 5 year would be better, to me it suggests they’re not that confident frankly.

    I’d sooner have some Enve rims built onto my choice of hubs if you really wanted to go down the carbon route, more versatile if nowt else.

    Pawsy_Bear
    Free Member

    One thing I am sure about is I want a full UST rim, it just saves so much faffing. I am sure I want the weight saving as well. Im not a heavy rider (72kg) and only get airborne in over the bar incidents 😀 ha ha so dont expect a wheel to fail. None have so far 16 years of MTB.

    messiah
    Free Member

    There are indeed plenty of other super light wheel sets out there but if they don’t have an internal rim measurement of 26-28mm they will not handle a big 2.5″ Tyre without suffering tyre roll.

    I don’t think the Flow rim is that strong a rim (*cough* personal experience *cough*) – but because it’s wide and hence supports a large tyre very well you can get away with some epic stupidity with it.

    All IMHO and YEMV

    dirtyrider
    Free Member

    One thing I am sure about is I want a full UST rim,

    30 seconds and some yellow stan’s tape sort most rims

    Enve 29er rims have just gained a UST certification, they are working on the 26ers at the moment

    dirtyrider
    Free Member

    I am sure I want the weight saving as well. Im not a heavy rider (72kg) and only get airborne in over the bar incidents

    why spend so much on a wheelset designed for riders who get a bit of air?

    get these

    http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/RIDTXRC3/dt-swiss-xrc-330-carbon-fibre-disc-rim-28h

    my pair came in a 311g and 331g

    got mine when they were £199 each, built with Tune hubs and CX-Ray spokes weighed 1262g the pair cost less than £800 all in

    Pawsy_Bear
    Free Member

    dirtyrider – thanks Didnt know that was an option. Good for blasting along Welsh mountains and trails on 2.4 Maxxis? Looks like they are tubless ready as well. You find tyres easy to fit?

    This week for example I will after the CR Enduro in Wales I will completed somethimng like 300km of MTB riding. Will featherlite wheels survive such long term abuse? Normal week about 75km in all weathers over Wales, Spain etc

    Must say thanks to all that have contributed to the discussion its been very good in helping me to form my opinion.

    njee20
    Free Member

    got mine when they were £199 each, built with Tune hubs and CX-Ray spokes weighed 1262g the pair cost less than £800 all in

    I built up some A2Z hubs, Podium rims and Revolutions, 1246g including yellow tape and valves and cost less than £300. I’ll happily smash up 20 sets of rims over the next 2 years and still be quids in over the Eastons!

    IMO, carbon clincher rims just don’t make all that much sense at the moment! Tubs are a different ball game mind.

    geetee1972
    Free Member

    Yeah but I’ve seen you njee200, and you weigh the square root of **** all 😀

    Don’t get me wrong I’m green with envy (no pun intended) but I’m about the same sort of mass as Ton and pretty brutal with it on a bike so your 1246g Revolution spoked wheels wouldn’t last five minutes!

    The Rovals are strong, but they are more flexible than wet paper bag. Landing anything on those things is like a lottery. Front wheel can be in one county and the rear in an another.

    dirtyrider
    Free Member

    I built up some A2Z hubs,

    Tune > A2Z

    uwe-r
    Free Member

    I think carbon rims will come down in price a long way in the next 2/3 years. If i was daft enough to be tempted i’d still think about waiting a while longer.

    A rim is no place for carbon unless you have money to burn.

    thisisnotaspoon
    Free Member

    A rim is no place for carbon unless you have money to burn.

    Materials Scientist or Armchair Engineer? I’d say they were one of the better places to stick carbon fibre composites on a bike!

    Personally don’t get the Easton wheels, a 2 year warranty doesn’t excite me considering how much they are. 5 year would be better, to me it suggests they’re not that confident frankly.

    I get about 2 years from well built wheels before they got to pieces, if someone came allong with a 2 year warrenty on some hope hoops I’d bite their hands off.

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