Strengths: Lightweight, stays true (for me at 170lbs, cross country riding), easy to mount tires, cosmetics look pretty clean.
Weaknesses: The hub design is really bad with a ring tightener that does not stay in place which causes a loose/wobbly wheel. How can you ride with a loose wheel/rim? Mtb'ing is tough enough when your bike is setup and riding perfectly with all of the obstacles... Lateral stiffness may be an issue for some.
Bottom Line:
These rims are pretty good out of the box, lightweight and fast rolling. But (and that is a huge but), the rim starts to wobble or has play from side to side after a short while. You can fix this with a tightening ring on one side of the hub. This will fix it for a hour or two, but then the ring will move and the hub will be loose again. The rim seems fairly stiff, but you can push on the tire and feel the flex on the front, the back is better.
I've had these for about 2 years and the front hub completely froze on a ride. The internal bearings are pretty much gone. I'm not sure rebuilding these are worth it, due to the constatnt checking on a ride and the amount of time spent taking the wheel off and adjusting the stupid adjustment ring. The Easton engineering team laid an egg with this one. They should have done way more R&D testing before releasing this product, b/c it was going to get negative reviews once those that purchased it found out about the overall quality.
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Submitted by
samvaltenbergs
a All Mountain Rider
from Tiburon, CA
Date Reviewed: March 1, 2012
Strengths: Great looking hubs, excellent rolling, minimalist design
Weaknesses: Poor quality control, decals could do with some work, Easton customer support is ridiculous
Bottom Line:
I picked these wheels up on sale when I was building a commuter/trail bike. They look great and are lightweight enough to be great for a commuter and solid enough for an XC bike. I've had two spokes snap in three months and I haven't even ridden off road yet! The wheels have a one year warranty, but Easton wants you to send the whole wheel back - they won't pay for postage - to replace a single spoke rather than have an authorized local shop take care of it. I commute to work on my bike, so every day I don't ride costs me $20. Easton wouldn't even consider reimbursing me for the cost of replacing the spoke at the local store. The wheels will serve their purpose but I won't be buying Easton again after this experience with their customer service.
Similar Products Used: Sun/Ringle SUV, Fulcrum Red Metal One
Bike Setup: Surly Ogre built as a commuter with these wheels so I can switch tires on the weekend and hit the trails, XT drivetrain, Hope Tech X2 brakes
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Submitted by
roatarygiant75
a Weekend Warrior
from Pleasant View, TN
Date Reviewed: November 21, 2011
Strengths: tough wheels, very little truing required
Weaknesses: none found yet
Bottom Line:
This spring I upgraded all of the stock components on my Giant Rincon that I paid $600 for in 2007 and was hesitant to pay more for a handful of components than I did for the entire bike originally, but after a year of more riding than any of my previous years, I'm very glad I did. I've banged around on these wheels all year. The front wheel still hasn't required truing and the back has only needed it once. I don't race, and I don't downhill, but I rode this bike on some trails in Prescott, AZ this summer where there were lots of rock drops as well as my local trails in Tennessee, and I have no complaints.
In case you didn't know, you'll need presta valve tubes (and an adapter for a standard bike pump), but the presta valves are easy to deal with.
Weaknesses: The decals aren't great - they make the the rims look like they've been scratched.
Bottom Line:
Awesome wheels that just keep rolling. Felt a huge difference after putting these wheels on my bike - accelerates like a bat out of hell now :)
Was a bit worried about the strength of the wheels based on reviews I've read online, but so far I've had a few good knocks and no issues to report on.
Submitted by
Svard75
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto, ON
Date Reviewed: December 30, 2010
Strengths: Light weight, fast adjustable hubs, rear hub prawls hook up well and no issues.
Weaknesses: The adjustable hubs need to be checked after every few rides because it unwinds and this could cause premature wear and failure like many previous reviewers experienced. Can run tubeless using Stan's Notubes kit.
Bottom Line:
The wheelset has proven to be somewhat reliable (I weigh 200lbs). Have had to tru and tighten the wheels once in 1 year and I ride allot (Avg 4 days/wk). Replaced the rear cassette and found that the 4 smaller cogs had worn notches into the rear hub so it was a challenge to remove them. No issues servicing the hubs and the +/- adjustment wheel needs to be closely monitored. Use the wiggle rule if it wiggles tighten the hub adjustment wheel to the + very lightly until it doesn't wiggle anymore. Then spin the wheel and test that it's not too tight and won't spin. The prawls in the hub body seem to be much more reliable than my previous Mavic SLR's but they don't look as pretty.
These wheels are by far the best bang for your buck on the market at $300. With stan's no tubes (or any other tubeless kit) you can get a sweet tubeless setup without having to pay big bucks for the mostly heavier UST wheels. Unless your hand's in your daddy's pocket or your a sponsored pro, don't worry about all this UST compatible hype.
Strengths: The lightest for $300 wheelset. Quiet and smooth rolling hub.
Weaknesses: Hub not as fast rolling as my Fulrcum Red Metal 3 but similar to my DT Swiss. Not tubeless capable (UST). Crappy looking decal. Just discontinued and replaced with a way cooler model.
Bottom Line:
For the price I paid for it's not great, it's awesome. At full price? Naah... Strong wheels, very light, cheap. Can't complain much. If it's UST capable I would've bought 2 more sets but alas I'm moving to using tubeless everything. If you don't care about using tubeless tires then buy them asap now!
Similar Products Used: DT Swiss, Fulcrum, Shimano.
Bike Setup: Spark 30 + Titus X
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Submitted by
k^2
a Cross Country Rider
from Oxford
Date Reviewed: October 25, 2010
Strengths: Light, Stiff, Durable
Weaknesses: None so far
Bottom Line:
I waited to make this review till the end of the season. So far I put 900 miles on these wheels with no problems. I used them mostly for X-country. Sometimes I banged them against roots and rocks. I am fairly light at 150 lb. The wheels stayed true and still spin freely. At 1580 gr for $399 they are the best bang for the buck.
Bike Setup: Santa Cruz Blur XC carbon, Sram XO, XTR Crankset, Avid Elixir CR,
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Submitted by
George
a Cross Country Rider
from Dublin,CA
Date Reviewed: October 8, 2010
Strengths: Very light, smooth bearings, Easton quality, all black, look cool. So far they have held up well. Light enough to climb anything. Two year warranty.
Weaknesses: For XC racing and XC use only. Not for FR or DH. No complaints for XC use.
Bottom Line:
These Easton XC One wheels will hold up if you use them for their intended purpose. They are very light and not for FR and DH.
Similar Products Used: Most hubs and wheels out there including Kings, DT 240, Hadley, Shimano, etc.
Bike Setup: Performance Access Hardtail with mostly Shimano and Avid mechanical disc brakes (8" in front and 7" in rear).
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Submitted by
kleinsrule
a Weekend Warrior
from augusta, georgia
Date Reviewed: July 14, 2010
Strengths: Fairly lightweight @ 1600 grams, Well designed, Surprisingly stiff and exceptionally strong!
Weaknesses: None
Bottom Line:
Very immpressive product! Stiff, fast and smooth!!! After riding them year round for the past 2 years they havent needed anything. Still as round and true as the day i first rode them! Not sure what all the negative feedback is about but I'd buy another set of these in a heartbeat! Btw, I'm 5'8" about a 160lbs... The trails I ride are rocky, rooty singletracks w/ numerous stream crossings, steep climbs and fast [technical] downhills.
Similar Products Used: Mavic Crossrocs, Mavic 517/Shimano XT, WTB laserdisc
Bike Setup: '08 Giant XtC carbon hardtail, FOX RLC 100mm fork, Easton monkey lite SL low rise carbon bar, Easton MG-60 stem, Thomson Elite seatpost, San Marco Aspide ti saddle, Full Shimano 970 series XTR drivetrain, IRC Mythos II rubber, Crank Brothers 4ti pedals.
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Submitted by
painless
a Cross Country Rider
from Vilnius, Lithuania
Date Reviewed: May 10, 2010
Strengths: Very stiff and fast wheels. Hubs are very simple and reliable. Easy to service hubs if needed. Longlife wheelset. "Self-centering" hub
Weaknesses: Heavy rim (420 g), heavy price tag for such a weight and non-tubless wheels.
Bottom Line:
It's very fast, durable and stiff wheelset. Hubs are so simple and reliable. Could be a little bit lighter and tubless. Look solid. These wheel are not very popular and you can be exceptional rider in your town. For this price I suggest to search some ligther and easer to service wheelset
Similar Products Used: Mavic XMax SLR 2k9, Xero Element XCR, Bontrager Race
Bike Setup: Iron Horse Azure w/ Fox RP23 & F100 RL, Shimano XT cranks, Sram X.9 gearshift.
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Submitted by
GlennC
a Cross Country Rider
from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, UK
Date Reviewed: March 8, 2010
Strengths: Light, responsive wheelset that I've converted to tubeless. Free running, great on climbs and really sweet in technical singletrack.
Weaknesses: They're very, very weak. Hopped over a 7 inch high log and the front wheel buckled severely on (a soft!) landing - v.v. unsafe to ride after that point - back to lbs to repair. Maybe a rider weight limit should apply to this.
Bottom Line:
Lovely wheels but better for smooth singletrack and a light rider!
Similar Products Used: Hope XC wheelset, DT Swiss XR1, Mavic Crossreide, XTR hubs and 4.2d rims.
Bike Setup: Giant XTC carbon, XTR groupset.
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Submitted by
Mike
a Weekend Warrior
from Nagoya City Aichi Japan
Date Reviewed: February 1, 2010
Strengths: Looks good reasonably priced
Weaknesses: Weak. !
Bottom Line:
I bought these rims because according to all the great reviews they got, these rims were strong and durable for all kinds of riding. I hadn't ridden 70 miles on good roads when I snapped a spoke (At appx,. 160Lbs. I am not an overweight rider) I contacted Easton about this and am still waiting for a reply. Also spokes hard to buy and expensive.
I am really disappointed with these rims they let me down badly.
Similar Products Used: Sum Rims - these also as they got older continually snapped spokes
Bike Setup: Commencal Meta with front and rear FOX suspension
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Submitted by
Tzvia
a Weekend Warrior
from Woodland Hills CA
Date Reviewed: October 29, 2009
Strengths: Looks good. Not heavy.
Weaknesses: Hubs. Or rather those worthless seals. Could stand to be a little stiffer.
Bottom Line:
Works well if you do the work- open that rear hub and clean the freewheel often. The bike sat for 2 weeks once (I was sick), and when I went to ride, the freewheel would not engage. A quick trip down to the garage, opened it up and found it full of dried mud. I don't do water crossings- I live in the desert and ride dust. It was caked though, probably to the lube. Seals are a joke. Well, they are my backup wheels now, as I had scandium Pure XCR's made up. Much stiffer feeling and lighter wheelset. Yea they cost almost twice as much, with CX-Ray spokes, but they are worth it.
Submitted by
Swembas
a Weekend Warrior
from Puerto Rico
Date Reviewed: October 22, 2009
Strengths: Strong, Light Fast rolling,don't go out of true, look great!
Weaknesses: None so far, not like my old mavics...
Bottom Line:
these are a good example of some nice wheels. light but strong, stiff but not harsh. I have even hammered them on some rocky trails an no damage at all.. the rim profile is different from the other wheels that i have use in 12 yrs of mtb biking.. Easton xc one are really good but I don't know why not many people use them.. 400 miles and still spin like day 1... Buy them if you are interested in a real nice wheels, and if you don't mind in converting them to TUBELESS
