Is wider better when it comes to bicycle rims? Easton certainly thinks so, and its new EA90 SL Disc wheels continue the company’s recent trend toward broader profiles and easy tubeless compatibility.
The new rims measure a modest 27mm in depth but a whopping 19.5mm in between the bead hooks. As compared to more traditional rims – which can be as much as 6.5mm narrower – this spreads out the tire casing and creates more air volume for a smoother ride, better grip, and fewer pinch flats.
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The wide-profile rims plump out any tire as compared to a more traditionally sized rim
Furthering the fight against flats is the rim’s tubeless compatibility with pre-installed airtight tape and included valve stems. As always, you can run standard tubes if you wish, too.
Those rims are built around Easton’s long-running M1 hubs, which feature oversized bearings and axles, easy conversion between quick-release and thru-axle frame fittings, compatibility with the latest 11-speed cassettes, and common six-bolt disc rotor interfaces. Past bearing durability issues that plagued older M1 hubs have supposedly been solved with the latest revisions – but if you’d still rather build the rims around your own hubs, Easton will also offer the 455g R90 SL Disc rims separately.
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Easton builds the EA90 SL Disc around its long-running M1 hubset
Actual weight for our test set is 1,562g (689g front, 873g rear, thru-axle, pre-taped with valve stems) – spot-on with the claimed figures. Suggested retail price is $950 / £900 / €1180 / AU$TBC.