Easton, formerly a Velotech design, will give the major players a run for their money with their top aluminium wheel that is 36g more than stated but we aren't complaining as a pair are still a full 100g lighter than the Mavic Ksyrium ES.
The 24 rear and 18 front stainless steel spokes are threaded and screwed directly into the hub at one end and are brought into tension with a traditional nipple at the other. The CNC machined hubs and cassette body encapsulate high quality bearings that are very well sealed from the elements by a massive cap at each end of the axle.
While the Ascent II's have only average lateral stiffness index, brake rub was not an issue as the offset rim drillings help to evenly distribute the spoke tension across the rear wheel.
