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Easton EC90 Aero55

20K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  aclinjury 
#1 ·
any one had the EC90 Aero 55 ? any issue and the performance?
 
#3 · (Edited)
I recently got these wheels. Here are my observations:

1. mine are tubulars

2. they are wide! Many frames will have problem fitting these

3. they ride super nice, especially with 25c tires, roll like butter

4. they are the BEST 55mm tires that can handle side wind, better than Zipp 404 Firecrest (55mm), better than Enve 6.7 (60mm front), better than Bontrager Aeolus 5 D3 (50mm), better than Dura Ace 9000 C50 (50mm). Overall, these 55mm deep wheels handle like a 45mm or shallower aero wheel! And I'm not exaggerating one bit.

5. the braking surface is textured, and the braking is awesome, more modulation, more power, especially in the wet. Although because of the texture, it does sound a little louder than the regular smooth carbon surface of regular carbon rim. I'm a lightweight so I don't need the extra braking power, so I personally would have prefer a smooth braking surface for its quietness.

6. The Easton rear hub is all new design, called Echo hub. You can google it up. Rear hub rolls quite, even quieter than Dura Ace C50, which is a plus to me

7. on stiffness, hmm I believe these are not as stiff as my DA C50. These feel more like Zipp 303/404 level of stiffness. But then again, I was using 25c tubular tires running only 80/90 psi front/rear, so maybe the squishiness I'm feeling is due to the tires giving? On my DA C50, I do run a smaller tire at higher psi, so perhaps this is why I feel the C50s are stiffer? Anyway, I don't have an objective way to quantify stiffness, i'm just telling you how I feel, and the variables that come into play. Make what you will of it.

No doubt Easton has a winner in the Aero 55, and they go for at a much lower price than Zipp and Enve. There is no question in my mind that the best "all around" aero wheelset from a big makes are these ones. I cannot comment on their clinchers version, but if the clinchers is anything like the tubular, then they'll be nice too.

The real downside to these wheels are their width. My bikes barely fit them with only about 5-6mm clearance at the chainstays, and my bike is a non-aero steel bike. Most of these modern aero carbon race bikes with tight chainstays will have issues fitting these wide wheels.

Also, I had to grind down my brake pads by about 1mm (each pad) to make them fit better with these wheels. Not a big deal.

if you're looking for a great set of all-around wheel, these are it. Just make sure they fit your frame
 
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