Road tubeless? Yup, that time has come from the big daddy of them all, Easton Wheelsets. Road tubeless wheels have been in development for many years, but have yet to catch on en masse. Just a few weeks ago, I received the following video featuring Andy Jacques-Maynes of Bissell Pro Cycling outlining Easton’s new EA90 RT wheels.
Going road tubeless promises improved road grip, better road feel and reduced flats. The EA90 RT wheels are capable for all-around road or cyclocross use. As we’re headlong into cross season, these may be a great option for cross riders looking for that extra edge. The EA90 RT’s will also accept tubes and standard clincher tires, if you want to go that route, but the preferred option will be to go tubeless. Going that route will provide a little bit of sticker shock as the Hutchinson Atom RT tires will set you back $80 — twice as much as most road tires.
Easton EA90 RT Wheels Details
Improved ride quality, better cornering traction, fewer flats, these are just a few reasons to ride road tubeless. Easton engineers recognized these benefits and saw an opportunity to make a better road tubeless wheel system using some of the technology that’s made Easton’s UST mountain wheels category leaders. The EA90 RT wheelset utilizes a proprietary rim design that holds a road tubeless bead securely even at pressures less than 100psi and holds an airtight seal between the rim and tire. A 17.5-millimeter internal rim width provides an improved tire profile for added stability and even better flat resistance. We didn’t skimp on details with the road tubeless: The wheels rely on our sealed cartridge bearing R4 hubs, alloy freewheel and Sapim stainless spokes. As with all Easton wheels, the EA90 RT is entirely hand-built and acoustically tuned so it stays straight and true longer.
- Hubs: R4 with sealed cartridges
- Spokes: Sapim Double-butted Black
- Spoke Pattern: 20 radial (front), 24 radial/2x
- Rim Depth: 24.5mm
- Rim Width: 17.5mm (internal), 22mm (external)
- Weight: 1550 grams (pair)
- MSRP: $850
A Seattle native, Jason developed a love for the outdoors and a thing for mountains. That infatuation continues as he founded
I’ve been using road tubeless for two seasons. I have over 10,000 miles on a set of Fulcrum Racing Zero wheels. I’ve worn through 2 sets of Hutchinson Fusion tubeless tires with only 1 front and 1 rear flat. These were easily fixed while on the road. I just love tubeless and will never go back. I’m upgrading my other bike to tubeless and am looking seriously at the Easton EA90 RT wheelset. Less expensive than the Fulcrum and very well built.
I’m looking forward to giving them a whirl this season. Looks like the flat reduction (near elimination) certainly has made up for the extra cost of the tires eh? What tires have you been running?