In response to the new weight weenie side of downhill racing, Easton have brought out a set of 2,295g wheels boasting beautifully machined and polished black hubs, 28 straight-pull spokes and double row bearings.
Those double row bearings come on the driveside of the rear hub and on the rotor side of the front hub to give that extra strength needed to deal with the power of modern disc brakes. Thirty points of engagement on the rear freehub help harness all that good old-fashioned horsepower.
The straight-pull spokes are single-butted for less rolling inertia, meaning quicker acceleration and precise braking. Finally, the 32mm-wide anodised rim managed to shrug off full rock garden laps with less than 25psi in the tyres.
The wheels come in a 20/150mm hub configuration. Commencal’s Brandon Howey has been hammering these wheels all year and says he hasn’t had to re-tension the wheels once.
The Easton Havoc DH wheels are priced at £499, which makes them £161 cheaper than Mavic Deemax, and a steal for a high-end wheelset, although they lack the Deemax’s tubeless compatibility. We will keep beating them till the snow falls and keep you posted on how they hold up.