# Easton Temptest II... or Easton in general...?



## Cruzer2424 (Feb 8, 2005)

Anyone own? I tried search and only came up with one result. I want new race wheels/TT.

I'm wondering about breaking spokes. I take it you have to order them from Easton, right? Do they even break as often as j-bend spokes?

Also the rims on the Temptest II Carbs are 404 rims, right? 

Any information is appreciated. Add in whatever you feel like you should...

Thanks in advance!


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## FLbiker (May 21, 2005)

*Easton Wheels*

I have been riding Easton / Velomax wheels for about the last four years. I started out with Orion's. They were good wheels for me for about two years. Stiff in corners, hardly ever needed truing. The one problem I had was by no means the wheels fault, when I ran over a nail and it went straight through the rim. I had to send it back to have a new rim put on. 

I sold that bike after two years and when I built my new one I went with the Tempset II alloy. The Tempest II had been redesigned and lightened to 1,500 grams, only about 25 grams more than the Orion, but with a more aero rim and more aero / less spokes. I rode that wheelset for a little over two year. I had two problems with this wheelset. I did have a spoke break. And I did have a nipple pull through the rim. But both times I sent the wheels back and Easton took care of them. Other than these two issues, the wheels were great. They were plenty stiff when cornering and I hardly, if ever, had to true them. 

You are correct that double threaded spoke should break less then j-bend. It has to do with how the spokes load, but I am not an engineer. Easton does tension the spokes to a much higher degree than a j-bend spoke, so does that offset the stronger spoke? I do not know. I think it does help account fot he stiffness of the wheel. In four years of riding at 200lbs, I can't complain about one broken spoke and one pulled nipple.

And yes, Tempest Carbon's do use 404 rims.


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## 52-16SS (Dec 16, 2002)

FLbiker said:


> And yes, Tempest Carbon's do use 404 rims.


Supposedly they've stopped using zipp rims and are now using easton's own CF for the rims.


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## FLbiker (May 21, 2005)

*Carbon*

For 06' it was 404. I think for 07' they are doing their own, but I am not sure and I don't know when those will be out.


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## Cruzer2424 (Feb 8, 2005)

FLbiker said:


> For 06' it was 404. I think for 07' they are doing their own, but I am not sure and I don't know when those will be out.



Aren't they supposed to have carbon clinchers out for 07, too?

I personally have experienced a Zipp nipple pull through a rim, so i'm going to assume that with that high spoke tension they use, using their own carbon in their rims is a good thing. To Zipp's defense, it was warrantied/replaced within a week. But still... a PITA never the less...

So no one has really had bad experiences with the hub/spoke design? 

Part of the reason I went with zipp at first was becuase I could replace a spoke myself (maybe not with a CX ray... but whatever), so if I had a race _tomorrow_, I was still good to go.


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## rollinrob (Dec 8, 2002)

I broke two spokes in about 4 months on my Circuits. After I got them fixed the second time I sold them on ebay.. I have been using Mavik K ssl's for over a year and have had no problems what-so-ever...


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## Supersonic (Aug 31, 2005)

*Easton/Velomax*

I have been racing on '04 Velomax Orion IIs all this season. I bought them used for about 1/2 price on eBay since I couldn't afford $800 race wheels. They have performed excellently for me all season in all types of racing - crits, RRs, TTs. I have had no problems whatsoever with them.

I previously raced on Dura Ace wheels and on Velomax Circuits. The Orions are pretty stiff and very light, but I would be interested to race on a pair of Ksyriums or sth stiff like that to compare.


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