# EA90 RT Experiences? Tubeless!



## onrhodes

So, I can get a pretty good deal on a set of campy compatible Easton EA90 RT wheels. 2013 model year. Anyone got any experience?
I like the idea of the wider rim profile. I want to try tubeless and being a campy guy, it is hard to find wheelsets that are campy splined and tubeless. Obviously there are the 2-way fit setups, but those don't have the wider rim profile.
I'm not concerned about the weight too much. These are going to be everyday wheels.
Thanks ahead of time.

-Pete


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## farva

these seem like the best of both worlds. I have a pair of 23mm wide velocity a23s setup tubeless & they are very comfy, but I have deal with sealant tape over the spoke holes to keep it from leaking. These don't have that issue

the sad part is the tubeless tires ended up costing more than the rims themselves. Not sure how that got flipped around


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## onrhodes

So I just sucked it up and went and bought the wheels this weekend along with the schwalbe tubeless tires in a 700x23. Here are some thoughts and experiences.
1. No spokes holes on the inside of the rim means no tape!
2. Relatively light wheelset, cannot complain about the weight at all
3. Valve cores are not removeable, which seems silly. I dumped the sealant in before finishing up that last 3-4" of mounting the tire.
4. Tires mount SUPER EASY, no more challenging than putting on standard clinchers
5. My brakes need to be "let out" just a smidge for me to get the lever pull that I prefer
6. The extra width of the tires with the 17.5mm inner width is noticeable in a good way.
I had the tires mounted and sealed in about 30 minutes. That included changing the cassette over from my neutron wheelset.
I got out for a 45 mile relatively flat ride with a few climbs and decents around the Beaverton/Hillsboro/Cornelious part of Oregon. Everything from good quality pavement to crap chip/seal pavement. The wheels and tires performed great.
I've alway been a fan of my neutron wheelset, but these did feel a tad more comfortable and just a bit snappier too. I had 100 psi in the tires like I do with my standard clincher wheels and these just felt nicer. I am comparing these to Michelin PRO4 tires.
I've got more testing to do on these, but so far initial impressions are very good. I am impressed. I especially like the fact that I got a wheelset with a campy compatible freehub. That has been the biggest obstacle in going tubeless.
I have Stans 340's with Record hubs on my cross bike and those feel a bit more compliant than the Easton EA90 RT setup. My cross wheels are 32 hole 3 cross though, so that is kind of expected.
Looking forward to how their tubeless carbon clincher sounds. Can't fathom paying the cost of them though.
After years of denial, I finally switched my mtn bike to tubless in 2012. Got tired of dealing with tubulars on my cross bike, so switched those to tubeless in 2012 with decent results. So now I can count 2013 as the year I switched my road bike to tubeless, and I may never go back after this ride.


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## wotnoshoeseh

Hi onrhodes,
I have just pulled the trigger on a set of these. Then I went looking for reviews of the EA90. The only reviews I could find were for EA90 SL's and SLX's and all I could read about were broken spokes, required preload adjustment (almost daily, reading between the lines) and crappy bearings.
It seems that a lot of these were due to the quality of spoke batches from Sapim, and a hand adjustable preload tensioner, and I was wondering if you could tell me what these wheels are like to have for an extended period of time.
Have you had any issues?
Any broken spokes?
Any issues with preload?
Any issues with seized bearings?

The ones I have purchased are 2013 model year with R4 hubs as per the attached.

Easton EA90 RT Road Wheelset 2013 | Chain Reaction Cycles

I look forward to your response / thoughts.

Thanks,
D.


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## onrhodes

I've only got about 1,000 miles on them since putting them on. I am in love with the ride of tubeless tires on these wheels.
I'll preface all of my comments with the following. I've been riding these at a "fat for me" weight of 140-145lbs and I am 5'4". I believe any review or comments should reflect the rider who is using the equipment. I don't tend to beat on equipment at all.
So, with that said, no issues with spokes breaking, no seized bearings (only ridden in the wet once so far) and there is a little play in the rear wheel that I need to adjust out of them after about 1,000 miles. These have been my everyday wheels since I put them on.
Mine are the 2013 model year too. I'm a competent enough mechanic that I should be able to fix any minor issues that happen to come up. So far I am very satisfied with my purchase.


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