elkootcho

I ride a 2009 Fuji Roubaix Pro with the stock ALX200 wheels.

Performance Bike is having a sale and I can get their Shimano EA90 SLX "Special Edition" (not sure what makes them special edition...no ceramic bearings?) on sale for $400. I have about $300 in gift cards and team performance points leaving my out of pocket around $100 plus tax.

My primary use is commuting (100 miles per week, flat roads all the way) with a few centuries a year and the few months of training that come with that.

I've had no real problems with the ALX200 in nearly 2 years other than 1 broken spoke and occaisionally out of true. Would the Easton wheels be a noticeable upgrade for the average, non-racer?

bonz50

$100 huh?? seriously, why don't you have them already?? asking here if upgrades are worth it is like going to a crack house and asking if you should have another rock... go for it!!

RT

I have been coveting new wheels for a while now, but since my ALX wheels work well, spin well, stay in true, I find other ways to spend my dough.

elkootcho

I guess I'm wondering if the average, non-racer cyclist can really tell the difference? If this was all cash burning a hole in my pocket I'd likely put it towards a new frame but since most of it's Performance credit...

noise boy

We replaced the vittoria Zaffiro tires and alex r-500 wheelset on my wife's bike with a set of Ksyrium Elites (1600 grams a set) and Vittoria Diamante Pro's and dropped 815 grams. If the EA90's are substantially lighter it is well worth it, she noticed a 2mph average speed increase on her rides after the change, rotating mass is weight that you can really feel.

bonz50

easton claims 1545g for the set... the ALX's are about 1900g, seems substantial to me...

StanSeven

Actually if you wanted to make some performance improvement, get something more aero - at least 30mm deep. The Easton is only 21 so that isn't aero.

Walter

A set of wheels that light for $100 out of pocket is pretty hard to beat and yes if you're dropping a pound or more from your wheels it is a noticeable upgrade. Won't turn you into Lance or any other racer for that matter but it's a nice upgrade.

Aero? No expert here and I don't want to start that war all over again but I think you need more than 30mm to get any effect at all.

cyclezen

nice wheels are always a good thing
but if you;re not gonna put on some nice rubber with an ultralight tube, then the difference will prolly not be apparent.
my latest find, rubber wise, has been the PB Forte DC Pro tire.
a tad stiff so not hugely comfortable, and the red streaks are not my fav, but, man, do these tires really roll!
don't know who makes them, or if they have a Branded equivalent, but they are as good as a lot of $50+ tires I've tried...

elkootcho

As a full-time commuter I'm rolling on Gatorskins with tire liners. Overkill but I'm all about flat prevention. Will that do away with any noticeable performance gain? Maybe I need to commute on the ALX200 and ride the EA90 with lighter tires on the weekends.

noise boy

Even if you stick with the same tires, a pound or more of rotating mass is a lot of weight. For $100 I would do it.

elkootcho

ordered them today. Out of pocket with tax and shipping was $93. No brainer. I tend over think everything.

igknighted

For that price, it's a no brainer...

I'd put lighter/better performing rubber on there and use the Eastons as your wheels for recreational rides. Anything Easton labels as "SLX" is always going to be super lightweight, at the expense of durability. No reason to wreck the lightweights on a pothole commuting.

MikeyBoyAz

Do it, do it now. 5 4 3 2 1 do it (Dwight K. Schrute)

bombshell rims are more important for commuting. Don't worry about weight or aero... but still nice.

Vallun

Bingo.

jrobe

That is bs (and a clear example of the placebo effect of bike bling).

You arn'te going to gain anywhere near 2 mph with wheels that weigh 800 gm less unless the hubs in her own wheels were practically rusted shut. It would be much closer to 0.02 mph improvement.

adamgoldberg

My understanding is that the regular EA90 SLX has the "R4SL" hubs, which are the ceramic bearings. The Performance Bike's "Special Edition" has the "R4" hubs, which are the hubs which are normally in the EA 90 SL.

Not arguing for/against, but there is apparently a difference (in configuration & price, no comment on any performance difference).

https://www.eastoncycling.com/en-us/r...ce/ea90-sl-696
https://www.eastoncycling.com/en-us/r...e/ea90-slx-698

https://www.performancebike.com/bikes...eader-50__6917 (click on "Specs" on the right)

elkootcho

Absolutely, I was aware of that going in. The "real" EA90 SLX retail for $1045 (from Easton directly) and the Special Editions go for $500 on a regular basis (usually jump to $550 when they have a percent off sale). Of course there's going to be a difference. For me, it came down to the fact that they cost me $93 after gift cards and store credit. They are still hand built Easton wheels and should be a nice improvement over the stock ALX200.