Dirt

American company Easton Cycling is best known for its range of wheels for road and dirt bikes. Born at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the company has grown to become one of the world’s leaders in composite design, engineering and manufacturing for the bicycle industry, producing a full range of carbon and aluminum wheel sets and components, including bars, stems, forks and seatposts.

Beginning with a sheet of carbon laminate, each of Easton’s carbon wheels take about seven hours to make at the company’s own factory in Tijuana, Mexico. Many of its wheels use a revolutionary threaded eyelet and nipple system. allowing the spoke to be attached to the rim without penetrating the tyre bed, eliminating the need for a rim strip.

The range of Easton wheels includes models for cross country, all-mountain and downhill use, including the virtually indestructible and superlight Haven Carbon 29”, designed for rugged, six inch travel bikes, and with a rim constructed from Armored Ballistic Composite, a material similar to the stuff used in ultra-light body armour and other military applications.

To meet the increasing demands of freeride and downhill riders, Easton launched a 12x150mm version of its highly regarded Havoc UST wheelset, weighing in at just 1,870 grams – this wheel has become the most successful in professional DH racing, used by overall World Cup series winner Stevie Smith and the rest of the Devinci Global team. Other downhill models include the heavy duty Havoc DH, the official wheel of Whistler Bike Park.