out there: bike lane
82 | AG Outdoor
Easton ARC 27
custom wheelset
T
he long-term Santa Cruz 5010 mustn’t
have known what hit it when I brushed
off the spider webs and dust and started
prepping it for riding again. Having been off
the bike for many months – and then riding a
hardtail MTB intermittently – the slick orange
screamer hadn’t seen a trail for nearly 12
months. It must have been even more surprised
when it found itself being fi tted with a new
wheelset...
I had been running SRAM RAIL 50 wheels
on the long-term 5010 since Bike Lane Edi-
tor, Tim Robson, fi rst built the trail rig back in
- These had been great – they were fast,
responsive and relatively light and served well
under the bike at events such as the Mont 24. As
any MTB reader knows though, their world is full
of constant changes in both bike designs and
standards, with one of the most obvious being
the move to wider rims to increase the tyre’s
contact patch on the ground – more rubber on
terra fi rma means more traction. A wider rim
with a more voluminous tyre also allows the
rider to play with air pressures more to fi nd that
sweet spot of traction and speed.
Easton’s ARC alloy 32-hole rims come in three
separate internal widths – 24mm, 27mm and
30mm – so I headed straight to the team at
Summit Cycles and chatted to chief mechanic
and wheel-builder Joe Dodd about getting
a set built for the 5010. I was keen on the
27mm-width wheel set, as it would off er me
substantially increased contact (up from the
RAIL 50’s 21mm internal measurement) without
being too wide and limiting (at time of writing)
the appropriate tyre choice. Joe suggested a
set of HOPE 2 hubs with DT Swiss Competition
double-butted spokes for the best combinationof strength without too much weight.
A custom wheelset may seem out of reach for
many riders but if you are thinking of upgrading
your wheels, then going down this path can
be comparatively cost-eff ective and the results
are brilliant – as these wheels have shown. The
wider rims have proved tough and strong so far
and the extra traction is defi nitely noticeable.
A Maxxis Ardent 27.5x2.4 tyre up front ensures
that extra width includes plenty of additional
bite, and I went for a Maxxis Ikon 27.5x2.35 at the
back to ensure rolling speed didn’t suff er. The
wheel/tyre combo rolls fast and I can defi nitely
feel a better connection to the trail – there’s
no placebo eff ect here. And for those who
don’t want to go down the custom trail, Easton
also has its new Heist wheelset, which off ers
the same range of internal widths but with
28-spoke rims. Win, win, I say...LONG-TERM BIKE UPDATE
RRP Depends on build spec http://www.summitcycles.bike TESTED BY JUSTIN WALKER