With Sea Otter just around the corner we’re gonna see a bunch of new products over the next week or two. Already we’ve seen SRAM’s new X7, Elixir and Sektor and Now Easton is bringing the goodness with the new Haven Carbon 1450-gram all-mountain wheelset. Built from the ground up for trail and all-mountain riding, the Haven Carbon wheelset relies on Easton’s exclusive Advanced Ballistic Composite (ABC, best acronym ever) technology for incredible toughness and low weight. Full press release below.
(Scotts Valley, CA, April 2nd, 2010) In advance of the season opening Sea Otter Classic, Easton has unveiled a game-changing all-mountain wheel—the new Haven Carbon. Designed, engineered and manufactured by Easton in their wholly owned EMX composite factory, the Haven Carbon is feather-light and UST compatible, but tough-as-nails thanks to the use of an entirely new composite system—Easton Advanced Ballistic Composite.
Weighing just 1,450 grams per pair, the Haven Carbon is the lightest carbon rimmed, UST compatible all- mountain wheelset on the market and features the first carbon rim designed exclusively for the rigors of rugged trail riding. The $2,300 Haven Carbon features a generous, 21-mm internal rim width that will accommodate tires up to 2.4-inches wide and is backed with a two-year, no-questions-asked insurance policy – a first for the bike industry.
“We designed Haven Carbon for the largest group of mountain bikers: Trail and All Mountain riders, people that have been waiting for a light, but tough wheel to call their own,” says Tom Larter, VP of Easton Sports. “We’ve designed the Haven Carbon from scratch just for the kinds of riding we all like to do and we’re backing it up with a no-questions-asked warranty. This one is a game changer.”
Haven Carbon rims showcase numerous industry-leading design and engineering features. They are made with Easton’s proprietary ABC (Armored Ballistic Composite) materials including HMPE (High Modulus Polyethylene), the product of choice for ultra-light body armor and other ballistic military applications. Proprietary resins provide the ABC composite with highly enhanced impact strength.
“We like to say that the Haven Carbon is the first wheel made for going ballistic because it truly does contain technologies designed for blast resistance,” says Kevin Franks, brand manager for Easton Cycling.
The Haven Carbon rims are manufactured and tested in Easton’s wholly owned composite production facility, EMX, in Tijuana, Mexico, where cutting-edge technologies are combined with precision craftsmanship. Each Haven Carbon wheelset is then built by hand at EMX using Easton’s proprietary acoustic tensioning and truing system.
The Haven Carbon will be available to consumers through independent bicycle retailers summer 2010.
Bicycling.com have a sweet photo set on the production of the new Easton carbon wheels over here…
