Easton EC90 Cranks – First Impressions
- Construction:CNT™ composite crank arms and spider 7050 aluminum pedal inserts 24mm CrMo steel spindle
- Chainrings: 53/39t standard, Ceramic Teflon coating, shift pins and ramps
- Length: 170, 172.5, 175mm
- Weights: 558 grams (crank arms, chainrings and CrMo spindle)
- Standard BB: 105 grams
- Hybrid Ceramic BB: 100 grams
- MSRP: $699
First Impression? Excitement. How can you not be excited with a feathery light carbon crankset (558 grams!) that is not only one of the lightest available, but rivals some of the stiffest cranks out on the market today. Sure the EC90 has been in development for quite some time, but when you’re setting out to make the best carbon crank in the world, as Easton has set to do, you want to take your time and do it right.
According to Easton, they throughly tested every high end crank currently available for ultimate strength, fatigue strength, and stiffness and aimed to best them. What the engineers and designers at Easton delivered is a carbon road crank packing the highest stiffness to weight ratio of any carbon crank currently available on the market. The continued use of CNT composite yields not only a stiff and strong crank, but an aesthetically pleasing one as well. The EC90 currently ships with a 53/39 standard and makes use of Stronglite’s CT2 ceramic and Teflon-treated rings.
Stay tuned for the full Review… but for now, check out what Sean from Easton had to say about the crank back at interbike.
Graphs courtesy of Easton.
This is certainly a nice crankset and the weight is very nice, however, it would have been nice if the graphs showed this cranket versus the Specialized S-works, Cannondale and Zipp Vuma cranks. It is probably lighter than all three and a good deal less stiff than the Specialized and Cannondale cranks.
Also, the graph shows you what a farse the FSA K-force Light crank is – you lose 77 grams, but all important stiffness drops 20%. Not a good tradeoff!
My comments: More jabber about “stiffness”. Along with porn sites, bike site reviews go on and on about stiffness. I’m guessing most higher end bike purchasers wouldn’t be seen on the professional peloton. The “word” I heard was Campy’s newest carbon cranks are stiffer than stiff. So if you really want a stiffy.. 0
No proprietary chain ring pattern – now that’s something that matters to the average bike rider. +1
Seems many component manufacturers feel a need for a little bit-o Sram’s white/red logo scheme somewhere on their part. Can you say, follow the crowd? Wonder how many future bike forum posters will ask “how to” remove the logos? -1
No mention of just what interface the b/b spindle employs, but we can take a guess in an industry that conforms to one standard. That’s a joke people! -1
Weight: competitive with the lightest. This crank will be the stuff of dreams for some weight weenies who will discuss the “true” weight on the forums. Wonder how long before we see carbon dust caps for this one that weigh less than 2 grams being hustled over at Fair wheel and Stealth? +1
Price: right in line with the retail on other high-end crank sets in vogue. Betcha that retail price will decline though. If it’s really a good product, we will not see it in Nashbar’s catalog next year at half price. +1
funny how my K-Force light weighs 657g all in !!!.. i note the graphs are ‘courtesy of Easton’ hardly independent !!!
Too bad they saddle this professional rider level crank with gearing for rank amateurs with a cadence of 60. How about a more useful set of properly ramped and pinned 46/38 chainrings, since a rider with an average cadence of 90 would need to substitute a 35t large chainring to get the same gearing as a rider with a cadence of 60 turning a 52t ring. If you just can’t live without that high gearing, use an 11t cassette and get almost the same gears at 60rpm – if you’re really that clueless. Only idiots in marketing departments think this kind of gearing makes sense. Give the marketing parasites something to do, sell reasonable gearing and call it a “Super Compact” crank.
Too bad they saddle this professional rider level crank with gearing for rank amateurs with a cadence of 60. How about a more useful set of properly ramped and pinned 46/38 chainrings, since a rider with an average cadence of 90 would need to substitute a 35t large chainring to get the same gearing as a rider with a cadence of 60 turning a 52t ring. If you just can’t live without that high gearing, use an 11t cassette and get almost the same gears at 60rpm – if you’re really that clueless. Only idiots in marketing departments think this kind of gearing makes sense. Give the marketing parasites something to do, sell reasonable gearing and call it a \Super Compact\ crank. With 110 BCD rings, you could even use a 33t inner ring and get some nice gearing.
Easton’s nano Tube Carbon is the best carbon period. The BB Cups are produced by Easton aswell providing a perfect interface. These cranks rule and I was told compact will be out next year.
Rank amateurs, eh? You know, some people can crank out 90rpm from a 53t chainring to an 11-23 cassette. Some people being, at least, me — and I wouldn’t even deign to call myself an amateur. What about going down hills? Are you content with everyone with a 53-11 ratio passing you? In any case, 46/38 is a rather narrow gap, and seems like an anachronism from before the age of ramps, pins, and good derailers (dérailleurs).
Solidpoint, you obviously are way out of your depth. You honestly believe the you’re smarter than Shimano’s, Sram’s and Campy’s engineers with millions of dollar’s (total) of R&D money at their disposal? Get real. Not to mention, this level of equipment is dictated by governing bodies like UCI and USCF. Maybe you should submit your idea to Pacific Manufacturing, they make Huffy, Jeep and similar brands…
I put the EC90 crank and ceramic BB on my Trek Madone 5.9 along with a DuraAce cassette (11-28). Great combo. Unfortunately, after just five months and 2,000 miles of use, the steel spindle began to separate from the carbon spider. Easton is good about sending a replacement, but I have got to wonder if this doesn’t have some design flaw for that to have happened. I am not sure this was a good investment. I really do not want to be 50 miles from nowhere and have the chainrings fall off.
That is for sure (rank amateurs)? I can hang with most of my friends that race I weigh 227 and when it comes to 6% or more i get droped not because of my ec-90 cranks but because I indulged in to much taco bell. I love these cranks I have had no problems and love the power transfer that it gives me. Bottom line they look cool and perform!
I’ve been loving these cranks for about the past 6 months, EXCEPT the past few weeks.
Got them in June 2009 to put on my ’08 Cannondale Optimo 1. They’d been doing just fine, but about 3 weeks or so ago began to exhibit play where the left arm joins the spindle. Very noticeable play. And it seems to be getting worse. Got my RMA number from Easton/Bell today, so we’ll see how good they are with replacements.
I am thinking to buy easton ec90 crank set, the bike shop I went to said that I would have to buy an easton B.B. and that other B.B. would not work. Is it because the axes is different or what ? and any more problem with the spindle.
Will this crank work with my Dura Ace 9-speed or is it for 10 only?
I have had it on my Dura-Ace 9speed and it works just fine. I have had it for about 1000 miles and I really like.