You have choices with the Easton EC90 SL Fork. Go straight bladed for an aero advantage, or curve it up to add some suppleness to your ride. Proven Easton CNT composite carbon fiber ensures you'll be rolling with one of lighter and more durable forks in the peloton.
Submitted by
Scott Ayler
a Recreational Rider
from
Date Reviewed: December 22, 2011
Strengths: Smooth high performance fork, no weight limits, great lines/shape, fantastic Easton warranty.
Weaknesses: Weight of 378 grams (differs from claim on Easton website of 349 grams). I am no Weight Weenie; performance and safety are of greater concerns.
Bottom Line:
Purchased this fork for my Cannondale Capo aluminum single-speed winter bike. This fork replaced the stock Slice fork to smooth the ride. Today, this fork is mounted on my Lynskey Fixie frame. I will no longer ride aluminum ... however, this fork compliments the Lynskey titanium frame without issues.
This fork has been ridden for thousands of miles. Never had any issue with performance or flex. Being a larger rider (260lbs., 5'9" with a muscular build), I have found it Clydesdale approved. No weight limits ... just pure performance.
I have purchased a second Easton EC90 SL fork to go on my Litespeed Archon Ti. This fork is THAT good.
One issue. Accordingly to Easton, this fork weighs 349 grams. Yeah right. Not close. It tips the scales at 378 grams without any hardware (ITT archor nut and screw). I suppose their figures may be after most people cut the fork to the desired length.
Others have mentioned that the overall finish is second rate. I have not found that to be true. This is a high performance fork that has an excellent 5 year warranty. The Easton EC90 SL fork is worthy to be on a $4000 titanium frame and any road bike that is made. It comes highly recommended.
Strengths: light weight (if that matters to you; most of us have more weight to lose on the rider than we'd save with this fork!).
amazingly smooth but stable ride compared to other forks i had on this same frame.
Weaknesses: poor quality control; fork ends were not parallel and unequal length; needed to be reworked by the builder.
fugly (if you care about such things); while the shape of the straght-bladed model is complimentary to the look of most high-end frames these days, if you aren't going to be painting it, this is one of the most repulsive sticker jobs in the industry. sadly, while the carbon technology is neat, the look of it itself isn't especially attractive.
Bottom Line:
i'm not a small guy at over 6'2" and 200+ lbs, and was a little hesitant to try a fork this light. i was convinced at the urging of my frame builder to try it when i found out that my builder is using it (allegedly with Eastons blessing) on his tandem! (i'm using the straight-blade version.)
while the fastening mechanism was less than ideal (i used a heavier FSA piece instead at the suggestion of a trusted mechanic and have had no problem with it), the ride compared to other forks i used on this same frame is remarkable in the way it smooths out road irregularities with no hint of the instability or dive that i felt with other forks on this same frame.
would happily give it a full 5 stars if mine had not been slightly imperfect.
Weaknesses: Transmits lots of road vibration, some steerer flex, no compressor plug or spacer as required by the instructions.
Bottom Line:
This review is for the 1" steerer version of this fork. I'm 6', 175# and ride a 59cm frame. Bear in mind that frame size, steerer diameter and rider weight will affect the feel of a fork significantly.
The original Look HSC that came with the frame is known for being very light but rather flexible. Mine always creaked as it flexed when climbing out of the saddle. After 10 years of use, I figured it was probably prudent to replace it. I was hoping for a fork that would provide a similarly smooth feel without the excessive flex, the elusive "stiff, yet compliant" holy grail of carbon fiber.
I should have known better.As the saying goes, "there's no such thing as a free lunch".
The Easton fork is well made and lighter than advertised (335 vs. 350 grams) as it comes out of the box. It came with the "beartrap" headset adjuster and press-in top cap, but no compressor plug, despite the fact that it's required according to the installation instructions. Easton also recommends a 10mm spacer on top of the stem, which is not included either.
Squeezing the fork's blades revealed a significant increase in stiffness compared to the HSC. My initial impression after installing it was that when putting pressure on the bars, it was at least as flexible in the steerer as the Look fork, if not more so. On the road, there was no apparent difference in that regard. The EC90SL is noticeably stiffer than the HSC when braking. Where the Look fork flexes visibly under braking, the Easton doesn't budge. This improves front brake feel and modulation considerably. There is also less lateral flex when out of the saddle and rocking the bike. It carves turns nicely and feels very solid overall. Plus, the annoying creak is gone!
The downside to this increased stiffness is a major increase in road buzz at the handlebars. Where the Look fork seemed to flow over rough pavement, the Easton fork bounces over it and seems to fight every ripple. Instead of absorbing pavement irregularities, it seems to be trying to flatten them. Although I can't say for sure, it actually feels slower on "chip & seal" surfaces as it buzzes over the gravel.
I'm going to put more miles on this fork before deciding whether the trade-offs are worth it. I definitely do like the handling and braking improvements, so if I can get used to the buzz, I'll stick with it. Otherwise, I'll move it to another more flexible frame that currently has a rather heavy and stiff Kestrel EMS fork with a threaded steel steerer.
Strengths: Light + comfy which makes it fast and confidence inspiring for me. My 1" model weighed in at 330 grams.
Weaknesses: bear trap which I didn't use.
Bottom Line:
I bought this to replace my old time equipe carbon fiber fork. I let it set in the box for a couple months because I was ascared, yes ascared, it was going to be stiffer than my old fork. I'm glad to say I was wrong. It isn't as stiff as my old fork, which is a good thing. It still corners nicely and sucks up bumps and buzz from the road. I really like the way it sticks to the road while cornering on rough stuff as opposed to some forks skipping across the road in the same situation. I have no idea how anybody can find this buzzy or twitchy, unless it's the wrong rake.
Similar Products Used: reynolds ozuo, giant cf, old time cf, bonty cf, Kestral ems + lots of steel and aluminium. But only a kestral and time on this frame.
Bike Setup: Clark Kent ti frame, EC90 fork, CK ahead, thompson stem, fsa wing pro compact bar, Campy record carbon seatpost, Selle smp glider saddle, ultegra group, ultegra hubs with mavic rims, and conti gp 4000 tires.
Strengths: Light, good damping, firm handling, high speed stability.
Weaknesses: It's the best for me and makes me want to go out and buy a BMC Pro Machine, Time Machine.
Bottom Line:
Bought this to replace a flexy fork. Now this fork follows me when I change bikes. I like the rake which makes it stable at high speed. Feels stiff and stable. It has a feel like the steel forks that I used to use, but absorbs the road vibrations while being very light at the same time. High speed descents and hard cornering handled well. Even out of the saddle sprints feel good. Using the straight-leg model.
So a bit of a choice to be made and would love the input.
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