Easton XC Two Disc Wheelset Review
The Easton XC Two Disc wheelset is one of a few mountain bike wheels offered by Easton, which is better known for its road wheels. The XC Two is the slightly heavier and more affordable version of the two cross country wheels that Easton offers. Weighing in at 1890 grams and costing around $450, we were keen to put this mid-priced wheelset through its paces.
Wheelset Specs
Like all Easton wheels, the Easton XC Two is hand built, and designed to withstand the best and the worst the trail can throw at it. Easton employs full time test engineer staff to make sure that they can anticipate the kind of abuse a mountain bike wheel will have to withstand, build a wheel, and then test it abusively to make sure that it is tough enough. While the XC Two, at 1890 grams, is not the lightest cross country wheel set out there, it would be good value if it is strong and reliable.
XC Two Ride Test
Our tests were conducted in varying trail conditions, from flowing single track, to double track climbs, and some fairly technical steep descents. On the singletrack, the SX Two performed reasonably well. They rolled nicely on Easton’s XC2 Disc Hubs, and absorbed roots, rocks and drop offs without any difficulty or undue flex. The XC2 hubs are straight pull and are built around sealed cartridge bearings for enhanced durability. On the climb, again, the XC2 was a solid performer without being inspirational, although you might expect that from a wheelset, which for cross country use is not very light.
On the descent, the XC2 again was a solid performer, dealing with some pretty rough terrain. Drops off and even jumps proved no difficulty to the XC2. But will they keep on handling tough terrain? Whether or not these wheels remained true would be a good guide to durability, and we am happy to say that they remained true throughout our test. In fact, they didn’t need truing after a month of rough riding which is a good sign indeed.
Conclusion
All in all, the XC Two is a good wheelset for the money. It is a little on the heavy side, but it is a solid performer, and highly durable, which is really all you can ask at this price point. The wheels are not UST (tubeless) ready, although they can be converted to a tubeless set up using a Stan’s kit.
