Easton Havoc DH Wheels Review
As Easton said why make something strong, but brutally slow rolling, and incredibly heavy? It makes no sense. That's why Easton invested some time into their Havoc DH wheels to ensure they are providing the highest strength to weight ratio they could achieve. The final product? Well, it's a light weight, well thought out wheel that's strong, true, and hand built!
![photo]()
Hand built may not mean much to some of you, but some of you should respect the fact someone took the time to hand tension each single spoke to perfect tension. Why do we pay extra for bikes that are hand welded? Because someone took the time, and put in the effort to make a nice finished product, some machine didn't just buzz it out. Easton actually has quite a meticulous method of tensioning and truing their wheels. The worker that builds the wheel has high sensitivity headphones on, and the spokes are tensioned all to a correct "tone". This "tone" is produced a lot like a tuning fork, just the sound the spoke makes when it's struck with the correct weight and material. If all spokes have the same "tone", then the wheel is laced up to the correct rating, and ready for the field.
![photo]()
But before all this wheel building happens, Easton has to manufacture the parts for the wheel. Starting with Easton's 32mm wide Havoc hoop, they then use 28 single butted, straight pull spokes, to lace the 26 inch hoop up to the hub. These hubs are a masterpiece in their own. Both hubs feature double row bearings, on the rotor side for the front, and the driver side of the rear. This double row bearing setup increases the stiffness of that area of the hub by a fair amount, and ensures that the forces applied on that area do not effect the structural strength of the hub, or longevity of that component.
![photo]()
The front hub has removable 20mm adapters ensure you can run your Havoc wheels on either setup, QR or thru-axle. Internally Easton has a removable 9mm axle adapter, that can be changed over to a 20mm thru axle as well, so internal strength of the hub is not effected by this axle change.
![photo]()
The rear hub is equally well thought out. Double row bearings on the drive side ensure the new improved 7050 aluminum freehub body, along with the drive mechanisms last you a long time. All these bearings rotate on a new 7050 alloy tapered axle, which reduces flex significantly over past designs. Easton increased the width, and the diameter of the pawl carrier to improve torque capabilities as well. Both hubs feature a black anodized finish, with perma-graphics.
![photo]()
![photo]()
From my first ride on the Easton Havoc DH wheels I have been very pleased. They produced very little drag for a sealed bearing hub, and engagement was a non-issue. Changing out the adapters proved to be extremely easy, and they were securely in place when inside the wheel. Spacing on both hubs was to a tee with no drop out fit issues. I never ran into any issues when putting the Havoc DH wheels on, or taking them off my bike. Mounting tires on the 32mm Havoc Hoop proved to be very easy. The wider rim width adds to the rigidity of the overall wheel, but the rim is not overly tall. This makes for easy tire mounting, and tire removal, as the tire has a fair amount of space to play with.
![photo]()
One small issue that I did run into was tensioning spokes. As they are straight pull spokes they are not locked into place at all. Recently a spoke came loose and posed a fairly large issue for us, as it seemed impossible to tension. The spoke would simply spin. After checking in with the local shop, they informed me that "spokes only ever break at the bend, or the head, and as the Havoc DH Wheels are straight pull they should only break at the heads. So, grab some vice grips, don't clamp too hard, and simply tension the spoke." It made sense to us, we tried it, and it worked just fine.
We then thought we'd better run that theory past Easton for their take on the scenario and this is what they had to say:
“The shop is correct; a normal 2.0 straight gauge spoke the highest stress concentration is around the head or bend of the spoke which is were it will normally fail, this is assuming there are no other stress risers in the spoke (gouges or bends). However the Havoc DH uses a 2.4 – 2.0 single butted spoke so the diameter at the head is much larger than a normal spoke which greatly increased stiffness at the same time as strengthening the spoke. The head is no longer the stress riser, so if vice-grips are used and scar the spoke it will be the weakest spot on the spoke.
We recommend tools such as “twist resist” that will not scar the spoke. If you must use vice-grips I would suggest soft jaws to help protect the spoke. Depending on which spoke in the wheel you are working on (front, rear, DS / NDS) it can be easier or harder to hold the spoke. When truing the wheel it is very important to balance the tension on the spokes as well as making the wheel straight and round, this will ensure the wheel stays round after you ride it.”
![photo]()
We tested the Havoc DH wheels over a period of 4 months, through wet terrain, to dry terrain, to rocks, and roots. These wheels went through it all, and still roll to tell the truth. After 1 fairly large scale wooden landing case I managed to put a fair sized flat spot in the rear wheel, however, I feel it was not the wheel's fault in this situation, rather the rider's fault for going too slow. The wheel is still true, but has a flat spot. Unfortunately, no one has come up with a pain free way of removing flat spots. If a company could develop a method of doing this, they could clean up.
The Havoc DH wheelset weighs in at 2290.64 grams, and should run you about $1,210 MSRP in Canada. Easton is distributed in Canada by OGC, so they should be available through your local shop. If not, check out Easton's Site.
Hand built may not mean much to some of you, but some of you should respect the fact someone took the time to hand tension each single spoke to perfect tension. Why do we pay extra for bikes that are hand welded? Because someone took the time, and put in the effort to make a nice finished product, some machine didn't just buzz it out. Easton actually has quite a meticulous method of tensioning and truing their wheels. The worker that builds the wheel has high sensitivity headphones on, and the spokes are tensioned all to a correct "tone". This "tone" is produced a lot like a tuning fork, just the sound the spoke makes when it's struck with the correct weight and material. If all spokes have the same "tone", then the wheel is laced up to the correct rating, and ready for the field.
But before all this wheel building happens, Easton has to manufacture the parts for the wheel. Starting with Easton's 32mm wide Havoc hoop, they then use 28 single butted, straight pull spokes, to lace the 26 inch hoop up to the hub. These hubs are a masterpiece in their own. Both hubs feature double row bearings, on the rotor side for the front, and the driver side of the rear. This double row bearing setup increases the stiffness of that area of the hub by a fair amount, and ensures that the forces applied on that area do not effect the structural strength of the hub, or longevity of that component.
The front hub has removable 20mm adapters ensure you can run your Havoc wheels on either setup, QR or thru-axle. Internally Easton has a removable 9mm axle adapter, that can be changed over to a 20mm thru axle as well, so internal strength of the hub is not effected by this axle change.
The rear hub is equally well thought out. Double row bearings on the drive side ensure the new improved 7050 aluminum freehub body, along with the drive mechanisms last you a long time. All these bearings rotate on a new 7050 alloy tapered axle, which reduces flex significantly over past designs. Easton increased the width, and the diameter of the pawl carrier to improve torque capabilities as well. Both hubs feature a black anodized finish, with perma-graphics.
| Specifications | ||
| Release Date | 2009 | |
| Price | $799 | |
| Weight | 2290.64 g | |
| Color Options | Black | |
| Hub Dimensions | Front 20mm, Rear 150x12mm | |
| Wheel diameter | 26 | |
| Riding Genre | All mountain, freeriding and downhill | |
| Rim width | 28mm | |
| Spoke Count | 28 | |
From my first ride on the Easton Havoc DH wheels I have been very pleased. They produced very little drag for a sealed bearing hub, and engagement was a non-issue. Changing out the adapters proved to be extremely easy, and they were securely in place when inside the wheel. Spacing on both hubs was to a tee with no drop out fit issues. I never ran into any issues when putting the Havoc DH wheels on, or taking them off my bike. Mounting tires on the 32mm Havoc Hoop proved to be very easy. The wider rim width adds to the rigidity of the overall wheel, but the rim is not overly tall. This makes for easy tire mounting, and tire removal, as the tire has a fair amount of space to play with.
One small issue that I did run into was tensioning spokes. As they are straight pull spokes they are not locked into place at all. Recently a spoke came loose and posed a fairly large issue for us, as it seemed impossible to tension. The spoke would simply spin. After checking in with the local shop, they informed me that "spokes only ever break at the bend, or the head, and as the Havoc DH Wheels are straight pull they should only break at the heads. So, grab some vice grips, don't clamp too hard, and simply tension the spoke." It made sense to us, we tried it, and it worked just fine.
We then thought we'd better run that theory past Easton for their take on the scenario and this is what they had to say:
“The shop is correct; a normal 2.0 straight gauge spoke the highest stress concentration is around the head or bend of the spoke which is were it will normally fail, this is assuming there are no other stress risers in the spoke (gouges or bends). However the Havoc DH uses a 2.4 – 2.0 single butted spoke so the diameter at the head is much larger than a normal spoke which greatly increased stiffness at the same time as strengthening the spoke. The head is no longer the stress riser, so if vice-grips are used and scar the spoke it will be the weakest spot on the spoke.
We recommend tools such as “twist resist” that will not scar the spoke. If you must use vice-grips I would suggest soft jaws to help protect the spoke. Depending on which spoke in the wheel you are working on (front, rear, DS / NDS) it can be easier or harder to hold the spoke. When truing the wheel it is very important to balance the tension on the spokes as well as making the wheel straight and round, this will ensure the wheel stays round after you ride it.”
Non Locking Spokes
We tested the Havoc DH wheels over a period of 4 months, through wet terrain, to dry terrain, to rocks, and roots. These wheels went through it all, and still roll to tell the truth. After 1 fairly large scale wooden landing case I managed to put a fair sized flat spot in the rear wheel, however, I feel it was not the wheel's fault in this situation, rather the rider's fault for going too slow. The wheel is still true, but has a flat spot. Unfortunately, no one has come up with a pain free way of removing flat spots. If a company could develop a method of doing this, they could clean up.
The Havoc DH wheelset weighs in at 2290.64 grams, and should run you about $1,210 MSRP in Canada. Easton is distributed in Canada by OGC, so they should be available through your local shop. If not, check out Easton's Site.
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"crappy prebuilt wheels"? did you not read the article fully? maybe you should go back and look for the line that said they are "hand built"!!
any joey can be taught to "harminically true" a wheel in no time. it doesn't mean he's any good at it.
so you know that d-bag that thinks they know everything about everything and takes every opportunity to they can to try to prove someone wrong so they can feel better about themselves? i believe his name is bigtard...lets see how long it takes him to comment on this and say some impudent comment...
Also why is the price $799 at the top and $1200+ at the bottom? Canadians getting the shaft.
Not even close to the $400 it costs to get a set of Pro2s on your choice of rims.
you might be confused. I'm talking about the axle IN the hub, the one the bearings run on
not the thru axle bolt that comes with the frames.
Besides, have you ever seen a frames axle break? no, they don't
you can keep on believing what you want, but i will never buy these hubs or tell anyone to. because i'm serious. i've seen at least 8 this year.
why do you think they're so light?
plus the flat spot they've pinched into the head of the spoke is probably just as much a stress riser as the bent head that they've designed their stupid wheels to avoid.
just the truth
better than vice grips though maybe, thats a joke for sure
use normal wheels
The hub has no roller bearings, so it's not really that close to a hadley.
shiat.. before that every one was replacin their 9mm's weekly if not more.
does ANYONE use them?
NO. don't waste my time
And big tard, your still going with the "lets be hardcore attitude". Can't you just talk like a normal person and not be such a f*cking douche bag? Seriously, tone it down a notch.
you think its worth saving grams in the game of bmx (racing included) where weight doesn't matter, and making everything totally un compatible?
you're stupid, and i'm being a f*cking douchebag to you because of it.
someone has to speak up about the stupidity of it all. otherwise we'd all be a bunch of lame ass roadies. but then, you probably like wearing spandex (because you're gay) ha ha
and what about changing my age? are you gay, and on crack?
by the way does rffr, mean reefer. are you on drugs for real. drugs are not cool dude. no wonder you make no sense
Having a bigger diameter allows you to cut metal because it can handle more torsional stress. Again, do some research before you spew crap everywhere.
And didn't I tell you thirsty, people who call others gay are most likely gay themselves rather than the person they are calling gay being gay.
And no rffr doesn't mean reefer. Maybe its you that needs to stop smoking the reefer. O and btw, your language sucks for being "30". Didn't your mother ever wash your mouth out with soap?
and we all know the fastest guy in the olympics could have done it on a steel, normal race bmx without carbon forks, the problem is when it gets to the olympics the guys running it all might as well be a bunch of tour de france nerds. give it up
your so deep in being caught saying something dumb you'd say anything to dig your way out.
i've got an idea.
why don't you start making 20mm axle bmx hubs and see how many frame and fork makers, and cassette and freewheel makers start doing it
and don't worry, i understand why a bigger dimeter is stronger. thats not the point here though is it. the point is practicality.
but you're also not quite correct on the facts there either. something with a bigger diameter isn't necessarily lighter. but its strength to weight ratio is better. so if its all about gram crunching (whatever) then you might actually be ending up with a heavier axle by making the diameter bigger
and you know how i can tell you totally know what your talking about?
the tomac with shivers and profile bmx cranks gives it away
then really, for all intents its still a 3/8 axle right.
and they don't make them for the rear because theres no room to make them a cassette hub.
but if that guy started making frames that fit then we'd be rocking. he should totally do that, just revolutionize the whole world
i'd be worried about the durability of the driver bearings though eh?
btw i was kidding about that guy revolutionizing the world. he's still out to lunch
Look at my bmx bike. Its built to race. Sure I have heavier wheels, but none the less, its as light as it can be for how big tall I am.
And yes, almost in every instance, you can make bigger diameter lighter. Go take a physics class... you will learn all about that there.
bigger dia increases strength to weight ratio. more than actually making it lighter
the bigger the axles the weaker the freehub body bearings.
the comment about the tomac implies that for all your technical ramblings, you may not actually be on the cutting edge of it all, so why bother being so worried about it.
i'm just trying to balance the reality of it all here.
thats what its all about isn't it? reality
In the end, you need to step it down a notch big. All I did was make a comment and you just bash on me for it. Why don't you just stop commenting back to me and just find something better to do...
c'mon, survey 10 of your impartial acquaintances who know whats up and see if (considering all factors mind you) they think what you said is a good idea.
thats why
You have a bit of growing up to do. You also need to not jump at people for a simple comment or opinion. You sound like a flippen democrat.
now stop talking to me or I'll report you for all the crap you said.
And no, my idea wasn't stupid, it was an effing question. My god mate, are you really that big of a turd bag to lash out at people on the net like that? Something says you have very bad self esteem. Buzz off.
seriously, i've never changed my age. wtf anyways?
i'm all over "living my life on two wheels" whatever, i'll live it on two skiis till its summer again.
so what if i have the time to waste on pinkbike?
just making sure the stupid people know they're stupid.
it affects acceleration and braking and turning the handlebar. dirtjumping is about making trannys, nothing else
and considering dirtjumping is all about getting your bike tweaked in all sorts of ways. don't you think a light wheel would also be a benefit to that as well?
so stop telling people all sorts of weird non truths and i'll stop disputing everything you say
the fact remains that despite being a decent speller. you're still not offering any facts to the real point of the argument here.
if you were a little more open to being told you were wrong, such as i am. maybe you'd learn a little here. heavy wheels do not help you dirt jump.
i think that's what we were talking about right?
and really, dirt jumping is all about making trannys, there's no sense in arguing that. what happens when you don't make the tranny?
what happens when you go to far on the tranny?
c'mon, don't be stupid anymore
it doesn't have anything to do with clearing the jump or not, or your forward speed.
so if your wheels aren't turning your bike goes nowhere?
you are retarded right, we're not on the ground here, your in the air, if your wheels aren't turning it means the brakes got put on. what are they gonna stop against?
are you saying that if you put your brakes on in the air, you're gonna fall out of the sky?
try it, film it. i want to see you stop dead in the air because you put your brakes on.
you're still in high school school right? why don't you ask your physics teacher.
he's paid to tell you you're stupid, but in a nice way
The only thing i can think is that you figure, that a heavy wheel is faster because when you land the amount the wheel has slowed down in the air needs to get re-accelerated up to the speed the bike is going?
is that it?
the difference a heavier wheel could make versus a lighter one in that scenario. is so minuscule it isn't even worth considering.
The point we're arguing here (and one any engineer would agree to ) is that the gyroscope effect of the wheel does not help you clear jumps.
and a good dirt jumper would rather have a nimble wheel, than a heavy one. if you can't see that you are blind stupid.
really, ask an engineer
have you asked any other smart people if they agree with you or are you just runnin with this stupid idea you have in your head.
buddy i've been in this biking thing from so many angles you can't possibly imagine how off base you are
i shit on people for saying stupid things and i shit on product because they're crap.
i don't have time for shit products or stupid ideas. but i do have time to tell people about it.
if you knew me you wouldn't argue
did you ever consider that at 17 you don't know what the hell is going on?
your head is so full of shit you can't even consider logic
just quit being stupid. as f*cking hilarious as it is.
what you said is RETARDED.
your 17 years old, you think you know whats up. you don't. your stupid
and whats this i'm lying about my age? what the f*ck does that mean?
by the way a hypocrit is somebody who says one thing and does another. thats not me
ask somebody, anybody, about dirt jump wheels.provided they're not a retarded 17 year old like you.
if you were right don't you think all the good dirtjumpers would be using heavy wheels?
they don't though do they?
and in answer to your question yes PRO dirty jumpers use slightly heavy wheels, SAM PILGRIM USES HALO SAS, if you need more evidence that your wrong than that you will end up in a mental home very soon, i cant see you doing very well in a job telling everyone they are wrong and swearing all the time but good luck you gonna really really need it . . .
do you think sam pilgrim really gives a shit about the wheels he runs?
he runs whatever friggin wheels his sponsors give him. you know why? because anyone who can actually dirt jump doesn't give a crap what he runs because the wheels are the last thing that matters for getting it done. its only retards like you who actually care about this crap. you and rffr.
and second off. what would lying about my age do for me? seriously?
you're stupid. but don't worry. as long as nobody kills you for being retarded( as your parents should have) then you may be smart enough to survive in the future. if you're lucky
your arguing with me becasue you like arguing and insulting people coz you a sad loner with nothing better to do. FACT!
Having more then 28 spokes would probably prevent most flat spots
Whatever you've got, assuming it's properly built and maintained, if you hit it harder than the rim material's structural limit, it'll flat. If increasing the number of spokes decreased the occurrence of flat spots we'd all be rolling about on really light rims laced up 48. And having less holes in a piece of material means fewer weak spots in that material.
the wheel is actually supported by the spokes from the rim to the top of the wheel.
so the hub is actually hanging by the top of the rim, and the spokes should actually be considered cables, in engineering terms because they're under tension.
a flat spot that is more than just a sidewall dent, will be related to the whole rim being held under tension by the cables. as long as they're all tight. the more cables you've got holding the rim around the hub. WILL resist the flat spotting.
I mean this is pointless to debate.
its like saying when you go bungee jumping that you'd be just as safe on one cable as on two of the same gauge.
Crazy isn't it. you wouldn't say that would you, that'd be crazy, and people would think you were crazy for saying it.
so lets not argue about it further.
you're right about the more holes= less weak spots. but thats not as important a factor.
you keep your wheels clean?
how do you do that, wrap them in plastic on rainy days?
they are a nightmare compared to a normal wheel
i'm not talking about the rim getting bent or dented. any wheel does that.
I'm talking about the stupid spokes and the nipples that just don't make true'ing and tensioning any fun.
plus every one i've seen regardless of maintenance, has cracking freehub problems, or freehub drag.
maybe silverstar just isn't that rough on your wheels?