Mavic Launches Two (real) Carbon Clinchers

By Troy Templin

Mavic has secretly and patiently been working hard to solve one of the industry’s most common dilemmas. With so many (known and unknown) companies jumping on the carbon clincher band wagon, problems quickly arose as substandard designs hit the market with failures becoming far too common.

Knowing this, and wanting the safest and most reliable wheels, Mavic has taken their time and carried out countless hours of R&D and testing. This is nothing new for Mavic as they have been the industry’s leading wheel company for nearly 80 years (the French brand made the first aluminum rim back in 1934). Yet, in the last few years Mavic has been both championed and criticized  for being too conservative in their endeavors with carbon clinchers.

We were recently  invited to company headquarters in Annecy, France to preview two of their newest wheels, the Cosmic Pro Carbon SL C and Ksyrium Pro Carbon SL C. During a hands-on tour of their facilities, we had the opportunity to walk through each step of the new rim manufacturing process with the employees working on the production line. It was great to get direct feedback on how and why they chose each component of the rim. This was not without a bit of red tape as Mavic feels that they have made huge gains in the carbon clincher arena and want to keep some of it secret. While we were not allowed to have our phones or cameras inside the factory, we were allowed to fall back on our trusty notepads.

There was a lot going on and everyone was meticulously working to make sure that their portion of the wheel building process was perfect. I was surprised because it wasn’t a big assembly line that was just pushing carbon down a conveyor belt, instead it was small departments that worked together to produce one rim at a time. Not all the rims are made in their French facility, and like many other big-name Euro brands, Mavic too has discovered the cheaper labor and manufacturing costs  found in Romania. This is where Mavic maintains a facility that handles more of the mass production but with the same attention to detail and hand built precision that we saw in Annecy.

Both the Cosmic Pro Carbon SL C and Ksyrium Pro Carbon SL C are available for rim brake, in addition to a disc option that uses the same rim just without the patented laser braking surface. The Cosmic rim weighs in at 450 grams with the depth being 40mm and an outside width of 26mm and an internal width of 17mm. The Ksyrium version weighs in at 400 grams with a height of 26mm an outside width of 25mm and the same internal width of 17mm.

The rims come out of the molds needing no machining or modification–this is one of their key advantages because when you machine down or remove additional carbon after it’s been molded you cut the carbon fibers and compromise strength. Then instead of sanding down the rim brake versions or adding an abrasive material, Mavic has patented a laser treatment for the brake track that removes the excess resin from the surface. In conjunction with this treatment Mavic has also created a resin that can withstand temperatures of 200°C (392°F). With these combined technologies and innovations in carbon molding Mavic is confident that these rims will withstand all the demands of road riding.

Both the Cosmic Pro Carbon SL C and the Ksyrium Pro Carbon SL C come with Mavic’s instant drive 360 alloy hubs. While they are offering Shimano/SRAM 11 or Campy there is an option for XD-R driver too. The disc brake version offers compatibility with quick-releases and thru-axles (12mm and 15mm up front and 12×135 or 12×142 in the rear).

One thing that really caught our eye was the fact that they are using a bladed straight pull spoke which means no more special ordering expensive, hard to find, proprietary spokes. Almost any bike shop will now be able to get a disabled wheel back up and running much quicker. On the rim brake wheels you’ll find 18 spokes up front and 24 in the rear while the disc brake versions get 24 front and rear. All the wheels come with Mavic’s 25mm wide Yksion Pro Grip Link C tires in the front and Yksion Pro Power Link C in the rear.

The wheels were extremely well built and with as much time and attention to detail taken on each one, it was clear why. While they are not revolutionary in the profile or dimensions, they may have created a wheel that sets them apart when it comes to braking especially in wet conditions. A key component missing is that they are not tubeless compatible although after speaking to the techs it sounds like it is something they are working on but just wasn’t ready. The next thing is the internal profile is still on the conservative side measuring in at 17mm. While this is good for 23 or 25c tires, it’s on the narrow side for the bigger tire trend.

THE RIDE
The big focus for Mavic on the trip was having us ride the new wheels and feel the difference, instead of just giving us a list of stats and numbers while trying to convince us that their product is the best.  We spent over 145 miles and 17,600 feet of climbing on them in the stunning mountains surrounding Nice, France. First and foremost, the braking was consistent and strong with a distinct sound of the brake pads biting into the surface of the rim. Before we knew it we were racing down the mountains without worry or even a thought of concern about braking. I remember entering a few hairpin turns undistracted by the worry of not having the braking power, or the modulation, that I’ve experienced on other carbon wheels in the past. It was a refreshing and inspiring feeling knowing that I could have the same braking power and feel I was familiar with from aluminum with the advantages of a high quality carbon platform.

With all things considered these wheels were designed for rim brakes and it is clearly evident with the amount of time and technology put into the strength and consistency of the braking surface. With the purchase of ENVE a few weeks ago, Mavic may leave the wide profile technology and innovation to them or they may borrow a few things from their handbook, but only time will tell. Check back in the coming days for a complete First Ride Review.

Cosmic Pro Carbon SL C

• Price: $2199.90
• Set: 1450 grams
• Front: 645 grams
• Rear: 805 grams

Cosmic Pro Carbon SL C Disc

• Price: $2199.90
• Set: 1570 grams
• Front: 750 grams
• Rear: 820 grams

Ksyrium Pro Carbon SL C

• Price: $2199.90
• Set: 1390 grams
• Front: 615 grams
• Rear: 775 grams

Ksyrium Pro Carbon SL C Disc

• Price: $2199.90
• Set: 1520 grams
• Front: 725 grams
• Rear: 795 grams

For more info visit: Mavic