Mavic Ksyrium ES (Edition Speciale):
These wheels are eye candy!! They look sharp, will stand out in any crowd, and make any bike ‘pop’!! The red hubs with the single red spoke are a nice combination of being flashy without being too much. I personally would like to see a set with ALL red spokes.
Performance of these wheels is identical to the Mavic SLs. The reason for that is because for all practical purposes, they are SLs with a little bit more color and some carbon here and there. Catalogs ‘say’ there is a few grams difference, but I haven’t noticed much. The only real difference is in the cassette ratcheting system. When freewheeling/coasting, the rear hub makes no noise… it’s silent!! In the shop I didn’t think this was all that big of a deal (and when it comes to performance, it still isn’t), but out on the road, it’s something I haven’t experienced before. The only thing I hear while riding is the ‘Hmmmmmmmmmm’ of the tires on the road. Descending is a unique experience without the rat-tat-tat-tat-tat of the cassette hub chattering away. It’s an experience a person has to have first-hand to understand what I’m talking about.
Over all, nice wheels, proven Ksyrium performance, and silent rear hub. You’ll pay a little more for the ‘flash’.
http://gallery.roadbikereview.com/showphoto.php?photo=1232&password=&sort=1&cat=504&page=1
http://gallery.roadbikereview.com/showphoto.php?photo=1233&password=&sort=1&cat=504&page=1
JBergland