Totally agree that the engine is the most important point. I asked the question here because there seems to be such a diversity of opinions with these Mavic wheels. Some people have already reported how much they like them and that they seem to be fine with them. Others talk about the high price and poor test data relative to other wheels on the market.
If I’m looking for sturdy, reliable wheels that I can use for multiple purposes on the road, they seem to be a good choice…
I have an old (2003) Carbone on my road/training bike. It’s a well built, aero wheel (and my fallback for super windy races where the J9 is too much). Lots of miles on it and still perfectly true.
What about Spinergy Stealth PBO wheels? They are half the price +/_ - several dealers, new on E-Bay.
The problem is the fat, round PBO spokes kill the aeroness of the wheel. The spokes may save a few grams, but they are out of place on a TT wheel.
have you seen the youtube video where they take a rubber mallet to a cosmic carbone? I hear they are very durable.
if these video’s are true, then I guess it’s a pretty durable wheel. 
part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BPEgDarOX0
part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t--bvVVVISo&feature=related
part 3:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzyYMePLYPY&feature=related
part 4:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tGOi5saJuU&feature=related
part 5:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BFv-AhhqX4&feature=related
I got a pair of Mavic Carbone SLR’s off of Bonktown earlier this year for $999, and can’t complain one bit about them. Although my buddy pulled out his Zipp 404 tubbie this weekend and we compared wheels, and well they were a bit heavier, but they are lighter than the FP60’s I had. I have about 1,000 miles on the wheels and haven’t had any problems. Used them for the Tour de Korea and they are now on my tri bike and will possibly be using them in Kona. If you can get a good deal on them I would say jump on it, the only thing I am leary of is the carbon spokes. They have been solid so far though.
its great that they are durable problem free wheels, but you can get durable problem free wheels for REALLY cheap =)
.
Jack,
Any aero data on the Mavics If it makes you feel any better my durable problem free wheels do have Latex Tubes and Vittoria Open Corsa Evo CX, so that has to make them fast
.
yeah, the only one I can recall is in this thread, and it is a lot worse than I expected
but maybe it is because of the carbon spokes that the SLR model has. perhaps the normal spoke ones are better? don’t know
Jack,
Any aero data on the Mavics If it makes you feel any better my durable problem free wheels do have Latex Tubes and Vittoria Open Corsa Evo CX, so that has to make them fast
yeah, the only one I can recall is in this thread, and it is a lot worse than I expected
but maybe it is because of the carbon spokes that the SLR model has. perhaps the normal spoke ones are better? don’t know
Although the carbon spokes probably don’t help much, I wouldn’t expect them to make a huge difference as compared to “normal” spokes…
Alex,
I have a pair with > 20k on them. Bulletproof. I weigh 178.
Albert
When these debates come up I always go back to the year Simon Lessing whooped everybody’s ass at IMLP on an aluminum Cervelo Soloist (now S1) set up in the road position with STI shifters, clip on aerobars and mavic cosmic carbones. Then I think…well…hmmmm…they didn’t slow him down too much and I’m certainly NOT capable of coming remotely close to his speed. It was at that point that I realized what is sitting ON the bike is much more important than the actual bike.
You can’t say that on ST, as everyone knows that with todays new super bikes the legs don’t matter as much as they used too
if these video’s are true, then I guess it’s a pretty durable wheel.
part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BPEgDarOX0
part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/...&feature=related
part 3:
http://www.youtube.com/...&feature=related
part 4:
http://www.youtube.com/...&feature=related
part 5:
http://www.youtube.com/...&feature=related
That is the Carbone Ultimate, which is an all carbon tubular. It is a different wheel to the one being talked about.
I really liked my 101’s(even as race wheels) until I saw this. Oh well, now I NEED the FC’s!
the mavic carbones are fine race wheels, much like the hed jet 6 or zipp 404.
Ummm…actually, not so much.
The Tour magazine testing earlier in the year had them getting beat out by Zipp 101s (especially above 10d of yaw)…but, to be fair, that might say more about the 101s than the Carbones (however it REALLY gets beat by the FC 404 in that test)
The Roues Artisanales test in 2008 used a weighted average over the yaw angles, showed the Mavics to be one of the better wheels,
http://www.rouesartisanales.com/article-15505311.html
but there’s been a lot of wind through the tunnel since then and the Mavic design hasn’t changed…
I got one early this year to replace a Zipp 440 the baggage handlers destroyed, so far my impression is it’s slower than the 440. Zipp Tangente 21mm tubular on the Zipp, Bontrager Aero with latex tube on the Mavic. I haven’t done any specific testing though, need to work on that…
We just got a set for my fiancee and her first ironman to use on her P2C. I chose them because I got a good deal, history of being reliable (bombproof), and could not justify spending three times the price for marginal increases in performance. Will she tell the difference between it and a Zipp 404, maybe but not likely. She is more worried about crosswinds, handling, and reliability. Saving 4-10 minutes over the course was not worth the extra money at this time. Maybe in the future. Wheelbuilder disc would greatly help.
As for performance, no complaints so far but not many rides. They are stiff, seem plenty fast compared to her trainers, and roll nicely with Conti 4000s. Going for a century ride this weekend so we will see how well they really work.
Hi all,
I’ve been following the weight weenies forum for a while, but I’ve never posted here.
Just now getting started -
If I can answer any questions, please don’t hesitate to PM. Probably the most reliable way to find me.
CC SLR/SR clinchers are not the lightest and not the fastest on paper, but they do roll nicely and they’re super durable.
They offer moderate depth, LOTS of stiffness, and clincher convenience with a predictable aluminum brake track.
The CC 80 you’ve seen on some race bikes (Tim O’Donnell, Garmin-Cervelo, Liquigas-Cannondale) is back to the lineup this year, in stores now.
Again, not the lightest and maybe not the absolute fastest on paper, but super solid, good braking, good hub quality.
Build quality, durability, serviceability and stiffness are Mavic characteristics. Of course not everyone has a perfect experience but that’s what the company aims for. If you’ve had a bad experience or need help, start with your dealer. (we’re really pushing to get our dealers trained and stocked). Or, PM me and I’ll try to point you in a direction.
Thanks for your interest in Mavic.
I have been riding Mavics since I got into cycling four years ago starting with a pair of Ksyrium Elite, then a set of Cosmic Carbone Ultimates, then a set of Cosmic Carbone SL with PowerTap. All of them have been absolutely maintenance and problem free and as I have progressed from one set to another, each set I rode 100% of the time. I don’t believe in having ‘race day’ wheels and ‘training wheels’. I put them on my bike and I ride them. For that reason, I stuck with Mavic.
I bought the Ultimates before I wanted a PT and switched to the CC SL because you can’t lace a PT into the Ultimates due to their design. I loved riding the Ultimates because the ride quality with the tubies was so nice. I ride on a lot of fairly crappy roads and I have never had a single problem with any Mavic wheel I have owned, even though people warned me about riding the carbon spoked Ultimates daily. When I decided to get a PT, I figured that it would be best to have some sort of metal rim and metal spokes since I knew I would be riding them daily and I didn’t think you could get carbon spokes and a PT anyway. That’s how I ended up with CC SLs. Regardless of the test data, I find that I have no trouble ‘out coasting’ just about all of the roadies on my rides going downhill and some of them have aero wheels, some don’t. Just a strictly anecdotal observation, and I should add, I weigh only 148 lbs. On one ride, another guy in our group showed up with a new set of Zipp 303s that had ceramic bearings. He and I decided to do a couple of unscientific coasting tests since we are pretty close to the same size. He’s about 10 lbs. heavier and, yea, I know we couldn’t correct for whatever cd differences there are, but the tests were a draw. So, I look at the test results posted in this thread and it makes me wonder, they don’t seem to be THAT slow to me.
All in all, every set of Mavics that I have had have been bombproof to this 148 lbs. rider using them everyday on moderately crappy roads. Sooner or later I am going to sell the Ultimates since I am not using them anymore. Right now, I just hate to let them go! I think they are up to around $3,600 for a pair now.
FWIW,
Greg
Zack, is the CC80 rear available separately? Also, does it work with an 80mm tube? My fiancee does not want to mess with valve extenders. This limits us to something in the 60-70 range but I would like deeper. Thanks.
Little known fact: almost all Mavic wheels can be purchased separately front/rear. Just ask your dealer to order that way for you.
Regarding valve length, the rim depth is 80mm so you’ll want a 100mm valve to get enough protrusion past the rim.
There are several options:
Problem Solvers makes presta valve extenders that thread into removable-core valves.
You remove the valve’s presta core, thread the extender into the tube’s valve, and then thread the presta valve core back in to the end of the extender. It’s pretty slick and allows access to the actual presta valve. The Mavic Griplink/Powerlink tubulars that come with CC80 have removable cores, so you could do this.Problem Solvers is a QBP (distributor) house brand, so your bike shop can order for you.Not that I suggest tubular tires other than Mavic’s own , but some Vittoria tubulars actually have removable valves. Just unthread the original 40mm valve, and thread on one of their 60 or 100mm valves, sold separately.I hope that helps! happy riding - zack