Submitted by
GM$
a Weekend Warrior
from boulder co Date Reviewed: September 12, 2009
Favorite Trail:
brainard
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$650.00
Strengths:
Strong wheel set that stays true.
Weaknesses:
Terrible hubs. The cups that hold the bearings in place have been backing off on their own even several times a ride. This leave the wheels with lots of side to side play. The crappy plastic tool that comes with the wheels breaks on a single use when tightening the hubs. Sweet product testing Mavic. Freeride Wheels? Not even close. Learn from my mistake. Avoid these wheels. Learn from the mistakes of the guys I ride with - avoid Mavic all together.
Bike Setup:
Giant Reign 0
Bottom Line:
*AVOID*
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
dswindler
a Cross Country Rider
from Boise, ID Date Reviewed: August 29, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Loon Lake
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$750.00
Purchased At:
Bobs Bicycles
Strengths:
I ride rather aggressively and the wheels stay true and hold up well to abuse. They are lightweight and work great with a tubeless setup. Having the 20mm thru-axle on the front is also a great feature. I haven't had to replace any spokes yet.
Weaknesses:
I regularly maintain the freehub body. A little over a month ago, a pawl shattered in the body and locked up the freewheel. I was 15 miles out in the boonies so it was a long return trip without a chain. My LBS tried to fix it but the body was too buggered up. They sent it in to Mavic and it's been over a month now and they still haven't looked at it. I haven't been very impressed with Mavic's service. Looking at other reviews, it seems like several other people have seen this same issue.
Similar Products Used:
Mavic Crossmax
Bike Setup:
Giant Reign 0, Fox Talas 36, SRAM Components
Bottom Line:
This wheelset stands up well to abuse, but the hub is cheap and prone to breaking at inopportune times.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
runawaymachine
a Weekend Warrior
from Wellington, NV, USA Date Reviewed: August 26, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Pony Express
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At:
Competitive Cyclist
Strengths:
Strong Wheels! I love how fore drilling eliminates the need for rim strips and makes the rim/spoke connection stronger. Great all arounder.
Weaknesses:
Special spoke wrench...Boo Hoo.
Similar Products Used:
King/DT/819.
Bike Setup:
El Guapo w/Lyrik Solo, X9, Holzfeller.
Bottom Line:
Strong, stiff, and fast rolling. If you can perform 10 minutes worth of simple freehub maintainance every 1000 miles then no problem. If the 09's are lighter and more durable then great, but those white hubs are too trendy for me.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Element 22
a Weekend Warrior
from North York ON Canada Date Reviewed: August 4, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Buckwallow
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
LBS
Strengths:
2009 version now has a new hub and is 160 grams lighter this year. Both Front and rear hubs have the QRM which allows you to adjust the play in the bearings with a special tool provided.Super tough rim and Zircal spokes. New graphics and White hubs make these stand out.
Weaknesses:
None these wheels work great.
Similar Products Used:
Tried the Easton Havocs, Sun Ringle STR8Track, Mavic Crossline.
Bike Setup:
Fox 2010 TALAS RC2 160mm up front with a ISX-6 rear shock at back with 150mm travel. The bike is a 2008 Opus Maadh limited edition. Shifting is all complements of Sram X9 and the power travels through a RaceFace Atlas crank. Tires are Eskar S-works. Steering is through Raceface NextSL and Deus and the chicken switches are from Hayes using Stroker Aces.
Bottom Line:
Bottom Line this wheelset is tough and can take hits. I personally love the fact that these wheels are lighter than most XC wheelsets out there. The instant power transfer from the new rear cassette body is a welcome change over previous models that Mavic had out. If I had to get another set I would get another set of these for sure. For someone who is looking on getting a set get the 09 model. I would say anyone who is doing anything less that say 12 foot drops and so on these would do it. Now if your bashing these really hard on knarly rocky terrain I cannot say these will hold up..I guess the DeeMax are for that.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
trailbike
a Weekend Warrior
from Demver, CO Date Reviewed: May 27, 2009
Favorite Trail:
The one that never ends...
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At:
performance
Strengths:
Strong and Lightweight
Weaknesses:
Hub cracked after 1 year of riding and cassette body is fried. $185 to fix.
Bike Setup:
El Nomad
Bottom Line:
Nice looking wheels but hub is unreliable for the price.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jetrenkel
a Cross Country Rider
from Monmouth, OR Date Reviewed: April 26, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Black Rock
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
buddy
Strengths:
How is it that these are so strong and yet so light?
Weaknesses:
Proprietary spokes, low spoke count, built by the French, low weight concerns me when preparing for landing
Similar Products Used:
hand built what not
Bike Setup:
Yeti ASX
Bottom Line:
These came on a bike I bought from a friend and they were initially my least favorite part of the deal. In fact I spent many rides just trying to ride them into the ground to have an excuse to build up some wheels of my own, but even after the punishment they are strong and true. I want to hate these wheels, but as far as performance they refuse to give me a reason. I do have some fairly strong words for the French, proprietary anything, and the whole idea of light is better. I guess I'm sold. A wheel can be both light and more than strong enough for a 230 lb. free rider. For now...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
bammbamm1961
a Weekend Warrior
from Newport Beach Date Reviewed: March 17, 2009
Favorite Trail:
Tsali
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$300.00
Strengths:
Good ride
Weaknesses:
Spokes - don't darn break a Mavic Spoke on this system. The use a type of spoke that they will no longer support..Unless that is you want to buy 12 of them at a time, in each size.....at $6.00 each. A call to Mavic will not help, they are stubborn about not selling direct or sending replacement products on warrenty, so once again if you break a spoke your out nearly $100 bucks in repair cost. Unless you are lucky enough to find a shop that has some - I am in LA, so you can imagine that I should have been able to locate one - no such luck
Similar Products Used:
None
Bike Setup:
Full Susp
Bottom Line:
DON'T - Stay with a wheel system that uses parts that are readily available or maybe one day the knuckleheads at Mavic will open up the door for "warrenty" type sales to prop up their propriatary designs.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
norcosam
a Downhiller
from Date Reviewed: March 13, 2009
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Bike shop
Strengths:
Weight.Good hub pickup.Looks
Weaknesses:
Price is quite high in the uk
Similar Products Used:
I9
Bike Setup:
Turner 08 spot.Revelation 20mm maxle light
Bottom Line:
Sweet wheels.Best looking wheelset out there
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
jimarin
a Downhiller
from NJ Date Reviewed: December 6, 2008
WHY????? Why did I ignore all the reviews and post that said the rear hub was crap??? I had these wheels for just over a month when the freehub body exploded. My back wheel locked up and I spent the rest of the day dragging my bike back to the trailhead. I went home and opened it up. One of the pawls shattered and were the pawl sits there was a huge hole. Mavic repaced it under warranty. As soon as I got the replacement I sold the wheelset at a $200+ loss. I Took my old hope hubs (my hope xc is 5 years old and i still runnung strong) and sent them to notubes to be laced to their flow rims. I have had 0 problems with that setup, plus its 100 grams lighter that the crosmaxx. The 09's redesigned hub looks way better, but I wouldnt get 08 or older, even on sale.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
rx_7addict
a Weekend Warrior
from redlands, ca Date Reviewed: August 4, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Marshall canyon
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Bottom Line:
Looks like I'm going to eat my words. The rear hub crapped out after three months. THREE MONTHS. Not too happy about it. The dealer seems pretty understanding. Hopefully they will follow through with the warranty. Other than reliability they have been a great wheelset.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
wesley32
a Downhiller
from Unionville CT Date Reviewed: July 17, 2008
Favorite Trail:
nepaug
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$1100.00
Purchased At:
with a fork-manitou
Strengths:
incredibly light, strong and durable. Im a heavy rider and (215lbs) and have never had an issue with the wheelset.
Weaknesses:
expensive
Similar Products Used:
various alex rims and wtb wheel sets
Bike Setup:
giant reign 3
Bottom Line:
I was immediately impressed with these wheels, with all of the upgrades on my bike this one has given the most changes. anyone who has issues with the hub, i have never experienced those issues. also being heavy and not that good i slam this wheels into countless rocks and logs every ride. and still have never needed to be trued. all in all, a very good wheelset and would highly recommend them to anyone thinking about getting a set.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ben
a Weekend Warrior
from redlands, ca, usa Date Reviewed: May 23, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Grape road
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
Inherently tubeless rims, lightweight, easy to service, well priced (for me at least)
Weaknesses:
Not sure how they compare but they dont seem as stiff as everyone has been saying.
Similar Products Used:
Cane Creek Duros
Bike Setup:
06 Fuji Thrill 1.0
Bottom Line:
Slightly lighter than the Cane creeks i've been using and far less rigid with side to side force. seems like they are plenty stiff when accelerating and braking. Those who rag on the rear hub I have one question. How often do you have the hub servicedd correctly?
I will update when I put more miles on them
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
skyboy
a
from bury Date Reviewed: May 3, 2008
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$800.00
Strengths:
v.strong wheelset and reliable so far.Got one or two bent spokes but holding up ok.Not had a puncture yet,why doesn't everybody go tubeless?Why isn't there more choice of ust tyres.
Weaknesses:
none so far
Bike Setup:
heckler,king,hope,fox
Bottom Line:
Ridden through uk winter 3 times a week and no problems so far,strong and reliable.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Grant
a Weekend Warrior
from Sydney, Australia Date Reviewed: March 21, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Menai, Sparrow Hill
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Purchased At:
Phantom Cycles
Strengths:
Light weight for what they are intended for, stiff, UST
Great wheelset except for the rear hub bearings. The wheels have stayed true so far and being able to run UST tyres is excellent. They are a great looking wheelset too but the rear hub bearings develop play fairly quickly. I'm almost up for a second set within about a year.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Terry Deeble
a Racer
from Boise Date Reviewed: March 15, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Dry Creek
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
They came with my bike : )
Strengths:
They are fairly light for freeride purposes and real stiff.
Weaknesses:
None so far.
Similar Products Used:
Mavic 517's laced with DT Swiss spokes to WTB Laser Disc Lite Hubs
Bike Setup:
Giant Reign XO with Rock Shox Totem 2 Step fork, and Hayes DH brakes. Everything else is stock except the wheels and tires.
Bottom Line:
These wheels just rip. They let you have the ability to climb but really shine going down. I can point my bike where I want and it just holds that line. I am running Continental Diesel Pros and this wheel/tire set up is ideal for me. I am 175 lbs. so I'm not real light but not real heavy either. The bottom line is they work great for me.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Steven
a Downhiller
from Winsoton Salem Date Reviewed: January 29, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Fruita Colorado
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$500.00
Purchased At:
Cycle Therapy
Strengths:
Excellent strength to weight ratio. MP3 Warranty. 20mm and qr front capability.
These wheels are extremly sweet. They held up to a season of hard downhill. At the end of the season, I sent it back to Mavic and they honmored their warranty and sent me a new wheel is a respectable time. I reccomend these wheels to someone who is looking for a light weight, versitile, strong wheelset.
As for the price, you get what you pay for...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Seraph
a Downhiller
from Mill Valley, CA Date Reviewed: January 29, 2008
Favorite Trail:
Nora/Matt Davis
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Price Paid:
$400.00
Purchased At:
Mavic
Strengths:
Everything. Light, strong, fast, easy to work on. I've never had to true my wheels. As long as you maintain your freehub body, you will not have any issues.
Weaknesses:
None.
Similar Products Used:
Mavic DeeMax, Sun Ringle Singletrack wheels, DT Swiss EX 6.1d rims, Sun Ringle Singlewide wheels.
The bottom line is that these are the nicest wheels I've ever ridden, this coming from a guy who has had over 15 bikes in the past 8 years with nothing short of the most expensive and high-end wheels available throughout the years. My last wheelset, Chris King ISO hubs on DT Swiss EX6.1d rims, were flimsy compared to the Mavics. The SX wheels are the perfect blend between light weight and strength that the freeride/all mountain crowd has been waiting for. A perfect successor to the Crossmax XL throne. Just as a note: anyone complaining about a blown up freehub body has made an error by not servicing their hubs more often. I'm certified in the maintaining and servicing of Mavic wheels, I work at an authorized Mavic dealer, and by taking care of my hubs, they have worked flawlessly since I bought them. If I had more than one mountain bike, I'd have two pairs.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
CAPN'CRUNK
a Weekend Warrior
from Albuquerque Date Reviewed: November 11, 2007
Favorite Trail:
It's a secret...
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$700.00
Purchased At:
Fat Tire
Strengths:
Very Stiff, roll extremely well (if for only a short while), stealth.
Weaknesses:
Free hub is a big let down. I have had to send the rear wheel in twice. I broke the axel once and then the free hub. Deemed as an extreme wheelset these are pitiful.
Similar Products Used:
DT, Hadley, Shimano, King, etc.
Bike Setup:
Nomad, Talas 36 RC2, DHX 5.0 Air, Race Face Atlas crankset, Thomson seat and stem, Juicy 7, SRAM X9, and so on.
Bottom Line:
For nearly $800 dollars MSRP, you should expect the world from a wheelset. These are entended for heavy use and I am by no means abusing these wheels. They have been nothing but a real dissapointment. I cannot believe they use a bushing in the free hub assembly. Come on Mavic, throw me a freakin' cartridge bearing. DO NOT BUY THIS WHEELSET. Have a custom set built up with Industry Nines, DT's, or something of the like. I do like some Mavic rims, but they have a great deal of room for imporvement in regards to their hubs. BOOO!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
scot westwood
a Downhiller
from merseyside Date Reviewed: September 7, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Penmancho
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$800.00
Purchased At:
Formby cycles
Strengths:
Weight is minimal, pretty good lookking
Weaknesses:
Price is a rip off, try getting them sourced in this country takes a lot of searching, If you're a little havy the rims tend to fold.
Similar Products Used:
Halo sas, ex 729
Bike Setup:
Sram xo rear mech, Xtr front mech, Dhx 5 air, Fox 36 Rc2 fork,( Norco Six Se)
Bottom Line:
These rims won't last get a wider rim if you a fatty. Sas Halo in white.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jonathan Arms
a Weekend Warrior
from Berkeley Date Reviewed: June 19, 2007
Favorite Trail:
More Fun
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$750.00
Purchased At:
Universal Cyces
Strengths:
Strong, stiff, cool-looking rim that is relatively light and stays true.
Weaknesses:
Freehub design is not fixed and very mediocre customer support.
Similar Products Used:
Mavic Crossmax XLs, DT Swiss 5.1 with Industry Nine.
Bike Setup:
Santa Cruz Nomad, Fox TALAS 36 forks, Fox DHX 5.0 Air, Industry Nine hubs & spokes with DT Swiss 5.1, Brooks saddle, XT cranks, Chris King heaset, Juicy Sevens brakes, SRAM XO trigger shifters and derailleur, GravityDropper, Gravity carbon bar, Thomson stem
Bottom Line:
Even though I was reluctant to purchase another set of Mavic wheels after my previous experience with my Crossmax XLs, I naively went ahead and did it believing that the freehub issue had been solved. On my FOURTH ride on a steep uphill section my freehub seized up -- busted pawl. Mavic was quick to fix my rim but it was a hassle.
It is too bad because I love Mavic rims (stiff and strong) but their freehubs suck. My current DT Swiss 5.1 rims (I-9 spokes and hubs) need constant truing but I'd way rather have to true a rim than deal with a busted freehub.
My complaint regarding Mavic’s customer support originated when I was having freehub issues with my XLs. Mavic’s MP3 warranty does not cover the freehub issue that all of my friends and I were experiencing. (This has been well documented on MTBR.) Moreover, Mavic can be quite slow on some repairs – a friend of mine dented his XL and it took Mavic close to 6 weeks to fix it.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Jeremy
a Weekend Warrior
from UK Date Reviewed: June 18, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$900.00
Purchased At:
Dysons Cycles
Strengths:
Great looking, lightweight and so far seem to be super tough.
Weaknesses:
Cost, nothing else so far
Bike Setup:
Intense 6.6, Evolver ISX-6, Fox Van 36 R's, Maxxis High Roller 2.35 UST
Bottom Line:
I've been really impressed with these wheels. So far they have proved to be really really strong. After a week riding in the Sierra Nevada mountains in spain they still seem to be holding together well, although I managed to put a slight bend in a rear wheel spoke coming off (the one with crossmax written on it of course) which I'm guessing is going to be expensive (I'll update when I get the price).
Running tubeless tyres really brings out the best in these wheels and I'd definately recommend it if you buy a set. I started with Maxxis Ignitor 2.35 UST's front and back but switched to a High Roller 2.35 UST front to get extra grip in the corners. Fantastic setup.
Definately recommended if you can stomach the price.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Brian Welch
a Weekend Warrior
from Fresno, CA Date Reviewed: June 4, 2007
These wheels are confidence inspiring. The MP3 plan makes it easier to not worry about bashing a $700 wheelset. They track well, and have a great feel to them! At first it was tough to get used to them because of the weight difference of my old wheels. On climbs my front wheel would come off of the ground when hammering! Also, the feel of the wheels nicely compliments my suspension, and I feel like I can just point and shoot down any trail section. These wheels are fast, look killer, and I am happy to say that so far, no buyer remorse. Of course, this is an initial review, and I'll post later on letting you know how they continue to perform over the year. I give 5 chilis on both!!
BTW; I got a killer deal on these at www.universalcycles.com
Just pennies under $700 with the MP3 program on both wheels!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Elliott
a Weekend Warrior
from Phoenix, AZ,USA Date Reviewed: February 18, 2007
Favorite Trail:
Dirt
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Purchased At:
Intense Factory
Strengths:
Smooth Bearings...Looks
Weaknesses:
Freehub body.
Similar Products Used:
shimano hubs are almost as weak. Various throw aways. Hope hubs.
Bike Setup:
Intense 6.6/Fox 36/Diabolus stem & post/XTR Der./ XT cranks and these P.O.S. wheels.
Bottom Line:
Sheared pawl seat on FTSX freehub on 6th ride. The only fix is to replace the wheel because the pawl dug into its aluminum seat. I never used Mavic wheels before...now I know why. Having raced BMX bikes for 23 years, I've seen many gimmicks come and go...Worked at a shop a while and saw various older Mavic wheelsets blown up. Now am kicking myself for not ebaying these and getting Hope pro 2s or Industry Nines. Oh Well...hindsight is always 20/20. Mavic builds wheels for 170lb. XC racers, not ex-bmxers that bust frames and drivetrain parts on a regular basis. I guess if I fit Mavic's mould for the ultimate rider, then these would get 4 or 5, but for true all mountain and "freeride" under a 185-190lb real world rider..FORGET IT!!!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike Hudson
a Weekend Warrior
from Phoenix Date Reviewed: February 13, 2007
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
Cactus - LBS
Strengths:
light weight, strength/stiffness, lack of stickers/bling.
Weaknesses:
price, parts availability.
Similar Products Used:
tough heavy wheels(mavic/shimano), cheap middle road wheels(bontegra/shimano) and light x/c wheels (canecreek)
I'm 160lbs, and having recently gotten into the ~40lb 'big-bike' world was an eye opener. The weight of my DH/FR bike had to come down (and where better to loose weight than in a wheelset?) but, I could not give up the rough/rocky trails on the north face of south mountain, so I needed strong as well.
On the tough side of things, I've been thrashing them on very rough/rocky shuttle days, and been "learning" how to jump/drop with some more experienced friends in a couple different "modified" gravel pits with oppertunity for big air... a little over 5' drop is as far as I've progressed so far. Wheels are as true and round as when they came off the showroom ceiling. The bike is definatly holding a line better... an indication of wheel stiffness?
My confidence in this wheelset's toughness is high enough I'm racing DH in bootleg Nevada this coming w/e... with this wheelset.
On the weight side of things... swapping to this wheelset over my stock equipment wheelset, and converting to tubeless (same DH Maxxis tires as before) I drop'd 3.9lbs... 3.9lbs of 'rotational' weight! This has made a huge improvement in acceleration, climbing, stopping... and, maybe it's just me, but the bike seems to ride smoother.
Keith Bontegra once coined the phrase "strong, light, cheap... pick two". I went with strong and light, and again, am very pleased.
4 chillies... because at this price, including spare spokes/bearings wouldn't put Mavic outta buisness... or, bring the price down a tad... or include the MP3 program instead of making me pay another 62 bux... better yet, do 2 of the 3 :)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
herb neumann
a
from cresskill n.j. usa Date Reviewed: January 1, 2007
Favorite Trail:
blue mtn
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$700.00
Purchased At:
westwood cycle
Strengths:
strong, they seem really strong, the cross max xls off my more crosscountryish bike were starting to show signs of "abuse" on my freeride saber(azonic) i have them set up tubeless with hutchenson pythons, they roll really fast, so far there doesn't seem to be a downside.
Weaknesses:
nothing i can find so far, 100 extra grams rotating mainly,but i switched to tubeless low rolling resistance tires, so i don't notice the weight, the bike even seems faster
Similar Products Used:
mavic cross max xl's
Bike Setup:
azonic saber; tioga xl seat sram x9 rear der,xt front der,scram carbon gripshifter, nearly full length clamp on grips,hayes brakes 185 front 165 rear hope gothic rotors,atomic platforms,raceface diablous cranks 175,fox dhs air shock ,2003 marzocchi z150 fork,titec rip stem titec low riser bar,
Bottom Line:
good product, i saw them out of a mavic salesmans' bags at the bike shop, he's lucky he didn't have both wheels:)
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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