Home | Reviews | Tires and Wheels | Wheelset

Login  |  Register

Mavic Crossmax XL

Average Rating 4.33/5
# of Reviews 6
MSRP $
Weight
More Products from Mavic



Submit a Review

Description:-Less racing oriented than the SL, this wheel is the indispensable tool for all your MTB outings: tough and reliable, but always lightweight, it will withstand intensive use on a variety of different types of terrain, and can also be used for “free ride”! On single tracks and cross mountain, the Crossmax XL opens up the entire mountain and will follow you on all your outings. Finally, a “real” MTB wheel!
Where To Buy


Chain Reaction Cycles



Performance


Other Ways To Shop
  • Buy and Sell the Crossmax XL from our Classifieds.
  • Shop for Similar Products








    Submitted by Patrice a Cross Country Rider from Boersch
    Date Reviewed: June 1, 2007
    Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
    Price Paid: $600.00
    Purchased At:BiclycleBuys.com
    Strengths:Light, rigid, very good looking.
    Weaknesses:Maybe the rear Hub... maybe.
    Similar Products Used:Other mavics
    Bike Setup:Yeti Kokopeli
    Bottom Line:I'm very glad about these wheels. I'm only 120 lbs and my ride is between XC and freeride with BMX experience. I do sometimes jumps with these wheels, not fat ones, but just decent ones (a few meter longs and max 1 meter high). For the last 3 years, no maintenance was needed (even for the spokes !) except this year the rear hub that I needed to update. I guess this is normal after more than 4000 kms intense riding in the mountains... :-)
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Andreas Klauser a Cross Country Rider from Feldafing
    Date Reviewed: August 16, 2006
    Favoriate Trail:Yes
    Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
    Price Paid: $500.00
    Purchased At:hibike.de
    Strengths:Strength
    Weaknesses:aggressive optics
    Similar Products Used:Customs Wheelsets (Whizz Wheels, very dependable stuff), Mavic Crossland (good and simple, bought for winter outings; made me go for tubeless with my summer bike)
    Bike Setup:Trek 1996 9900 OCLV Carbon Hardtail. Schwalbe Racing Ralphs 2,24 tubeless
    Bottom Line:Wanted to change to tubeless and have a ceramic rim for good and endurable service with Shim XTR rim brakes. There is virtually no rim combining ceramic coating and tubeless system on the market. A custom built wheelset was not available then. So there was no choice but theses Crossmax Wheelset.
    Very happy till now. Certainly the stiffest wheelset ever (and I do have Mavix 521 rims with my other wheelset). At that weight really super. However, stiffness not always translates into durability. Lets wait for the future. Also the price is absolutley o.k. I would had have to go with Shimano XT hubs and Mavic 521 rims and pay more.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by big show a Cross Country Rider from wb wi USA
    Date Reviewed: May 28, 2006
    Favoriate Trail:BLUE
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $500.00
    Purchased At:lbs
    Strengths:The strength is the whole deal. These are made to be strong cc wheels and that is exactly what they are. Changed from race x-lites and the difference is immediate. Now my bike just goes where I point it.I haven't needed to true them in the year that I have had them.
    Weaknesses:Well it is heavier than the Bontragers just the stiffness makes up for it.
    Similar Products Used:Bonty race x-lites, bonty selects.
    Bike Setup:2005 top fuel 110, Fox R80RLT, Kenda Nevegel tube-less,Race face stem and post.
    Bottom Line:The perfect wheels for me. I'm 6'5" 210 and the stock wheels on my Fuel flexed too much and needed to be trued after every race.After changing to a Fox fork and these wheels its is like my bike is laser guided. I just look at the line and there I am. I don't notice the extra weight because the stiffness puts all my power to the ground. If you're a big guy who makes lots of power but still want the least weight as possible these are for you.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Jeff a Racer from Bellingham
    Date Reviewed: May 14, 2006
    Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
    Price Paid: $340.00
    Purchased At:wholesale inside deal...
    Strengths:durable, reliable, fast, true...
    Weaknesses:slight freehub drag, tolerable and has caused no chain suck or any other problem I can discern.
    Similar Products Used:older crossmax, bonty racelite
    Bike Setup:trek 9.8, xtr controls
    Bottom Line:I slapped these on my race bike because I'd had repeated problems with lighter race wheels failing in various manners. These too felt a crapload more stiff than the older racelites with the dt freehub which was far more tetchy than the XL's freehub. For the record, others have told me the SLs are very nice too and I even know a Kona employee who rides them, as I ride the XLs, on local trails which are brutal at regular intervals. I've never broke anything on these wheels even when a nail punctured my lame Michelin instapop tires and poked straight into, but not through, the inner rim.

    The XLs are excellent race wheels for most, but especially for of larger size and higher power. They effectively transfer that power which, I believe, is worth more than the marginal weight loss of the SLs. If one is of lower weight themselves, I'd think the SLs would serve nicely. Either way, I've seen these wheels in action and had many attest to their quality and durability.

    One small note: I've had dealings with Mavic on occasion about my old Crossmax and have come away with a slight bitter taste for their customer service. Keeping in mind Mavic's seeming interactive difficulty might facilitate negotiations if you, the reader ever comes to the point of need of Mavic usa's services.
    Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

    Submitted by Milan Cakiss a Cross Country Rider from Belgrade/Serbia
    Date Reviewed: May 3, 2006
    Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
    Price Paid: $550.00
    Purchased At:local store
    Strengths:Great wheels, super strong never centered my wheels for 3years of riding
    Weaknesses:none
    Similar Products Used:mavic 317,717,819
    Bike Setup:Giant XTC Team, Fox Float 80RL, Sram X-9, Shimano XT, Avid Single Digit 7, Ritchey comp/pro mavic
    Bottom Line:3 years of riding, about 45000-50000km and never centered a wheel 2 broken spokes, easy replacement great stopping power because of ceramic coat great in wet and dry, great rotation, air never leaks.
    Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

    Submitted by Tony a Cross Country Rider from Canberra, ACT, Australia
    Date Reviewed: October 17, 2005
    Duration Product Used:1 Year
    Price Paid: $650.00
    Purchased At:Via friend
    Strengths:Tubeless rim design (no strip), strenght - stiff build, appearance, front wheel/hub, ceramic rim brake surface
    Weaknesses:Rear freehub body drag and constant maintenance requirements, only two pawls, oversize spokes stratch easily
    Similar Products Used:Mavic 517 rim with stans/ Hugi 240/ DT revolution spokes. Bontrager Race extra light tubeless. Mavic 517 rim with stans/ XT Hubset/ DT Comp Spokes.
    Bike Setup:Santa Cruz Superlight w/ 5th element/ XO/ XTR/ XT Crankset/ Fox 100X/ Avid Arch Supreme Rim Brakes/ Pythons or Maxxis Larsens.
    Bottom Line:Have two sets of these wheels and have a friend who has two set of Crossmax SL's. All four of these wheelsets exhibit excessive freehub body drag. That is friction between the freehub body and the hub where a ceramic bush mates to a seal.

    The drag is enough to unweight the rear derailleur causing a slack chain that induces increased slap, higher chance of chain drop and occasional suck. No to mention friction that can only slow wheel rotation while coasting.

    Any form of grease creates too much drag. Only lightweight oil is ok (mavic's own oil is best). This only lasts for about one ride/race and the freehub requires service.

    Discussion with many dealers/ shops/ mechanics conclude this is a common problem.

    Solution is to service your freehubs frequently.

    Also friend with the SL's has developed play in the freehub body that is located between the seal and ceramic.

    Also have experienced a spoke coming free of its mount and hanging loose. Not sure if this is a pro or con as the spoke came loose/out but didn't snap in two.

    Because of the small number of spokes one spoke failure did cause the wheel to go out of true and the nipple system makes adjustments harder than standard spokes.

    My local bike stores do not keep spares for these systems.

    The tubless system is great and the front hub/ wheel has been awesome.

    But my love hate relationship with these wheels is at an end and I have lost confidence in Mavic freehubs. I am moving to a Hugi/ Bontrager system.

    Value Rating:3Overall Rating:2






    What's New
    » Mtbr Videos - View and Share your videos here»
    » Buy Mtbr Jerseys
    Click here to view or buy the jersey and shorts.  Support Mtbr.com and order your set today.

    Buy Jerseys and Swag!
    Latest Articles and Reviews:


    Quick Poll

    (sponsored by Rocky Mountain Bicycles)
    How many bikes do you own?

      1
      2
      3
      4
      5 or more

    Photo Caption Contest

    (sponsored by Maxxis)

    Enter here

    Contact Us  •   About Us  •   Terms of Use  •   Privacy Policy  •   Advertising
     MtbREVIEW.com  RoadbikeREVIEW.com  OutdoorREVIEW.com
     PhotographyREVIEW.com  VideogameREVIEW.com  ComputingREVIEW.com
     AudioREVIEW.com  CarREVIEW.com  GolfREVIEW.com
    Copyright ©1996-2008 All Rights Reserved.ConsumerREVIEW.com, a business unit of Invenda      RSS Feed