Mavic Crossmax Enduro wheelset

What do people think of these:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=15858

They'd replace my Rolf Urracco wheels on my Trek hardtail.

I've always heard that Mavic stuff is pretty reliable. But failing the above, does anyone have any suggestions for a wheelset that might fit with the following:
- light, but not super-light
- strong enough to cope with Welsh trail weekends and the occassional airbourne foray
- cartridge bearings (Shimano cones have fallen from favour with me )
- either a good sturdy freewheel mechanism, or one that's cheap to replace (I'm a bit worried about the Mavic set here as I suspect they're costly to replace and possibly not that reliable).

Edit: Oh, and UST - is it A Good Thing (TM)?

Cheers guys,
Tom

Tom,

I have the Crossmax SL UST wheelset. I've always been a fan of Mavic, seeing as most hubs are laced with Mavic rims, they must be doing something right. They are one of the lightests and strongest wheelsets you can buy. They are still as true as they were when I first got them, however I have had them 18 months and so far changed both front and rear cartridge bearings (only £12 a pop) and also the freewheel. (Mavic £45). BUt thats the good thing, they take cartridge bearings instead of balls and cones, so no fiddling to set the pressure. I love them, but were a bit pricie at £550!

There are some UST tyres that aren't quite as 'compatible' as others, but I run Bonti Mud X, they are awesome (plus super light)

Andy has the Crossmax XLs, but they are more All Country wheels and weigh a fair bit. They have the same upside down hollow spokes as the Sl's but in black.

I think the Enduro's also come up pretty light like the SL's the front is 850g and the rear is 985g so pretty light!

Found them here for £227 clicky

I reckon they are a good buy either way. Also I love the Crossmax graphics!

Excellent - thanks Nath.

I can cope with £45 for a freewheel - as long as they don't stop making them! Which given it's Mavic, I think is unlikely. And yes, I'm well and truly sold on cartridge bearings, no risk of destroying a perfectly good wheel because Shimano doesn't know a seal from a sea-lion, not that I'm bitter!

Wahoo! Just bought a set.

Think I'll run them with regular tyres for now, until my Panaracer ones wear out, then give UST a whirl. Only think I'm slightly disappointed with is that they're not red. But I couldn't really justify the expense of the Crossmax SLRs. However sexy they might be!

Still, black is a pretty fast colour, right?

Enjoy Chicksands tomorrow guys, can't come myself as I'm on call this weekend. (Bah).

Tom (checking the post to see if his wheels are here yet)

Guys I have only quickly scanned this post but... I read somewhere that some Mavic freewheels don't last. More specifically they're prone to going if you are a heavy/strong rider or riding style/location puts more than average torque through the drivetrain.

Craig wrote:Guys I have only quickly scanned this post but... I read somewhere that some Mavic freewheels don't last. More specifically they're prone to going if you are a heavy/strong rider or riding style/location puts more than average torque through the drivetrain.

*fingers in ears*



Thanks for the heads-up Craig, I'll keep an eye on it.

I'm sure it'll be fine, I'm not particularly heavy and I'm certainly not a particularly strong rider, so should be ok. Might try and get hold of a spare though before I need it.

And they're shiny!

Cheers guys,
Tom
P.s. Did I mention how shiny they are?

Shiny rims are like a clean car - always goes faster

I hope they work out for you. I am sure there's loads of riders getting tons of hard mileage out of them. I looked at them when my factory fit rear wheel with unbranded hub gave up the ghost 8 miles away from the car Call it a knee jerk reaction but when I the feedback I opted for an XT hub with Mavic rims. A few complaints doesn't make a bad product - bad news always travels fast and louder than good. I'd certainly hunt down a spare freewheel much better than having to buy a whole new wheel or hub whilst your looking for one.

Yes, funny though.......I only did about 1500 miles on mine before the pawls in the FH went. You can't buy the pwals seperately, (well I couldn't find the ones for SL's anywhere!) so a new freehub was required.

Due to the fact they have Ceramic bearings, they are over £45 !!! Whereas a Shimano one os under £10 !! Easy to fit though!