Mavic

Cosmic Pro Carbon UST Disc Wheel

We can't imagine the thought of riding our mountain or gravel bikes without a tubeless setup, and after spending some time on a road setup, our thoughts are the same there too. We feel that when more road cyclists get the opportunity to try out road tubeless, they'll be on board as well and with excellent options like the Cosmic Pro Carbon UST Disc Wheel, a whole new generation of cyclists will experience the brilliance of tubeless. We love Mavic's particular UST tubeless protocol because it brings the usual benefits of lower pressure for better ride comfort and traction, and it installs in a way that doesn't involve swearing, bloody knuckles, and a puddle of sealant. This version of the Cosmic Pro uses an all new 45mm profile wheel and we're expecting that it'll follow suit with the previous version of the Cosmic with a multitude of race podiums and Tuesday night World Championship bragging rights to its name.

Some of us were under the impression that Mavic was sitting on the backburner while the road tubeless scene started to boom, but with the unveiling of Road UST, it's evident that we couldn't have been more wrong. Instead, it's apparent that there was a certain level of patience and discipline exhibited while Mavic's engineers were hard at work perfecting the technology, prioritizing safety and ease of use before release. The result is a tire and rim interface that was designed in conjunction with one another, harnessing all of the benefits of tubeless that we crave, like lower rolling resistance and puncture resistance, and skipping the downside that has most cyclists complaining, tire installation. Since road tires require much higher pressures and sit on narrower rims, the tolerances were tighter than on MTB wheels, so Mavic took its time until total satisfaction was achieved, with less than a millimeter of tolerance on the tire that assures you the tire will go on with ease, and stay on.

Of course, some of us found frustration from this level of perfectionism, though that kind of stubbornness and patience is only negative if you value industry trends over proven, effective, and safe technology. To illustrate the point, consider that at a recent sportive event associated with that big race in France, Mavic reportedly provided neutral service support for 38 instances of carbon clincher failures. This tells us what Mavic knew all along: delamination, deformation, cracking, and the like are all still common occurrences in the carbon wheel world. To deal with this, Mavic has long used aluminum inserts in its carbon rim brake wheels to serve as reinforcing spines and heat sinks. The risks of full-carbon rims were unacceptable to the brand, which is built on reliability, safety, and longevity as much as it is low weight and aerodynamics, all of which are reasons why generations of cyclists have been grateful for that stubbornness.

Of course, these wheels are for disc brake bikes meaning the rims themselves forego having to manage heat and the pressure of braking blocks on softening resin, so you'll enjoy improved and consistent braking. As mentioned above, the rims also feature a new aerodynamic profile that Mavic claims compares favorably to some of our top-selling wheels in the 40-50mm range. The French brand credits the Cosmic Pro Carbon SL with saving 2.3 watts across yaw angles up to 10 degrees, which means the aerodynamic properties don't disappear as soon as you take the wheels out of the wind tunnel and onto the actual roads. The new profile is less pointy than Mavic's usual models. Instead, it features a dramatically blunted inner face and represents the most radical departure from a pure NACA airfoil shape from the stubborn French firm to date. The shape better manages oblique resistance, combining the aerodynamic benefits of deep rims with additional crosswind stability.

With all the excitement about the new rims, it's easy to overlook the Cosmic Carbon Instant Drive 360. The hubs feature dual ratcheting rings for quick engagement, easy maintenance, and low drag. The wheels ship with tubeless sealant, rim tape, valves, and a syringe. It also comes with quick-release adaptors front and rear if you need to deviate from the 12mm axles as well as Mavic's 25mm Yksion Pro UST tires for the front and rear, ensuring you hit the road with the exceptional attention to detail that went into crafting the wheelset.