Mavic

Ksyrium Pro Carbon SL UST Disc Wheel

Nowadays, carbon wheels are pretty much mainstream on all disciplines of racing bikes, but we remember a time when road race start lines at the professional and amateur level saw a heavy dose of Mavic's light and nearly bombproof Ksyrium hoops. With alloy rimmed wheels now more often relegated to training wheel status, many generations of Ksyriums still get called into duty for winter base miles and patiently waiting in the wheel pit or truck while its cousin, the carbon Cosmics, get the nod on race day. Well, the Ksyrium's gone Carbon too and its Ksyrium Pro Carbon SL UST Disc Wheel is ready to rewrite the books and serve as a loyal training or race day wheel.

Mavic might have been late launching a full-carbon rim, but it took its time to make sure the technology was ready for it. Always placing safety at the forefront, Mavic's carbon offerings used to only consist of aluminum-bedded rims with the firm citing concerns over safety and braking performance with full-carbon rims. Things change slightly with this being a disc brake going wheel, removing the constraints of heat management and pressure of braking blocks against the rim. A new concern exists, however, and that's the exacting dimensions needed for an easy yet reliable tubeless setup. We can happily report that Mavic is fully on board with road tubeless and in both setup and in use, Mavic's UST protocol is simply class-leading.

Mavic uses 3K carbon fibers to shape the rims in a bullet-nose profile. While the wheels aren't specifically called out as "aero," Mavic constructed it specifically with climbing and endurance riding in mind, so the 32mm-deep sections are dependably stable while riding in crosswinds and tackling twisty, long descents, and they'll provide a touch more radial flex to dissipate bumps. Mavic also paid close attention to the wheels' impact resistance, ensuring the wheels will be able to withstand long days on chip-sealed roads and weather-beaten shoulders while you're dreaming of glass-smooth tarmac.