Bike Reviews

Mavic has been making quality rims and wheels for years. Their mountain bike wheels have had a good reputation for durability and for remaining true under fire, but their freehubs have been the target of some criticism for requiring extra maintenance. Mavic has made a move to correct any of the previous issues by redesigning the freehub to increase durability. One thing that has always been a trait of Mavic wheels is their silky smooth bearings. Just a quick turn of the axle will show you how smooth a set of bearings can be.

While a 29 in wheel is known for rolling more smoothly over rough terrain, the wheels are inherently heavier so picking up a light wheelset really helps with accelerating and climbing. I was in the market for a reasonably light set of wheels that would still take a beating. After researching options pretty thoroughly I decided to pick up a set of the $775 Mavic Crossmax 29ers. To better handle the increased lateral torque inherent with a 29er wheel (increased distance from hub to rim), Mavic chose to base this set on their 26” SX model, a wheel design for ‘all mountain’ riding, that has proved to be a very durable part of their line. Another nice feature is that they are true UST rims, meaning they don’t require rim strips or tape. That all sounded good to me.

Right out of the box I was impressed with the way the wheels looked. Hubs, spokes and rims are all black and the decals add some flair without being too flashy. 24 staight pull, oversized, alloy spokes are anchored to the well detailed machined hubset. The wheels weigh in at just under 1800 grams a set which is pretty respectable. You can certainly build or buy lighter wheels for your 29er, but going much lighter would start to raise some durability questions for my riding style.

The wheels have spoke holes in the outer surface of the rim, but the inner surface is solid and the welded connection holds air without sealant. Even with the UST rating on the rims, there aren’t any true UST tires out for 29ers so you’ll still need to run a sealant to keep the tire casings from leaking air. I’m currently running the wheels with tubes - I plan to set them up tubeless using Stan’s sealant, but have just been lazy. Mounting tires up was straight forward. Tires fit a bit tight which should be good for going tubeless. Included with the wheels package was a pair of valve stems for going tube free.

These wheels have been ridden pretty hard. I haven’t babied them at all and they remain true and round. I did touch the wheels up a bit after the first couple of rides, but haven’t had to touch them again since then. The bearing adjustment tool that is included with the wheels works well and the bearings continue to roll smoothly and have maintained adjustment without trouble. Acceleration is much improved over the stock wheels and they were responsive when climbing. These wheels are stiff, with very little lateral flex. Even on short steep climbs out of the saddle, they stay firm and transfer power very efficiently.

All in all the wheels have been good to me. They aren’t cheap, but seem like they will hold up well. I’m a little concerned with the availability of spokes on short notice, so I plan to pick up a few spares to keep on hand. I was also concerned with the lower spoke count, but that hasn’t proved to be a valid concern - with the oversized alloy spokes they seem as solid as a standard 32 hole wheelset. I would certainly recommend them to riders looking for reasonably light wheels that are able to take some abuse. You may be able to buy lighter 29er wheels than the Mavics, but I doubt you’ll find many options that offer a better balance of weight and durability.

(2 votes, average: 6 out of 7)
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