First Look: Mavic Crossmax XL 2015 Wheel-Tire-System
In southern France Mavic has just presented a Wheel-Tire-System (WTS) and gave us the chance to put them to a rough two-day test. The Crossmax XL WTS is a new member in the range of Mavic’s wheels and comes next to the Crossmax Enduro WTS, introduced last year. Compared to the Enduro WTS, the new XL WTS is claimed to be more durable, more comfortable and more versatile.
Mavic is now dividing enduro riding in two categories, first enduro racing and second enduro adventure. The Crossmax XL WTS is build for adventure, where it’s important to have reliable wheels that last a long time, suiting all kinds of terrain and riding.
Rims
The XL wheels come with new rims; the profile of the rim has a V-shape and a wide, 23-millimeter bed for the tire. The 23mm width allows a wide 2.4-inch tire to be fitted for comfort and traction. The rim-hooks are 50 percent more impact resistant to improve the durability. When it comes to pure racing a lot of riders prefer a rather soft rim-hook, so that it bends and prevents pinch-flats. The distinctive Mavic-cutout is retained between the spokes, milling out sections to save weight.
Spokes
The spoke pattern of the Crossmax XL wheels is lightweight, built up with 24 spokes both front and rear. The front-wheel is laced with spokes crossing two times. The rear-wheel features the same on the left side but a radial-lace pattern on the right. Thick aluminum spokes do the job and give the wheels a recognizable Mavic-look.
Hubs
The hubs basically come from the Crossmax Enduro wheels, but feature minor weight saving and get a clean polished surface. The front-hub can be fitted to 9, 15 and 20-millimeter axles, the rear-wheel to 9×135, 12×135 and 12×142. The cassette-body of the rear-hub can be changed to a XD-version for SRAM 1×11 drivetrains.
Tires
‘All-round’ is the focus of the new tires; the 2.4-inch wide tires (2.35 on the 29”) give a lot of comfort and traction. Mavic decided to use a single compound, 50a for good durability. The tire has a reinforced casing and a profile with evenly spread knobs for a wide range of usage. With sealant-liquid the tires can be run tubeless, however, the sealant and the valve are sold separately.
In theory this is a very promising set of wheels and tires. We have been testing them hard for two full days; stay tuned for a test with our first impressions on the Crossmax XL WTS later this week!
Facts
- Sizes: 26”, 27.5”, 29”
- Weights (wheels): 1660g (26”), 1710g (27.5”), 1780g (29”)
- Weights (tires): 690g (26×2.4), 780g (27.5×2.4), 810g (29×2.35)
- Rim internal width: 23mm
- Available axles: 9/15/20 (front) – 9×135, 12×135, 12×142 (rear)
- Available: Mid-June 2014
- Retail price: 850 euro (wheels and tires)
Text: Ruben Torenbeek Photos: Jérémie Reuiller, Mavic
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