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With its new Ksyrium Pro Carbon SL C and Cosmic Pro Carbon SL C, Mavic is officially in the full carbon clincher game. What’s more, the French company claims that the new wheels’ wet-weather braking is superior to anything on the market, with aerodynamic performance on the Cosmics that can go head-to-head with the likes of Zipp, Bontrager and Reynolds.
Related: Mavic Ksyrium Pro Carbon SL C first ride review
The 25mm Ksyrium and 40mm Cosmic rims feature a seamless, 17mm-wide carbon rim bed, a laser-machined brake track and a new proprietary epoxy and curing process that allow for temperatures up to 200°C / 393 °F. Mavic also has new hubs for these wheels with a 9-degree engagement, 40-tooth dual-ratchet system. The wheels will come in rim-brake and disc-brake models in both clincher and tubular, but not tubeless.
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While its competitors like Zipp, Easton and Reynolds have had carbon clinchers for years, these two new wheels — due out in coming months — are the first full-carbon clinchers from Mavic. Its current so-called carbon clinchers, the Cosmic Carbon 40 C wheels, feature an alloy insert inside the rim bed.
(To confuse matters, the 2016 Ksyrium Pro Carbon SL C that was announced last year had the same alloy insert; that wheel never made it to market, as this new carbon rim technology for the 2017 wheels was completed near the same time.)
So why the delay to all-carbon clinchers? If Mavic could give a one-word answer, it would be ‘safety’. From company president Bernand Millaud on down, Mavic staffers insist that making sure the technology is reliable is more important than rushing to market.
New rim materials, curing process and width
Laser-machined brake track
Faster-engaging hub, for quick release or thru axle, rim or disc brake
Ksyrium Pro Carbon SL C
Cosmic Pro Carbon SL
Test program
You can read more at BikeRadar.com
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