Mavic Crossmax SX Wheels Review

Mavic Crossmax SX Wheels - Tested Mavic's Crossmax line of wheels dates back to 1996, when the French company debuted them in time for mountain biking's first inclusion in the Olympics. The Crossmax lineup has undergone numerous changes and refinements over the years, with the addition of 29” wheel options, and most recently, the introduction of a 27.5” wheelset designed for enduro racing. We tested the 26” Crossmax SX wheelset, which is intended to be light enough for racing, yet durable and reliable enough to handle the abuses of every day riding.

Details • Intended use: all-mountain / enduro racing • 26" Maxtal aluminum UST rims • 21mm inner rim diameter • Weight: 1780g (actual, with tubeless valve stems) • Price: $899 USD, two year crash replacement plan available for $72.

Mavic's wide diameter, straight pull Zircal spokes are seated into aluminum hub shells, and then threaded directly into the rim.

Construction
The Crossmax's UST compatible rims are constructed from Mavic's Maxtal aluminum alloy, an alloy intended to be light weight and dent resistant. The asymmetrical rims have an internal width of 21mm to easily accommodate up to a 2.5” wide tire, and the sections between the spoke are machined to remove any excess material and further reduce rolling weight, a process Mavic calls ISM (Inter Spoke Milling). The wheels roll on sealed cartridge bearings, two in the front and four in the rear, which sit inside the impressively shaped aluminum hub shells. Twenty-four large diameter, straight pull spokes (made from Mavic's Zircal alloy) each sit in their own slot, and are then threaded directly into the rim. Because the outer rim wall remains hole-free, no rim tape is needed when running tubeless setups. The nipples are splined to help prevent them from stripping during truing, although this does mean they require a different spoke wrench (provided with the wheelset) than what is used on the more common square nipples. The Crossmax SX's freehub uses Mavic's ITS 4 (Instant Transfer System) design, where four wide spring loaded pawls are offset so that two pawls at a time are engaging with the 24 teeth in the hub shell, which works out to 7.5 degrees of motion between engagement points.


Setup
Running the Crossmax SX wheels tubeless was incredibly simple – the right amount of sealant and a floor pump were the only things needed to install a pair of tubeless-ready tires. We were able to get the tires mounted and ready to roll without the use of an air compressor, and the tires seated evenly, without any unsightly bulging or hopping. We ran these wheels with a 20mm thru axle front and 12x142 rear, but adaptors are included to easily convert them to fit nearly every current standard.

No tape required - the Crossmax's UST compatible construction means setting them up tubeless is quick and easy. On the right is the splined spoke head that threads directly into the rim.

Performance
The Crossmax SX wheels were able to take all of the abuse we heaped on them, with only one short stint in the truing stand needed over the duration of the test period. The rims remain dent free, and the bearings are still spinning smoothly despite the mud, dust and grime they've rolled through. The tubeless setup held tight without any sealant burping or spewing, even when running the tires at low pressures. What is most impressive about the wheels is their strength to weight ratio - at 1780 grams for the pair the Crossmax SX wheelset comes in a very competitive weight, but can still handle ample doses of gnarly terrain. They managed to shrug off the countless jumps, drops, and laps on rocky, root infested trails that we subjected them to without complaint, and felt solid during hard cornering or slightly off-kilter landings. Plus, they were quick to get up to speed when accelerating from a standstill, and the freehub didn't ever skip or pop no matter how hard we stomped on the pedals.

Issues
After the first few rides there was a noticeable amount of play in the rear wheel. A slight turn of the bearing preload adjuster removed the play, but it resurfaced again a few weeks later. We repeated the process, and this time the adjustment lasted much longer – it was a couple of months before we had to adjust the rear hub again. The Crossmax's hubs may not be as maintenance free as some others on the market, but the adjustment literally only takes a few minutes with the tool Mavic provides, and the tool is small and light enough that it could be tossed into a hydration pack for riders heading out on multi-day (or week) adventures. Care does need to be taken not to overtighten the preload cap against the bearings - if a rider were to get extra zealous with the adjustment tool the bearings could possibly be damaged, or at the very least roll poorly due to the excess preload against them.

The only other issue we ran into was that when we pulled the rear hub apart there was a small amount of corrosion on the non-drive side axle and inner bearing race. A bit of time with some steel wool took care of this, but it does mean that water was able to make its way past the preload adjuster cap and the o-ring on the axle. A light coating of grease on the axle would likely help prevent this, and would be a recommend preventative maintenance measure, especially for riders in wet climates.

Pinkbike's take:

www.mavic.com

Posted In:
Reviews and Tech Reviews Wheels Mavic