Mavic Deemax - Return of the King?

Jul 16, 2017
by Paul Aston  
Mavic Deemax presentation


Manufacture D'Articles Vélopediques Idoux et Chanel. The acronym that probably springs to your mind is WTF, but actually, this is where the MAVIC brand name was born.

In 1889, Charles Idoux and Lucien Chanel created the brand in Lyon, France, and began bleeding 'Le Sang Jaune' (the yellow blood). Plenty of interesting things happened for the brand over the following 128 years, but what we are interested in the infamous Deemax wheelset. 2017 sees the launch of all new Deemax DH and Pro wheelsets, the latter being aimed at the 'enduro' market but still carrying the same name due to the similarity of severity of these gravity-based disciplines.

When I was growing up, the unmistakable yellow Deemax wheels were the drool-worthy wheel of dreams, adorning classic rigs under riders like Nicolas Vouilloz, Anne Caroline Chausson, Shaun Palmer and another thirty world title winning champions. The winningest downhill wheel ever? Twenty years since NV10 took them to victory, in June 2017, Troy Brosnan adorned the namesake with Andorran gold.


The evolution of Mavic s branding.


After years of testing in the current headquarters in Annecy, France, and on racetracks around the world, the Deemax is back and looking better than ever. Split into almost identical twins, riders now have the choice between the Deemax DH and Deemax Pro. The former is still a downhill racing thoroughbred, and the latter changes focus slightly to enduro racing.



Mavic Deemax DH



Deemax DH Details
• 28mm internal rim width
• 20mm x 110mm front hub spacing
• 12mm x 150/157 rear hub spacing
• 27.5"
• ISDM 4 rim machining
• 28 front / 32 rear steel spokes
• UST sealed rim design
• ASTM Cat 5: Gravity Riding certified
• Weight: 1950 grams (claimed)
• MSRP: €899 / $899 USD
www.mavic.com


Is stiffer better? Or is compliance king? Mavic says they have put a lot of effort into keeping the Deemax wheels laterally stiff but vertically compliant, to help aid with comfort and trail chatter, as well as helping to ward off punctures. This is done by using alloy rims, choosing spoke lacing and shape, and reducing spoke count. The DH wheelset uses 28 steel, straight pull, double butted spokes front and rear. Standard DH hub spacings are possible with included adapters, and an XD freehub driver is available when ordering.


Mavic Deemax DH
Mavic Deemax DH


The rims continue to be alloy and use Mavic's IDSM4 rim machining techniques to remove material from the spoke-side of the rim where it's not needed. At 28mm, these might be Mavic's widest rims to date, but currently, they don't feel the need to go super wide. Mavic think that the current crop of wide rims are purely a trend, suggesting this width should be able to work well with tires widths up to 76mm/3.0".


Mavic Deemax presentation
The IDSM4 four-dimensional machining technique removes weight where it's not needed, but leaves a little extra opposite the tire valve to balance the wheel


Mavic created the UST Tubeless interface and still believe in it today. The earliest example of tubeless was in Deemax prototypes from 1995. Universal System Tubeless refers a complete package that should allow easy inflation, sealant-free use and help to prevent burping.


Mavic Deemax presentation
The DH and the Pro wheelset both feature true UST and the rim beds are not drilled, no more fiddling with rim tape.




Mavic Deemax Pro




Deemax Pro Details
• 28mm front / 25mm rear internal rim width
• Boost or non-boost hubs
• 27.5"
• ISDM4 rim machining
• 24 front and rear Zicral alloy spokes
• UST sealed rim design
• ASTM Cat 4: enduro and trail certified
• Weight: 1700 grams (claimed)
• MSRP: €999 / $1099 USD
www.mavic.com


The Pro wheelset comes with a Boost or non-boost hub set with spacers included covering all the options. Like to ride wagon wheels? Well, 29" isn't available yet. The main difference compared to the DH wheelset are the hollow, alloy Zicral spokes. This choice is to save weight over the steel spokes, and numbers are reduced to 24 at the front and 28 rear. Along with the offset rim design (also found in the DH) to try to help balance spoke tension, the steeper side of the spokes on each wheel is also laced radially (without crossing) to reduce tension on this side and split the tension balance even more.


Mavic Deemax presentation
Mavic Deemax presentation
The interfaces at either end of the spokes are designed to maximize contact and surface area, which should result in fewer failures. Keep some spares nearby, though, as finding these proprietary spokes could be tough in an emergency.


Mavic Deemax presentation
The front rim is 28mm wide, like the DH wheelset, but the rear is narrower at 25mm. This is to decrease rolling resistance by giving the tire a more rounded profile, and also provide a better strength to weight ratio.





Mavic test lab


After a tour of Mavic's R+D facilities, it's clear to see why these wheels that were spotted last year have only just come to market – testing, testing, and more testing. Inside, there are around thirty machines torturing wheels and tires in various manners. Many machines Mavic built themselves, even down to a machine that tests bearing life, just to double-check that a change in supplier or even between different batches that everything is up to standard.


Fabien Barel seems to like them.
We rode a slip and slide, but that didn't seem to phase Fabien Barel who has been integral in the wheelset's development.


We spent a few runs each on both wheelsets on the trails surrounding Annecy and Mavic's headquarters, but thanks to some biblical rain storms, we found ourselves on top of impossibly slippery trails, so we couldn't gauge an accurate feel for the wheels. They didn't break after the first run, which is more than can be said for some wheelsets I have ridden this year. We have a pair of Deemax DH wheels to test for the remainder of this summer. Let's see if the legend lives on.







Author Info:
astonmtb avatar

Member since Aug 23, 2009
486 articles

135 Comments
  • 129 15
 Classic expensive lemons from Mavic. Gone is the MP3 warranty program but they still use their idiotic zycral spokes or their fore nipples.

I'm so glad we ditched Mavic from our workshop years ago. What's the point in stocking thousand of dollars of useless Mavic parts? From wheels to wheels the parts aren't the same! And most of the time you have zero retro-compatibility. And I'm not even talking about the fact they stop supporting their products after 5 years. Yeah that's right, no more official support and parts in very limited number after 5 years.

I don't know what happened to Mavic ... They used to be ahead of the competition and quite innovative.
  • 19 8
 Yeah. I can't imagine something more stupid than buying a wheel with proprietary spokes. Racers generally give a f**k, because they simply get wheels and spares from mavic, and get the new sh*t for the next season.
  • 8 2
 Tell me about it! I hate the proprietary alloy spokes. They are a huge pain in the neck. Granted, I quit working as a bike mechanic almost 10 years ago, and allready back then I had pretty much stopped working with Mavic wheelsets. One could have hoped that they would come to their sense, but alas, it does not seem like they have.
  • 3 2
 @lkubica: When you're under the wings of the Mavic Service Course program it's a game changer but mainly for the mechanics. As they no longer have to waste time truing, lacing or tensioning wheels.

But hey bro, the kind of support showed by Mavic at races and events ain't cheap at all. Customers are paying for it, rather they want it or not. Too much PR is always too much!
  • 7 9
 @chaserider: Tell me about it! We belong to same generation. Back when I started working part time in a shop it was the late 90s. At that time kids like us were taught on how to work with wheels from scratch.

And then came the first generation of Crossmax and Helium. They were looking the business remember? And not too much mumbo jumbo, just less hours spent on wheels in the workshop. I was okay with it until my mechanical engineering degree days. A friend did his internship at Mavic and from that day I knew what was the logic behind their wheels.

Less spokes -and of the straight type- equals saving time when you're lacing the wheels. Almost everything they have done so far was to make sure a machine could replace a skilled wheel builder. And after that they took the job from Jean Louis and they gave it to Bogdan somewhere in Easter Europe. All good Mavic, well done on improving the overall quality of your products ... Remember the very first Crossmax XL lmao ?

Today having Mavic's parts consists in buying a 1500 or 2000€ file, filled with spokes of many sorts. I shit you not guys!
  • 7 1
 @Euskafreez:
I can relate and I remember. Hell, I remember the original Crossmax with steel spokes and ceramic rimsides. From back in the day when V-brakes and Magura HS-33 where all the rage. Half the kids here wont even remember regular rimbrakes. Let alone that Shimano made them in every mtb series, even XTR.

These days I still build wheels from time to time, for myself or for family/friends, but they are always laced with regular J bend steel spokes, preferably made by DT Swiss.
Mavic lost me as a customer way back.
  • 30 4
 @Euskafreez: Bogdan (which is a Polish name btw) can be as skilled as any western employee. Wheel building is not rocket science. I know that this is a huge problem for any country, how to tell people that they will not make for living doing what they did for many years before ... In fact Bogdan will soon have similar problems with Ukrainian guys, and in 20 years they will have problem with whoever lives on their east. That's the law of nature, don't blame Bogdan for it Wink
  • 11 2
 @lkubica: No one blamed Bogdan. Its a corporate thing.
  • 6 10
flag Euskafreez (Jul 17, 2017 at 0:53) (Below Threshold)
 @lkubica: Bogdan is to Eastern Europe what Jean-Louis is to french workers.

No one blame Bodgan, like @chaserider said, 'Bogdan' is just a corporate thing in English language. Get over it bro Wink
  • 10 1
 Nice advertorial, PB. I wonder if they've still got the same hub internals with that stupid bearing preload system that had to be retightened after every ride.
  • 7 10
 @Euskafreez: Bogdan hahahahha Big Grin Typical Polish worker names:

Bogdan, Stefan, Yanush (Yan, Yanek), Zbignev, Henyek, Vitold, Antek,
  • 2 0
 Could not agree more.
  • 4 1
 @WAKIdesigns: At least I put a smile on a polish face today Smile
  • 17 1
 "The French copy no-one, and no-one copies the French"
  • 26 2
 @axleworthington: Well to be honest the cycling world owes so many things to France:
*First inflatable tire on a bicycle : Michelin
*First mass produce and successful tubeless system for mtb : Mavic, Michelin and Hutchinson.
*Best DH tires ever: Michelin and their DH16, DH24 and DH32 -Maxxis did nothing else than copying-
*First modern derailleur: designed and made by some french lad, he later sold it to Campagnolo
*First electric drive-train : Mavic with its Zap groupset in the early 90s
*First mass produce carbon frame: Look, TVT and Time.
*First wireless electric drive-train : Mavic again with its MEKTRONIC groupset
*First alloy rim: Mavic in the late 20s or early 30s
*First ever modern bicycle chain: Cedis. Cedis was later bought by Huret, then Huret was bought by Sachs, then Sachs was bought by ... Sram. Yet, our chains are copying the original Cedis design.
*First pressfit bottom bracket: Alex Singer cycles in the late 60s early 70s. We owe hundred of things to Alex Singer cycles. Their pressfit bb design was so damn good it worked for 20+ years with the same bearings ...
*Modern clip-less pedals: Look made it happen with their road pedals in the mid 80s. Keep in mind the Look system was licensed to ... Shimano. SPD system is nothing else than a Look system made smaller

And the list goes on and on. France where are your engineers with their very french ideas? Mavic had a british guy leading their R&D department for years in the 2000s.
  • 5 0
 The last time I had to deal with Mavic it took 4 months to rebuild a Crossmax wheel. That and the fact that a broken spoke meant going on a wild goose chase to find a replacement meant I will not be riding Mavic in the future.
  • 3 1
 @danny: Why would you ride Mavic again lol? The one and only Mavic product I still sell with a smile on my face are their classic Mavic Open rims. Best touring rim ever! And oh surprise ... it's still made in France.
  • 2 7
flag ShreddieMercury (Jul 17, 2017 at 8:37) (Below Threshold)
 Capitalism happened. Waste, waste, waste.
  • 2 0
 @Euskafreez: Didn't know Michelin originally came up with those thread patterns, the 16 and 24 look quite similar to the Minion and Highroller indeed.
  • 2 2
 @bonkywonky: Well Michelin has some cash for R&D. They left the scene because they were not making enough money out of it, or any money Frown . But one of their thread patterns is even older than the DHxx, can't really remember the model but it's old. It came out with the first Deemax UST that I remember.

Now you can laugh at the people saying that brand X or Y is copying Maxxis.
  • 7 7
 @Euskafreez: no it isn't older than Minions. Pre 2012 Michelin gravity MTB tyres were a joke, save Mud 3 which was better than Wet Scream. DH24 was utter shit and costed a fortune, I can't believe you can say that with straight face that either DH16 or 24 is a protoplast for DHF. The first DHR was sht and it is indeed similar to 24, but it is way better than DH24. DH16 protoplast to HR? Yea sure, but HR was crap - always. People rode them because they thpught they rolled fast. They didn't, they rolled slower than DHF. I had all of them and they couldn't even match 2.3 gazzalodis I had at the time. The only dry gravity tyre from Michelin that made sense was DH comp 32 at 2.8" but it weighed sht loads.

DHF is hardly matched since 2001. Especially these days with 3C Maxxgrip. No one is shitting on my favorite tyre by saying Michelin did it before. If you want to match DHF you have to compromise something. It is the benchmark and highly probably the most versatile tyre out there.
  • 4 0
 @WAKIdesigns: agree with you the 24 was utter rubbish but the comp16 was the king. When they stopped it i had to move to DHF which is not as good when things get humid but has a much better thread wear.
  • 3 3
 I haven't had any issues with Mavic. I had them on a previous bike. Top-25 Strava on a lot of trails in Northern California. They help up really well. Super stable.
  • 3 0
 @WAKIdesigns: tried so many tyres from "other" brands and always end up back with Minion DHF.
The new ss is awesome for the dry weather too!(the two weeks in July in the U.K.)

Just stick with what works best for you... minions!
  • 3 0
 @Euskafreez: Strongly disagree on the Maxxis comment!
When the High Roller came out it was a huge step up from those Michelins and about half the price. Then they released the Super Tacky version and have dominated ever since. Michelin haven't even tried since.
  • 4 0
 And who the eff decided using DU bushings IN A HUB was a good idea.
  • 1 2
 @JamesR2026: Well even on the super tacky Maxxis were copying! Don't you remember the original soft compound Intense tires? Maxxis were clever enough to mix the Michelin thread patterns with some super soft compound around some modern casing.

Like I said, Michelin doesn't give too much crap about cycling anymore. They're not making enough money out of it. Even the production is now outsourced in Thailand :/. But they have made some nice effort in the last years, some young chap took the head of their Cycling R&D department and they haven't stop to improve ever since.
  • 3 2
 @WAKIdesigns: Yeah well, that's just like, your opinion, man. I wasn't on an Indomie diet in the early 2000s, Michelin were not that expensive where I lived back then. Plus Andorra and its tax free bike shops was 90 minutes away.

But when it comes to thread patterns, Michelin figured out way before the competition. After a good cut the DH24 was a mint tire! But the DH16 and DH32 still have two of the all time best thread pattern for gravity purpose. I was lucky enough to live and ride in the mountains of the south of France, where you can find everything in terms of terrain. The Gazzalodis were rubbish on natural, rough and rocky terrain in dry conditions. Overall the DH32 was our top choice.

Give a go the the Onza's Aquila. We are not selling much DHF and DHR these days because of the Aquila.
  • 1 0
 @Euskafreez: Didn't Schwinn have press fit bottom bearings in the 40s?
  • 2 0
 @Euskafreez: Indomie on a pinkbike comment section? Should I feel proud or ashamed?

Oh well.. Cheap, delicious, healthy. Pick any two.
  • 2 1
 @Euskafreez
R u accusing Mavic for Proprietary wheels!!! Ha,.. why the rest of the world that are making wheels what are they doing???? I have a couple of brands of ready-made wheels and I am stuck with the company in all cases. In some cases (like my crank brothers!!!I) things are even worse and shitty expensive. No one forced me to buy ready-made wheels, my choice. Mavic offers a number of rims if you do not like ready wheels and there are million of hubs available. Here we are discussing wheels however. I do not know what is the case down under but in EU companies are obliged by law to keep spare parts and support products for 10 years (not 5 that you mentioned). And I do not get that "no official support", what..? they do not talk to you?
Mavic is a great company with excellent wheels still ahead of the competition. If there are issues? yes there are, but like every other company does. If you do not want to sell Mavic you loose.
  • 2 2
 @joemoto: Ahem the Schwinn solution is somewhat different, but hey maybe you're right! If I'm not mistaken, the bb you're talking about had some thread on it. The Alex Singer pressfit bb was a two piece crankset with cage bearings inserted in the bb shell. No rocket science even back then but no one else was doing it :/.
  • 2 0
 @rifu: who's not keen for some good old cheap as mi goreng from time to time?
  • 1 4
 @bikegreece: Less gibberish please!

It looks like you don't know much about the cycling trade universe my boy. Since day one and their first egg beaters every one in the industry knows you have to stay away from CB as much as possible. Well you know I also hold a EU passport and speak fluent french. Meaning I know what I'm talking about when it comes to Mavic. Lmao at your 10 years EU law, maybe in your field of expertise but not in the cycling industry, and especially not with Mavic. I still have a french Mavic B2B account, as I need it for my cycling tour operator company in Europe. And oh well, I contacted them 2 weeks ago about a 6 years old pair of Mavic Crossmax ... well the answer was we're sorry we can't do the job even if your customer pays. Why? Because they no longer have parts for it.

In Oz, Groupe Sportif deals with Mavic -and some other brands-. That's why we never had the MP3 warranty. They do what they can with what they have. At least we are not expecting much from Mavic since we all know it's rubbish. We can afford expensive stuff here, so we go carbon as much as we can when it comes to hoops.
  • 3 0
 @Euskafreez: just like it is your opinion. Dh16 came in 2.2, yes it may have inspired High Roller, we can stop talking about it now unless we want to go to the lost tribes of Israel Or something going even further back. DH24 had a rounded profile with no side grip unless you rode in the desert. Dh32 had decent center knobs and just ok side knobs which looked like: "umm yea, let's make them big aaaaand let's see what happens", there was no underlying logic, It had no real channel between center and side knobs. Yes there were phones with cameras and internet before Iphone, yes. Wink
  • 1 2
 @WAKIdesigns: Well you should not take Maxxis for granted. The harder they come ... the harder they fall.

But yeah agree to disagree, we just have different opinions. At that time I raced as -a slow- amateur in the south of France, myself and the locals made similar choice with tires Wink .

As long as we share the same opinion about Mavic it's alright mate Big Grin !
  • 3 1
 @Euskafreez: I agree with you: "Less gibberish pls!"
An EU passport and the French language doesn't make anyone expert in bicycle wheels or EU legislation.
Apparently you are angry with MAVIC, not with their wheels!
Regarding my questionable expertise, probably not as "loud" as yours, but, have a look since when I am following PB. I might know a thing ... or two!
Glad you can afford expensive stuff over there, let the rest to enjoy value propositions.
  • 1 3
 @bikegreece: the cycling trade is where my field of expertise is. I just know what I'm talking about. It's no rocket science making a decent wheel. I just feel bad for the old Mavic workers. In the last 20 years the big guys at Mavic have done nothing but f***** the company over :
*outsourcing the production -their made in France products were just way stronger and better-
*removing the human factor out of wheel building as much as possible when we know a machine can't do what a person can when it comes to tensioning a wheel
*questionable choice when it comes to hub design and lacing pattern

But hey, thanks to people like you Mavic is not out of business yet. Blessed are the ignorant :p.
  • 2 1
 @WAKIdesigns: Conti Der Kaiser Projekt beats the DHF any day. Rolls faster, grips better and wears better. But the DHF is the best tyre that Maxxis make.
  • 1 0
 @bonkywonky: with a shitty plastic tool that broke twice a month...
  • 1 0
 Can anyone get me a replacement Crosstrail rim or Crossmax rim and spokes? The closest Mavic distributing bike shop can help me and Mavic says they only go through bike shops.
  • 1 0
 @choppertank3e: bike-components.de
  • 1 0
 @Euskafreez: Although Schwinn's design did not use cartage bearings there is no difference from a engineering standpoint. The bearing assembly's press in to the frame. Schwinn was the leader in many areas of bicycle engineering. Ignaz Schwinn was a brilliant engineer and businessman whom many company copied including Mavic.
  • 16 3
 I can clarify that the deemax pro version is utter garbage. I bought the deemax pro at Christmas and have had nothing but problems. The biggest problem being tyres blowing off the rear rim, sometimes just trying to seat the tyre in the garage was enough to shower me in sealant but I also had it happen 3 times on the trails. Apart from that the rims are piss weak, the rear rim reached the end of its life after only 6 months and the front has multiple dents and weird creases. These wheels are nothing compared to the old crossmax. Waste of money.
  • 13 1
 In other completely unrelated news, see the buy'n'sell section. 1 pair of Deemax pro wheels. 1 careful owner. Only ever ridden on the road never so much as ridden off a kerb..... honest.....
  • 3 0
 I agree about the "old crossmax". I had a 2008 pair on my RM Slayer SXC, and except changing the bearings at the right time, these rims never left me down. (without mentionning the sober and stealth designs they had at this period. Question of taste, but I've always hated the recent Mavic's flashy designs)
  • 2 0
 @Franzzz: yeah until few years ago, mavic rims were among the best, the wheels were not bad, but the hubs had recurrent problems of play and bad bearings. Then the quality of the rim started to go bad (when the tyre+wheel combo thing started) and they did apparently nothing to fix this.
  • 17 0
 Come for the real review in the comments. Good community.
  • 5 0
 My Deemax wheels were the worst set of wheels I have ever used. Snapped the hub axle, cracked rim and the wheels flexed so much I had tyre rub on my frame and fork. On top of that was all the propriety gubbins. Quite simply a big fat yellow lemon!
  • 5 0
 I don't get why they use hollow aluminium spokes. The way these are laced (just like most common bicycle wheels) these spokes are pretty exclusively subject to tensile forces. You can use whatever silly cross section shape you want, what matters is the cross sectional area. Round solid spokes do just fine. Or flat if you're picky about aerodynamic resistance or you want to make sure there is no twist in your spoke when truing. But in tension, steel is just stronger for the same weight. And it has much better fatigue properties too. Why bother with aluminium?

It is cool how they managed to leave the tire bed intact though. If you don't need rim tape, that'd be one less thing to worry about.
  • 2 0
 Thing is though, all the stuff they went through to make that rim bed solid, including those little nuts they put in the rim, just makes the wheel heavier.

It's funny how much work they put into making the wheels light, just to make up for the inherent weight of the rim bed being solid, just because they want to justify having made it a requirement of the UST standard. Meanwhile, WTB adopted the good part of UST (the bead seat) & ignore the rim bed part, & make much better products.

Heck, even the narrowness of these rims is in part to keep weight down.
  • 6 1
 They use a narrower rear wheel " to increase rolling resistance by giving the wheel a more rounded profile" : shouldn't a rounder profile give less rolling resistance ?
  • 5 0
 Sorry, late Sunday night/early Monday morning!
  • 3 0
 @paulaston: standard Paul? Big Grin
  • 8 1
 Wanted some since a kid....but only because the colour!
  • 5 2
 I like that the Pro set comes with a narrower rim in back and hope that more rim & Wheel builders follow this, almost all of us run a narrower tire on the rear & this set-up saves weight, adds strength it is just a better way and we all want better right?
  • 2 0
 I can see the logic, but I personally would only want a skinnier rim in the back if the tires were significantly different in size. On my set up, I'm running an i29 on the back with an i25 on the front as I find I need more support for the rear tire at lower pressures than the front.
  • 1 0
 @JesseE:
bang on. 100% agree.
had crossmax enduros and found the exact same problems. well the few time they actually stayed together long enough to be ridden. couldn't ride hard because of that rear. had to whack the pressure up so high to stop the tire roll and protect the rim. it was harsh, no grip or feel or floppy, useless and wreaked. theres was no happy ground.
  • 7 5
 what's with the mavic hate.... don't we all love a bit of French?.... I've had loads of mavic wheels and 2 pairs of deemax too. I think they are fantastic, really strong and quick. The only problem I've had is with the spoke nipples seizing on the crossmax xl. Shame if they have suspended the mp3 insurance programme though
  • 3 1
 3 or 4 years ago in the same day,a few weeks later of the launch of new enduro wheels I saw 4 guys crushing the freehub in the same fire road. I never saw those wheels on those bikes again any more...This is like old cars,those who were made to last are still on the road the rest are on the junkyard.
  • 2 0
 @homerjm: oh I forgot about the yellow enduro wheels... they were crap. Totally made of cheese.....
  • 6 0
 My old ex823's are in my top 5 most reliable mtb products of all time, done allsorts nasty shit to them and they barely winced
  • 2 0
 They work OK for some people but I wouldn't go back to them. I had a set of Crossmax wheels that would either over tighten or developed play in the rear hub. In the end the hub destroyed itself and I discovered that finding spares was a real hassle. Nothing wrong with the classic hub / spoke design in my opinion!
  • 2 0
 i've never had an issue with any of my crossmax/deemax wheels, a bit of tlc goes a long way imo. i'm not very aggressive rider mind you. If you neglect any product it will let you down. Chris King hubs are a ridiculous maintenance-fest, mavics hubs are no worse.
  • 3 0
 I rode the same set of deemax from '05-'15 and never had an issue until the very end of their life. 10 years on the same set of wheels, same spokes, minimal hub love. Would have bought another set had they been out in 27.5"

Ran crossmax XL on the trail bike and same thing, not one issue with them. Still alive and kicking on the GF's trail bike.

I've been super happy with them and don't get all the hate.
  • 1 0
 After owning X-Max and 2 pairs/generations of Dee-Max I am cured with MAVIC. The X-Max were older ones, with plastic bushing in freewheel and 2 pawls. What a crap. I think 3-4 different spokes where used in this wheelset - finding spares was a horror!

The newer generation Dee-Max had the ITS-4 freewheel already. OK. Pretty decent and stiff wheelset until the flanges on the hubs were failing/breaking off. Never more.
  • 1 0
 I owned a set of crossmax XL and i do like the wheels a lot. However i had an issue with them and found out how horrible their customer service is and warranty program is (MP3 warranty program no longer exists). I will no longer buy a no their set of their wheels, too bad mavic because a couple of my friends wanted to buy mavic wheels and after they saw what happened to me they bought another brand!!!!!!
  • 3 0
 CS has improved a lot recently. Mavic finally moved from the old Haverhill MA offices to the new Ogden UT office that is NA Amer central, so standards and processes are more up to date now.
  • 1 0
 I like this wheels, looks very light for DH. I don't care about special spokes and niples if I buy the wheels I just have some spokes and niples in stock on my toolbox. I just don't understand why they fit Magic AllMountain tires on a DH Wheelset
  • 1 0
 Mavic Tires
  • 1 0
 The nipples will inevitably bond to the spokes making adjustment and re-tuning/tensioning impossible, then you will have to cut the spokes and replace one by one to rebuild the wheel. I love my Crossmax Enduro wheelset but have had to rebuild a full rear wheel to correct a 2/3mm out of true wheel on a perfect rim. It hurt!
  • 1 0
 Can someone explain wheel balancing to me? A common thing on a car where the steering wheel feels loads of vibrations etc, first time I've seen any wheel balancing on a bike wheel, or is it common place and I've not noticed it?
  • 1 0
 Probably been going on for years in pro circles, it's some thing that I have pondered about before, especially with all these tube in a tube systems with two valves on the same side
  • 1 0
 @bigburd: On Mavic wheels they weld the rim, SUP they call it & don't pin/sleeve it. They don't machine that portion of the rim as it'd weaken the joint. If they use it for balancing its merely coincidental.
  • 1 0
 @AntBreen: I don't mean wheel manufactures sending rims balanced from factory for years, I mean pro WC teams have most likely been balancing wheels them selfs for a while.
  • 3 2
 "mavic" and "king" cant go together in a sentence. mavic is shit quality, every of their products i used did have problems or broke.

I will say too that using the expression "return of the king" in this context is quite an insult to Tolkien's lord of the rings. If mavic was one character in the movie serie, it would be gollum.
  • 2 0
 Mavic is the King of Shit... see Mavic and King can go together in a sentence ????
  • 2 0
 My EX823 DH rims are still going strong after 7 years of riding under me.(i'm not a light rider either) I have broken a few rear spokes in that span, but I would buy thier DH wheels without a second thought.
  • 1 0
 Since the purchase of Enve, I've been especially curious of whether the Ogden way of doing things would "shift" into mavic-land. True mavic can spout off about all their firsts - tubeless, electro-shifting - but, man that shiz ain't fixing a bum wheel that failed when it was told not too, or when the warranty answer is "see your fav shop for new digs y'all."
  • 1 0
 How can a wheel review can be considered anything but incomplete without mention of hub engagement? It's the FIRST thing you'll notice when actually using the wheel, and apart from the nuances of rim stiffness, the only thing that will make a difference on the trail until some soft of product failure.
  • 3 0
 Smart move...get PB comment impressions before releasing price point, as to not promote penny-pincher biases.
  • 2 1
 I want them in yellow & I want them to fit my 142mm trailbike. Sort it out mavic.
EDIT ah the pro's fit a non dh bike? I still want them in yellow though, not black with stickers.
  • 2 0
 The Deemax Pro wheelset in non-boost version will fit that bike, you will have to make do with the single yellow spoke, though.
  • 2 0
 Yahoo! A new Deemax for me to tell customers its gonna take a while to get spokes and nipples for as I need to directly contact Mavic! My favourite!
  • 2 1
 how high would the tire preasure have to be to get the profile to stay round at the actual point of contact under load so it reduces rolling resitance? and how useless will that rock of a tire be when being ridden of road?
  • 1 0
 Will never use mavic again, or spinergy. Even as a dealer its a pain in the arse as customers want parts that arent available when theyve purchased their outdated product elsewhere as it was cheap.
  • 6 3
 Mavic wheels...Fuck yes!!!
  • 4 2
 The highlight of any high-end DH bike 3-5 years ago.... They're comin' back!
  • 2 0
 "Manufacture D'Articles Vélopediques Idoux et Chanel"
Means "making bicycle stuff" for non XIX century french
  • 1 0
 Mavic don't even have the decency to respond to customer inquiry in my experience. Bought one set if Mavic wheels. Never again.
  • 1 0
 If the name of the rim wasn't in the title of the article, I'd never be able to interpret what that actually says!

...PCC.X?
  • 2 0
 Are there 28 spokes front and back, or are there 28 on the front and 32 on the back?
  • 1 0
 Rims Deemax + Hubs with Centerlock + Standart Spokes = Ideally Smile (P.S. 26" + 27.5")
  • 1 0
 I wish all wheels came with those spokes...that way, they would be the norm!
  • 1 0
 Hey Mavic,

Any rear spare rear hub parts for my 2013 Mavic Crossmax St 26" wheels....?

Thanks.
  • 1 0
 I have that.. you re looking for a fresh freewheel body?
  • 1 0
 Chris King Hubs or DT 240s and WTB or Stans rims - same price, more bombproof, no proprietary nonsense.
  • 1 1
 Dt are my fav for precision and simple durability. Kings are not even close imo. they sound neat and are all shiny and shit but after not so long they deteriorate and NEED some tlc. Ain't nobody got time for that!
  • 1 0
 @lifted-d: If DT upped their game in the engagement department I might be willing to part with my kings.
  • 1 0
 @JesseE: why are you coasting slacker!!!! lol! kidding. I've never found engagement to be an issue, unless there is none!
  • 1 0
 @lifted-d: You only notice engagement when you pedal, man! If my trails pointed down more, I wouldn't care at all, but there's plenty of ratcheting and steep climbs where the engagement is nice. Once you have it it's hard to go back. Onyx hubs have incredible engagement, but my kings are cool.
  • 1 0
 @lifted-d: My experience is opposite. I've used King hubs forever and do a simple yearly cleaning and lubing, taking maybe an hour. I had one set for easily 13-14 years that are still going strong on a friend's bike. King rear hubs are on every one of my bikes. IMO they're bulletproof.
  • 1 0
 @knick: interesting point of view, perhaps from working in a shop for too long has me biased, Its likely that every king hub i saw had been neglected to the point of damage, customers think these are the best hubs in the world = i don't need to do maintenance. then they cry about a hefty repair cost I could see if properly maintained they would fare better.
  • 2 0
 Wait, Brandon Semenuk changed his name to "Mavic Deemax"?
  • 2 0
 Mismatching yellow.
  • 3 4
 You are a wizard
  • 3 4
 So Mavic came out with cross country width rims with DH strength...ideal for aggressive XC. I remember when Mavic made 36mm wide Deemax wheels...
  • 5 3
 No 26" ?
  • 8 5
 give it up man
  • 6 1
 @SnowshoeRider4Life:

Never ! ^^
  • 1 0
 @SnowshoeRider4Life:
  • 3 1
 Shame on you
  • 3 0
 The last HOPE tech DH pro 4 is available in 26"and 27.5" with all size conversion kits.

More compatibility, cheaper and stronger.
  • 1 0
 Meh I'll stick to my J-bent spokes!
  • 2 0
 I like the idea of straight pull spokes in all honesty. Anything to keep the failure at bay. Every time I check my spokes there's some that are completely loose ass not doing anything.
  • 1 0
 Still better than the hope hub i got from the UK with seized bearings
  • 1 0
 That's a first time I've ever heard of a broken Hope hub.
  • 1 0
 And don't forget to pour 4 liters of stans sealant ROFLOL.
  • 2 1
 What's UST?
  • 42 7
 Unnecessary Since Tape
  • 3 1
 @WAKIdesigns: So much truth. The amount of things they do to make the rim bed solid, that make every other aspect of the wheels worse, is crazy.
  • 3 0
 @WAKIdesigns: yea but that's a pain in the ass. UST is good idea. too bad no one else plays by that.
  • 4 0
 @SnowshoeRider4Life: the special spoke nuts Mavic uses are a much bigger pain in the ass than any piece of tape I've ever used. The sacrifices needed for a solid rim bed aren't worth the tradeoffs.
  • 3 1
 @groghunter: I had 4 sets of UST rims and only 2007 Deemaxes based on 823 rim were as good at sealing up as ANY tubeless ready rim that I've tried. Proprieratary UST Tyres were stupid too. They weighed somewhere in between 1-ply and 2-ply without offering any increase in durability and stiffness. And the worst were Contis. Their beads were hard as plastic and were hard to seal. Bye bye UST, you were a necessary step of evolution but nobody misses you...
  • 1 0
 @WAKIdesigns: I had forgotten about the extra weight & stiff beads required by the UST spec. One more thing WTB did better than Mavic: They use only the bead design of the UST, while using common sense on the other parts, like rubber & spoke bed. Their tires seal up on their rims amazingly well.

Mavic still seems to think that they should be able to rent seek due to UST, & then seems to be surprised when everyone ignores them instead.
  • 3 3
 Shit wheels
  • 1 2
 Yes
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