# Mavic R-SYS or Giant P-SLR1



## TJay74 (Sep 9, 2012)

So these are the options I have in front of me. I was after the Mavic wheels at first, but my local shop I go to is trying to push me towards the Giant wheel (my bike is a Giant TCR) saying they are just as good and around $300 cheaper.

Reviews for the Mavic wheel are solid, but the reviews on the Giant wheel suggest it is not as light as they are advertising (adv at 1390g but coming in actually at 1485g versus the 1355g for the Mavic wheels).

Anyone running either of these wheels that cares to weight in?


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## TJay74 (Sep 9, 2012)

Forgot to add as well, the Shimano Durace WH-9000 C24 wheel set as well.


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## tom93r1 (Jul 19, 2009)

You will find a lot of hate for the Mavic wheels on this forum for some reason. I have a set of Ksyrium SLR which is the same wheels except the front has bladed metal spoke instead of carbon. I am quite happy with them. If you search for that wheel you will find more info.


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

The mavic R-Sys is box section aluminum, and the P-SLR1 is a 50mm deep carbon faired aluminum, right?


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## r1lee (Jul 22, 2012)

the Giants recently went on sale, i believe they maybr unloading their wheels. Some of the 2014 bikes aside from the Propel do not come with them anymore.

I recently picked up a PSLR-1 Aero's at a very good discount.


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## SystemShock (Jun 14, 2008)

Well, the R-SYS has been tested and found to have just about the worst aerodynamics on the market (probably due to the big fat carbon spokes), so there is that.


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## tvad (Aug 31, 2003)

Who rides Giant wheels? No one I know. In fact, I've never seen a set of Giant wheels. I would not buy those based solely on that observation.

I owned Mavic R-SYS SLR wheels and recently sold them. Frankly, I really liked them, but sent them twice to Mavic for repair/service. First for excessive (I thought) play in the hubs, and a second time because I broke a drive side aluminum spoke while riding on a flat, smooth local rode. 

Mavic told me the play was normal, and that I should use the Mavic skewers, which I had not been using. Doing so reduced the play somewhat, so I write that off to OCD.

However, I lost trust in the durability of the spokes when I broke one after owning them for less than a year. I didn't want to be stranded, and I decided I didn't want to ride wheels that my local shops preferred to send to Mavic for repair, so I sold them.

I like the Dura Ace wheels suggestion. I would also toss a custom build using HED Belgium rims into the mix.


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## nhluhr (Sep 9, 2010)

Preference in this order:
Dura Ace
Giant
(something else)
Mavic

Mainly because the Mavics don't exhibit the reliability that you'd want in a wheel (countless reports of the freehub getting 'draggy' thanks to a plastic bushing in there) and their absolutely terribly aerodynamics. Let's be clear, weight matters very little. If you want a fast wheel, the single most important factor is the aerodynamics.

I give the Shimanos the nod over the Giant despite the Giants being custom-built by DT Swiss because Shimano's carbon-aluminum wheels are absolutely astoundingly good in every respect. Tough, lightweight, low inertia, good aerodynamics, outstanding bearings and freehub, and a REALLY strong track record.


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## Roland44 (Mar 21, 2013)

tvad said:


> Who rides Giant wheels? No one I know. In fact, I've never seen a set of Giant wheels. I would not buy those based solely on that observation.


I used to ride Giant wheels. They were not as bad as you make them sound lol


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## bballr4567 (Jul 17, 2012)

I saw the new PSLR wheels today while at the LBS. They look insane. They were on the Marianne Voss edition bike that is launching this year.


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## r1lee (Jul 22, 2012)

Remember the pslr are dtswiss 240 hubs, so they are 11spd upgradable.


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## tvad (Aug 31, 2003)

Roland44 said:


> I used to ride Giant wheels. They were not as bad as you make them sound lol


I never said they were bad. I said no one I know rides them, nor have I ever seen a set. 

I live in Los Angeles. Lots of riders.

They may be the best wheels going, but due to the lack of feedback from local riders and bike shop owners whose opinions I trust, I wouldn't buy them.

If the OP has some direct positive feedback from riders experienced with the Giant wheels he's considering (note I didn't say from his LBS owner who has a vested interest in selling a set), then he should take those opinions under strong advisement.

Hope that clears things up.

Here's to smooth roads and dry, sunny days.


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## TJay74 (Sep 9, 2012)

So i went with.....



Ksyrium SLS, another local shop had a set and weight wise they are with in 35g of the R-SYS wheels. Thing that kills me is shops want to push wheels they dont even stock, so here I am going into a store I have spent well close to $20k over the last 3 years with and they are pushing a wheel on me they dont even stock.

for some reason I am a tactile person, I want to be able to touch the wheel before I spend $1000 on it.

In the end I am happy with the decision, with the new wheels and a Ultegra 11-28 cassette I took the bike from 19.6 to 18.5. So dropped a little over a pound of weight and the wheels made a huge differance in climbing and getting them to roll compaired to the Cosmic Elites they replaced.

May end up buying the Shimano Durace''s for the wifes bike after the beginning of the year so I can try them out as well. She is getting into cycling pretty hard so I think she will appreciate the unsprung weight loss and the improvement in her hill climbing.


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## exracer (Jun 6, 2005)

tom93r1 said:


> You will find a lot of hate for the Mavic wheels on this forum for some reason. I have a set of Ksyrium SLR which is the same wheels except the front has bladed metal spoke instead of carbon. I am quite happy with them. If you search for that wheel you will find more info.


They are over hyped, overrated, over priced and a lot of people don't want to live with Mavic's proprietary crap. People who have owned wheels other than Mavic have learned for the most part they are average.


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## TJay74 (Sep 9, 2012)

Other than the spoke issues with my Cosmic Elites which can be easily fixed I have never had any issues with Mavic wheels nor have any of my other friends that ride on them as well.

Wheels are like underware, seems to be alot of choices and the decision is very personal. I didnt have anyone local I know of to build a set of customer wheels plus then you have no warranty other than on the hubs, at least with a factory built wheel you have a warranty.

Just wish more dealers offered the option to order the wheel in and test ride on it, but then it is used and they are out the wheel in the LBS inventory.


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## nhluhr (Sep 9, 2010)

TJay74 said:


> Other than the spoke issues with my Cosmic Elites which can be easily fixed I have never had any issues with Mavic wheels nor have any of my other friends that ride on them as well.


I'd say Cosmics are a much better wheel overall. Steel spokes with normal nipples and an aero profile rim. However, like most pre-built aero alloy wheels, they are a little on the heavy side and these still suffer from the Mavic freehub that tends to grow a bit draggy after several thousand miles.

Personally, the choice between R-Sys and Cosmic Elite - I'd choose the Cosmic.


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## ariw (Sep 4, 2013)

I have been trying to find a pair of P-SLR1's at decent prices, where did you get yours?

Thanks,
-Ari


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## Wines of WA (Jan 10, 2005)

Wow, 17 posts into a thread about R-SYS wheels, and no one has yet mentioned that they tend to explode while riding. To wit: 

R-Sys Explosion - CyclingNews Forum 

A shattering experience - A post-recall, R-Sys wheel failure - VeloNews.com 

Another exploding R-Sys - Weight Weenies 

Yes, that was half a decade ago. However, the basic R-SYS design of using carbon spokes under compressive load is still in place. I am shocked that in 2013 Mavic still doggedly sells them. Even if they were safe, their worst-ever aerodynamic properties totally DNQ them in my mind.


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## gagnes2 (Mar 27, 2014)

*Where did you get yours? and price*

Where did you get yours? and price



r1lee said:


> the Giants recently went on sale, i believe they maybr unloading their wheels. Some of the 2014 bikes aside from the Propel do not come with them anymore.
> 
> I recently picked up a PSLR-1 Aero's at a very good discount.


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## gagnes2 (Mar 27, 2014)

What you don't know Giant is a giant manufacturer and makes product for many other bikes company......great products and price point....



tvad said:


> Who rides Giant wheels? No one I know. In fact, I've never seen a set of Giant wheels. I would not buy those based solely on that observation.
> 
> I owned Mavic R-SYS SLR wheels and recently sold them. Frankly, I really liked them, but sent them twice to Mavic for repair/service. First for excessive (I thought) play in the hubs, and a second time because I broke a drive side aluminum spoke while riding on a flat, smooth local rode.
> 
> ...


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## PaxRomana (Jan 16, 2012)

exracer said:


> They are over hyped, overrated, over priced and a lot of people don't want to live with Mavic's proprietary crap. People who have owned wheels other than Mavic have learned for the most part they are average.


Yep. Pretty much this. I've owned many Mavic wheels and still own 3 pairs. I think "average" is the best description of them.

My hand built DT Swiss Rims on White T11 hubs blow away my Mavic wheels, frankly. Not to mention being much cheaper as well. But the Mavic SLRs do look cool.


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

the R-sys does get aluminum alloy spokes (Zircal).

haven't had issues with the stainless steel spokes on the Ksyrium Elite wheelset


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## TJay74 (Sep 9, 2012)

Yeo, and those Zircal spokes are fragile...lol

I broke two of them on the Mavic wheels in less than 200 miles, then got a nice 6 week run around from Mavic on getting the wheels repaired (spokes + the destroyed freehub). Luckily the shop swapped me over to some Reynolds wheels.


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## SystemShock (Jun 14, 2008)

Wines of WA said:


> Wow, 17 posts into a thread about R-SYS wheels, and no one has yet mentioned that they tend to explode while riding. To wit:
> 
> R-Sys Explosion - CyclingNews Forum
> 
> ...


Yup. Fat, totally non-aero (anti-aero?) spokes, proprietary parts, overpriced, questionable safety record, and a company that seems to be coasting on its past glory.

What's not to love?


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