# Why do a lot of people dont like Mavic ksyrium elite's



## austinkicksass (Jul 22, 2010)

I have my own opinions on them but I want to hear some other people's thoughts.


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## cmg (Oct 27, 2004)

spokes are from Mavic only, harder to get, low spoke count wheels tend to use heavier rims for durability. heavier rims are always a bad idea. there are lighter options that are easier to repair, sturdier and cost less. mavic struck gold when it discovered the public bought the Ksyrium line. there is a set for every price point. try to get a shop to build you a set of wheels or repair a wheel and 9 times out of 10 they'll walk you out to the Ksyrium display and give a sales pitch on why your 1 year old hand builts aren't worth the time and how the Mavic ks will do the same blah, blah, blah.


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## bent steel (Dec 28, 2007)

Plus in an effort to save weight for marketing purposes, the freehub body has a plastic bushing instead of bearings, and needs to be replaced fairly often. Further, until 2011, the rear spokes are radial on the drive side, to allow for Campy cassettes to fit without interference, which means that power must transfer through the hubshell, to the NDS spokes, which are 2x, to actually transmit power.


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## terbennett (Apr 1, 2006)

cmg said:


> spokes are from Mavic only, harder to get, low spoke count wheels tend to use heavier rims for durability. heavier rims are always a bad idea. there are lighter options that are easier to repair, sturdier and cost less. mavic struck gold when it discovered the public bought the Ksyrium line. there is a set for every price point. try to get a shop to build you a set of wheels or repair a wheel and 9 times out of 10 they'll walk you out to the Ksyrium display and give a sales pitch on why your 1 year old hand builts aren't worth the time and how the Mavic ks will do the same blah, blah, blah.


+1...


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## cmg (Oct 27, 2004)

bent steel said:


> Plus in an effort to save weight for marketing purposes, the freehub body has a plastic bushing instead of bearings, and needs to be replaced fairly often. Further, until 2011, the rear spokes are radial on the drive side, to allow for Campy cassettes to fit without interference, which means that power must transfer through the hubshell, to the NDS spokes, which are 2x, to actually transmit power.



Doesn't this overly stress the hub? saw a photo of a broken hub. the radial spokes become pulling spokes when torque is applied.


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

I have an old set of Ksyrium SL's from around 2003, the black ones. Bought used on the bay and have stood up extremely well over many '000 Km of riding on not so good surfaces, and with a 190 # rider. Did very minor truing once. Perhaps not the fastest - but have been reliable for me.


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## tglenn (Aug 21, 2005)

My American Classic sprint 350's with Sapim CXrays cost $700 and I got a set of Conti GT3000s included. 1,246 gram wheels and I have thousands of miles on them with no truing or spoke breakage.


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## Erion929 (Jun 10, 2010)

Evidently, for you fast types, the Ksyriums have aero issues as well. Luckily for me, I ride too slow and my Equipes work fine :blush2: 

**


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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

cmg said:


> Doesn't this overly stress the hub? saw a photo of a broken hub. the radial spokes become pulling spokes when torque is applied.


Yep, it's a bad idea.

Campy's G3 lacing on the other hand is the total opposite: drive side is 2x (in some sense) and the non-drive side in radial.


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## alexb618 (Aug 24, 2006)

they are a somewhat reliable wheel

i wouldnt buy them though because every hubbard has them on their giant defy and i am a snob


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## backinthesaddle (Nov 22, 2006)

Heavy
Not aero
Not stiff
Proprietary parts
...but other than that...


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*One more*



backinthesaddle said:


> Heavy
> Not aero
> Not stiff
> Proprietary parts
> ...but other than that...


Expensive (relative to these other "features")


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## ph0enix (Aug 12, 2009)

tglenn said:


> My American Classic sprint 350's with Sapim CXrays cost $700 and I got a set of Conti GT3000s included. 1,246 gram wheels and I have thousands of miles on them with no truing or spoke breakage.


Are the newer ACS 350's heavier than the ones you have or do you ride 650's? The advertised weight of the set is 14010g for the 700c version.


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## fazzman (Mar 12, 2008)

bent steel said:


> Plus in an effort to save weight for marketing purposes, the freehub body has a plastic bushing instead of bearings, and needs to be replaced fairly often. Further, until 2011, the rear spokes are radial on the drive side, to allow for Campy cassettes to fit without interference, which means that power must transfer through the hubshell, to the NDS spokes, which are 2x, to actually transmit power.


I tossed the mavic wheels on the MTB due to the junk freehub body bushing. Its 2010 time to replace the bushing with a bearing.


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## tglenn (Aug 21, 2005)

ph0enix said:


> Are the newer ACS 350's heavier than the ones you have or do you ride 650's? The advertised weight of the set is 14010g for the 700c version.


Their site says 1,300 even for the 700c like I have with the Sapim titanium spoke option. Ceramic bearing is a hair lighter as well. My friend ordered a set when I did and his weighed 1,277.


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## backinthesaddle (Nov 22, 2006)

Kerry Irons said:


> Expensive (relative to these other "features")


Dammit, I knew I missed one...:thumbsup:


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## lemonlime (Sep 24, 2003)

I have a pair of 2003 Elites that came on my first bike. They are rarely used anymore since that's now my backup's backup bike, but they're as true as the first day I bought them and the only issue I've ever had was 100% self-inflicted.

They seem to work okay for me.


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## MarshallH1987 (Jun 17, 2009)

i got a pair on a bike in 2005 and they have handled hard riding (dirt roads, off curbs, potholes, bunny hopping stuff, racing, things like that) very well. I've trued them a couple times, done some minor maintenance and they still feel fine.

I don't like how a metal spoke wrench was kind of pricey and it is only good for their nipples. I had to replace 2 spokes on my brother's set (2007) (looked like something came in from the side) and the spokes cost a lost more than standard spokes, and they had to be ordered in.

Overall they seem like good wheels for just cruising around on, but i don't know if I'd buy a set given all the options i know of now.


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## skaruda_23 (May 8, 2009)

backinthesaddle said:


> Heavy
> Not aero
> Not stiff
> Proprietary parts
> ...but other than that...


If elites are too heavy for you then you are too old.


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## backinthesaddle (Nov 22, 2006)

skaruda_23 said:


> If elites are too heavy for you then you are too old.


Quoted by Mavic @ 1550g. Mavic is VERY optimistic when they state wheel weights. The pair I weighed 3 days ago at the shop were 1690g. Only off by 10%...

The heaviest set of wheels I own are 1540g. 

The fact that your are betrothed to Mavic for any sort of support, other than getting the wheels trued, is a huge issue, and a no go for a lot of folks who know more than their shop tells them.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

You forgot one -- they are ugly. No, FUGLY. And why do they put those stupid yellow stickers that look like K-Mart price tags on the hubs? 

Bike components use to have a certain style. Compare some wheels with silver Campy or Ultegra hubs and silver spokes to K's, and they win on style points every time.

Oh yeah, one more thing ... how are you supposed to pronounce Ksyrium, let alone try to spell it? Where did they come up with that stupid name anyway?


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## skaruda_23 (May 8, 2009)

backinthesaddle said:


> Quoted by Mavic @ 1550g. Mavic is VERY optimistic when they state wheel weights. The pair I weighed 3 days ago at the shop were 1690g. Only off by 10%...


Just curious, were those the newest ones or the ones from 07 or 08 before they made them lighter? And I'm assuming this was without QR's?


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## intence (May 23, 2010)

backinthesaddle said:


> Quoted by Mavic @ 1550g. Mavic is VERY optimistic when they state wheel weights. The pair I weighed 3 days ago at the shop were 1690g. Only off by 10%...
> 
> The heaviest set of wheels I own are 1540g.
> 
> The fact that your are betrothed to Mavic for any sort of support, other than getting the wheels trued, is a huge issue, and a no go for a lot of folks who know more than their shop tells them.


Perhaps you weighed an older set, the 1550g applied to the 2009+ version where the rim "bulges" where the spoke meets the rim. I weighed a set and they were 10-20g over published weight (can't remember offhand), so not too bad. I've still choose a set of quality handbuilts.


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## backinthesaddle (Nov 22, 2006)

skaruda_23 said:


> Just curious, were those the newest ones or the ones from 07 or 08 before they made them lighter? And I'm assuming this was without QR's?


Just got back from the shop...

We weighed three BRAND NEW sets of Elites. 1619, 1625 and 1702 respectively.
Two sets were 2010 and the 1625g set were '11s. All w/o quick releases...


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## intence (May 23, 2010)

Yikes, maybe the factory's quality control isn't as tight as it used to be. The set I weighed (pretty sure it was early '10 or '09) was well under 1600, I want to say 1565 no rim tape, no QRs.


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## Peanya (Jun 12, 2008)

They're very attractive looking wheels, and you look at other bikes on group rides and you will see a LOT of them. I think they're one of the best looking wheels out there. Knowing what I know, I wouldn't own a pair. 
To me, they're decent wheels, but very over priced.


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## skaruda_23 (May 8, 2009)

backinthesaddle said:


> Just got back from the shop...
> 
> We weighed three BRAND NEW sets of Elites. 1619, 1625 and 1702 respectively.
> Two sets were 2010 and the 1625g set were '11s. All w/o quick releases...


Maybe mavic knows that you don't like them and added lead to the inside of the rim.  

I weighed mine and they are 1580 w/o QR's. I definitely wouldn't pay full price for these wheels (but then again I wouldn't pay full price for any bike component). They have some design weaknesses, but I can't dispute their solid reliability for my riding.


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## fast ferd (Jan 30, 2009)

Here's an older front hub. I like it for its simplicity. Easy to replace bearings. The rear is more of the same, although it utilizes a bearing and teflon bushing on the freehub. Only two pawls in the mechanism. And purty doggone loud actually.

Those dustcaps removed by the pin tool (the rear's got one as well) is a little low tech. I don't remember being able to fully tighten it, because it binded against the bearing. They belong to a friend of mine and he asked me to replace the bearings, front & back. I don't much care for their overall design and features, but they seem durable.


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## jnbrown (Dec 9, 2009)

Fore drilling, different rims heights, Interspoke Milling (ISM), Isopulse... All this to make sure you can enjoy the most responsive rides.

Sounds awesome!


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## skaruda_23 (May 8, 2009)

jnbrown said:


> Fore drilling, different rims heights, Interspoke Milling (ISM), Isopulse... All this to make sure you can enjoy the most responsive rides.
> 
> Sounds awesome!


Although most of these are pure marketing buzz words, the fore drilling is kind of nice. It means you don't have to use rim tape. This will making going tubeless a little easier - I'm going to try it after my schwalbe's wear out.


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