# Mavic Ksyrium SSC



## Steelguy (Apr 25, 2010)

How tough are these wheel with their 18/20 spokes? Do they make a good all around road wheel? Used to be that SSCs were Mavic's toughest racing wheels (hence SSC = Special Service Course) for the Tour. Thanks


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## bikerjulio (Jan 19, 2010)

I'm 200# and bought mine as used on eBay about 7 yrs ago. Used a lot since and absolutely solid on the rough trails and roads. Currently running them with 25mm Michelin Optimums and still very happy.


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## skepticman (Dec 25, 2005)

They were durable for me, but harsh riding and unstable in cross winds. I sold the two sets of Ksyriums I had and have moved to all wide rims like HED Belgium, Velocity A23 and H Plus Son Archetype with lower tire pressure for better ride quality.


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## 2Slo4U (Feb 12, 2005)

Harsh and a real handful in the wind. That was my experience.


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## nhluhr (Sep 9, 2010)

2Slo4U said:


> Harsh and a real handful in the wind. That was my experience.


Same. For such a shallow rim profile, they should be easier to deal with in winds, but the fat aluminum spokes and boxy rim profile make them more like a drag parachute. They do seem to be generally tough and durable though.


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## moskowe (Mar 14, 2011)

I think it was roues artisanales who found in their study of aerodynamics across wheelsets that ksyriums were the least aerodynamic of all the wheels they tested.

Found it, 2008, here.

Even if the study's a couple years old, from now on I don't bother with Ksyriums anymore. Overpriced, not very light, and terrible aerodynamics.


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## Zen Cyclery (Mar 10, 2009)

As mentioned, they are about as far from aero as you can get in a "high end" wheel set. They are comprised entirely of proprietary parts which makes replacing broken ones quite difficult. For the price, they're pretty darn heavy too.


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## MondoRock (Jul 28, 2009)

Regarding weight, assuming this is for the Kysrium SLR wheel set and not the R-Sys which weigh 1295 grams?


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## Camilo (Jun 23, 2007)

nhluhr said:


> Same. For such a shallow rim profile, they should be easier to deal with in winds, but the fat aluminum spokes and boxy rim profile make them more like a drag parachute. They do seem to be generally tough and durable though.


I don't know how they compare to Aksiums in they're general stucture, but my Aksiums are horrible in cross winds. I attribute it to the broad flat spokes. I have a set of rims that are much deeper (30mm), but with round spokes are so much better in cross winds. Also, much more stable and sure feeling going fast downhill because of that.


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## nhluhr (Sep 9, 2010)

Camilo said:


> I don't know how they compare to Aksiums in they're general stucture, but my Aksiums are horrible in cross winds. I attribute it to the broad flat spokes. I have a set of rims that are much deeper (30mm), but with round spokes are so much better in cross winds. Also, much more stable and sure feeling going fast downhill because of that.


Yeah I think you're correct. Flat bladed spokes are not a very good choice. An "aero profile" spoke such as those on Shimano wheels or the venerable Sapim CX-Ray type spokes will provide less drag AND present less of an issue in crosswinds.


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## Srinivasan (Feb 8, 2012)

For my purposes they are a very good deal used. They are good for climbing, they roll well and most important they are bullet proof. I have bought my second set on ebay for $350. The first pair held up well but the rear wheel spokes were loose which caused some instability, though the wheel stayed true. After the season I took the wheel to the LBS to retention the spokes and found that they could not be trued because eight spokes had seized. The parts are all proprietary and Mavic had stopped carrying parts. The seller was good enough to take the wheels back with a full refund. I bought a newer set of SSC SL's for the same price ($350). I will make sure to keep the spokes lubed so that they don't seize. Also the only time I did notice the cross wind issue was riding over a bridge on a particularly gusty day. It did keep me on my toes.


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