# 2011 Mavic R-Sys SLR - any good reviews??



## mdutcher (May 1, 2005)

I walked into my LBS the other day and was looking at their wheels. These wheels caught my eye right off the start. The all new Mavic R-Sys SLR. They come with Mavic specific tires as well. But what I really liked is the all black stealth look. The brake surface is even black. 

Needless to say, I liked them. I can't stop thinking about them. 

Have you guys seen them yet? Do you have any comments that you could share? What about any reviews on these wheels?

Thanks!


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## Zen Cyclery (Mar 10, 2009)

Ohh, in before the sh!t storm. Check out this link.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2009...ience-a-post-recall-r-sys-wheel-failure_93054


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## TomH (Oct 6, 2008)

They might be the worst wheel ever made.


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## Tissot (Feb 17, 2008)

Zen Cyclery said:


> Ohh, in before the sh!t storm. Check out this link.
> 
> http://velonews.competitor.com/2009...ience-a-post-recall-r-sys-wheel-failure_93054



I think he was asking about the one with SLR, not just R-sys.


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## alexb618 (Aug 24, 2006)

mdutcher said:


> I walked into my LBS the other day and was looking at their wheels. These wheels caught my eye right off the start. The all new Mavic R-Sys SLR. They come with Mavic specific tires as well. But what I really liked is the all black stealth look. The brake surface is even black.
> 
> Needless to say, I liked them. I can't stop thinking about them.
> 
> ...


the new exalith rims look amazing, i would go the ksyriums for obvious reasons though


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## Zen Cyclery (Mar 10, 2009)

Tissot said:


> I think he was asking about the one with SLR, not just R-sys.


Other than the failure, is there really a difference? I mean, the spokes are still the least aerodynamic on the market. The semi box shaped rim cuts through the wind like a sailboat. Additonally, they really arent that light, especially considering what they cost.


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## mdutcher (May 1, 2005)

Zen Cyclery said:


> Ohh, in before the sh!t storm. Check out this link.
> 
> http://velonews.competitor.com/2009...ience-a-post-recall-r-sys-wheel-failure_93054


Ok, my thread intention was not to be a bash session on this wheel system. I was truly looking for some constructive and informative reviews on the R-Sys SLR, if any.

The link that you have posted is old news and is only ONE incident of failure on the first generation R-Sys. Do you honestly feel that Mavic took a complacent approach with that review and with their products going forward?? I seriously doubt it.

So, I feel that it is probably too soon to see any good reviews on these wheels. Nevertheless, they still appear to look like they carry some great characteristics for another clincher option. Yes, they are not the lightest, but at about 1400 grams is not bad for an aluminum clincher. They may not be the most aero design for a wheelset either, but again, they are aluminum clinchers. Now the price is a little bit steep, but then again, it still might pique the interest of some. I am interested in trying them out.


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## mdutcher (May 1, 2005)

Zen Cyclery said:


> Other than the failure, is there really a difference? I mean, the spokes are still the least aerodynamic on the market. The semi box shaped rim cuts through the wind like a sailboat. Additonally, they really arent that light, especially considering what they cost.


I am curious... taking out cost, what would you define as a light aluminum clincher?

There are the Stan's Alpha wheelset that boasts 1200 grams for their wheels. That seems light to me. Are there many other options out there?


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## penn_rider (Jul 11, 2009)

The failure should be behind Mavic by now. Wheel tech ground has to be broken somewhere and I applaud their efforts, but I am still n the fence with the spokes. 

I really do not like to hear abut their spokes being less aerodynamic especially since most experts here always poo poo the idea of that being the main reason to buy a wheel.


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## ergott (Feb 26, 2006)

I've all but given up on this topic, but here is my rundown. Take it for what it is.

Pros
Reasonably light
Reasonably stiff

Cons
Expensive compared to competition (unless you find a closeout)
Not aerodynamic (spokes, rims)
Expensive to fix (if it can be done at all)
Hubs have mixed reviews. At best they require more than normal maintenance at the bushing


I'm assuming they have addressed the spoke issue because it's been pretty quiet. The concept of non tensioned spokes is still questionable. Lightweight, Madfiber and even Mavics CCU line are all tensioned carbon. Either way, when a spoke goes, you are in for a very expensive repair.

If they float your boat, go for it. If nothing goes wrong, that's great and probably likely to happen. If something goes wrong, you know what you got into.

-Eric


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## mdutcher (May 1, 2005)

ergott said:


> I've all but given up on this topic, but here is my rundown. Take it for what it is.
> 
> Pros
> Reasonably light
> ...



You do bring up a very valid point and concern and that is regarding the cost involved with fixing and maintaining. I am sure that the spokes can be fixed, if necessary, but it will be a costly bill, I am sure. Good point!

I still appreciate their ingenuity on the wheel design though. The spoke tension thing can make some weary, but I applaud them for the design concept... as I do many other wheel makers out there that are trying to make their wheels a little bit different than the rest.


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## DiegoMontoya (Apr 11, 2010)

One of you wheel "experts" tell Soler that he shouldn't be winning Tour stages on these R-sys wheels.

Really.


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## frdfandc (Nov 27, 2007)

DiegoMontoya said:


> One of you wheel "experts" tell Soler that he shouldn't be winning Tour stages on these R-sys wheels.
> 
> Really.



Thats only because he is paid to ride them. Not his choice. He rides what his contract tells him to ride. Really.


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## bent steel (Dec 28, 2007)

Plus, a sponsored racer can toss the garbage freehub after every ride and not wait for the stupid plastic bushing to start to wear out, wobble and slip. I used to think that Mavic was a well thought out design firm, but after owning a few sets of Mavic wheels (Ksyriums, no R-Sys), plus seeing how long they've stuck by the Open Pro without a redesign, I've got no interest of giving them anymore of my money.

The number of ways you could save money, weight and/or aerodynamics over R-Sys seem to great to list without crashing the RBR forum, but my opinion is that you should keep looking.


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## mdutcher (May 1, 2005)

frdfandc said:


> Thats only because he is paid to ride them. Not his choice. He rides what his contract tells him to ride.


True, but a team will not take on a set of equipment that has known issues or failures that would put their team or riders at risk. They still have a choice in that matter.

Granted, they will not use a set of equipment longer than a year and they have access to new items all of time. That is luxury that we don't have as most consumers hold onto their equipment for many years and hope that in year 2 or 3 that they perform still as great as they did in year one.

Although, I have had great success with Ksyriums over the years. The hub issues that are mentioned here did not ever really concern me nor have they posed any issues. Maybe I was lucky.


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## frdfandc (Nov 27, 2007)

mdutcher said:


> True, but a team will not take on a set of equipment that has known issues or failures that would put their team or riders at risk. They still have a choice in that matter.
> 
> Granted, they will not use a set of equipment longer than a year and they have access to new items all of time. That is luxury that we don't have as most consumers hold onto their equipment for many years and hope that in year 2 or 3 that they perform still as great as they did in year one.



No they will not. I agree with you there. But when a company is providing millions in product support and team sponsorships, sometimes the dollar gets the nod, instead of better judgement.


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## penn_rider (Jul 11, 2009)

Pros will also re-badge/brand components to use something else. Happens quite a bit, s I would say that they do have somewhat of a choice. Ambrosio's were re-badged to ride the cobbles....


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## ewitz (Sep 11, 2002)

Riders choose their wheels from what is available from the sponsor and what is best for the parcours. I'm sure Mavic didn't say that we want you to ride with a R-SYS front paired to a Cosmic Carbone Ultimate rear.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

i'm willing to bet a dollar that he flatted his front cosmic earlier in that stage, and the r-sys wheel either came from mavic neutral (very good chance) or from his team car (somewhat less of a chance).


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## ergott (Feb 26, 2006)

penn_rider said:


> Pros will also re-badge/brand components to use something else. Happens quite a bit, s I would say that they do have somewhat of a choice. Ambrosio's were re-badged to ride the cobbles....



Other than the cobble races, there is less of that going on. You even see more carbon wheels from the team sponsor there. Sponsors know there are more and more cameras and more and more websites to show off their product. They insist you use their gear now more than ever.

-Eric


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## natedg200202 (Sep 2, 2008)

I'm too lazy to check - do these still come with carbon fiber spokes?


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## mdutcher (May 1, 2005)

natedg200202 said:


> I'm too lazy to check - do these still come with carbon fiber spokes?



From Mavic's website: 

Light and resistant spokes: Tracomp carbon technology

So, I would say yes.


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## TomH (Oct 6, 2008)

Lets disregard that they've broken and have a wonky design, and just assume they'll be durable for the sake of comparison. 

In its class, they're not light. In its class is it stiffer than anything else? In its class its not aerodynamic at all. 

Even if you go outside of its class and compare them to much cheaper options. It is kinda light, but not really. Still loses out on aero, completely fails at serviceability.

Maybe subjectively "bling".. but these seem to more say "sucker" than bling. A set of high end campys is bling.. these just look like "I spent as much as possible to get the bottom rung". Comes off a lot like a gold dipped bicycle, or diamond studs on anything.

We can talk about innovation an ingenuity .. but these are round wheels with a bearing and axle in the center that hold a standard sized tire. I dont think they're very innovative (nor are most any other wheels), its kind of the same concept we've been using since the beginning of the 700c bicycle. 

Mavic likes to do things differently for the sake of doing it differently, even if its detrimental to the final product.


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## topflightpro (Nov 3, 2004)

As for the black Exalith rims - which was part of the original question - the jury is still out. These things have just started shipping with the Exalith rims, so no one really knows how good they are or how well they hold up or whether the Mavic brake pads are worth a damn.

That said, they black brake tracks do look pretty sweet.


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## mdutcher (May 1, 2005)

This has been a very helpful and useful thread thus far and I do appreciate the input.

I think that bottom line... 
1) for wheels in this class, there are definitely better options that will meet the criteria as outlined (ie, stiff, aero, light-weight, etc). 
2) Mavic makes a good quality product in the eyes of some, but not all. And there are pro teams that do use the product. 
3) Cost factor. These wheels are bling. MSRP is over $2K. If one were to buy them, then they are stating that they have paid a lot of money for some bling. I for one would not pay retail for these, but if my discount was right, then I would consider it solely based upon the looks of the wheels. I have to admit, I do like the looks. 
4) These are still new and I guess that I was too soon to ask for a truly constructive review done by some reliable source. So, time will tell.


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## terbennett (Apr 1, 2006)

mdutcher said:


> True, but a team will not take on a set of equipment that has known issues or failures that would put their team or riders at risk. They still have a choice in that matter.
> 
> Granted, they will not use a set of equipment longer than a year and they have access to new items all of time. That is luxury that we don't have as most consumers hold onto their equipment for many years and hope that in year 2 or 3 that they perform still as great as they did in year one.
> Although, I have had great success with Ksyriums over the years. The hub issues that are mentioned here did not ever really concern me nor have they posed any issues. Maybe I was lucky.


That's the same as the idea of buying another because it worked for you. You might have just gotten lucky. I used to work with a guy back in the early '90s that had a 1987 Hyundai Excel with over 200,000 trouble-free miles on it. Others I knew with them were lucky to get 50,000 miles before having any issues. Doesn't mean they are good cars.He was one of the lucky ones. One of my current riding buddies is riding on pre-recalled R-Sys that he never bothered replacing. He said he's had no issues so why replace them. Doesn't mean they were great either. Your case is different. Ksyrium and R-Sys are different wheels. The hub issue? Maybe it was just luck for you too but basing your experience on the Ksyriums with what you'd expect from an R-Sys is seems logical but past experiences dictates otherwise. The editor that ate crow when his R-Sys asploded was not the only one. It is noticed because it occured to someone in the media. There are plenty more. I would take heed to Ergott's comments.


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## mdutcher (May 1, 2005)

terbennett said:


> That's the same as the idea of buying another because it worked for you. You might have just gotten lucky. I used to work with a guy back in the early '90s that had a 1987 Hyundai Excel with over 200,000 trouble-free miles on it. Others I knew with them were lucky to get 50,000 miles before having any issues. Doesn't mean they are good cars.He was one of the lucky ones. One of my current riding buddies is riding on pre-recalled R-Sys that he never bothered replacing. He said he's had no issues so why replace them. Doesn't mean they were great either. Your case is different. Ksyrium and R-Sys are different wheels. The hub issue? Maybe it was just luck for you too but basing your experience on the Ksyriums with what you'd expect from an R-Sys is seems logical but past experiences dictates otherwise. The editor that ate crow when his R-Sys asploded was not the only one. It is noticed because it occured to someone in the media. There are plenty more. I would take heed to Ergott's comments.


Re: hub issues... I do understand that the hubs might be different between the Ksyrium and the R-Sys. For the Ksyrium, I would say that I was lucky if I had one set of wheels and had no issues. However, I have owned at least 7 sets of Ksyriums. I rode many of the sets for more than 3 years with no issues. I just recently sold my last set of Ksyriums SLs one of the first generations (black with the silver cutout - loved those wheels!). Those wheels looked well aged and have seen almost everything (including mounting them on my 29er MTB for a year and tearing up the trails!). The rear hub was serviced only once on that set of wheels. They were awesome and I am now regretting having sold them. Oh well. So, I personally have had great success with Mavic products. I am not biased toward Mavic, but I am biased toward eye catching wheels as over the last several years I have flipped many wheels as I have experimented with many different kinds.

I am not saying that I was ever ready to buy a set of these R-Sys SLR wheels. The thought had crossed my mind though. But for me, the cost is just too steep for a set of aluminum clinchers. You have to admit, there is a cool factor to these R-Sys SLRs in all black.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

topflightpro said:


> As for the black Exalith rims - which was part of the original question - the jury is still out. These things have just started shipping with the Exalith rims, so no one really knows how good they are or how well they hold up or whether the Mavic brake pads are worth a damn.
> 
> That said, they black brake tracks do look pretty sweet.


they do look sweet, too bad you can't get OP rims w/ same color. the pads are made by swisstop...


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## DiegoMontoya (Apr 11, 2010)

frdfandc said:


> Thats only because he is paid to ride them. Not his choice. He rides what his contract tells him to ride. Really.


No kidding, Sherlock. Point is, the wheels aren't holding him back. Good grief.


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## DiegoMontoya (Apr 11, 2010)

cxwrench said:


> i'm willing to bet a dollar that he flatted his front cosmic earlier in that stage, and the r-sys wheel either came from mavic neutral (very good chance) or from his team car (somewhat less of a chance).


Nope.



> What makes the Colombian's bike even more interesting is that he chooses to use a mix of wheels, namely a Cosmic Carbone Ultimate on the rear and the new R-Sys on the front.


http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/solers-mavic-wheel-combo-11777/


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## T K (Feb 11, 2009)

DiegoMontoya said:


> Nope.
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/solers-mavic-wheel-combo-11777/


Oh yes, Juan Moricio Soler. Isn't he the guy who came out of nowhere and started winning stages only to get busted for doping and is currently banned? Maybe he was clean after all, it was just his, I know somthing others don't wheel choice that made him so good!


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

this is a Mavic hatin' sub-forum BTW

just sayin'


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## Eyorerox (Feb 19, 2008)

Cost about the same to replace my Rsys spoke as it did my racing zero spoke
sold the Rsys wheels because of my concern of complete failure of the front wheel
A friend who was on a team that raced on them in france had many failures so I got out of Rsys with my collar bone intact (for now) Also does not fit Campag 11


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## terbennett (Apr 1, 2006)

mdutcher said:


> Re: hub issues... I do understand that the hubs might be different between the Ksyrium and the R-Sys. For the Ksyrium, I would say that I was lucky if I had one set of wheels and had no issues. However, I have owned at least 7 sets of Ksyriums. I rode many of the sets for more than 3 years with no issues. I just recently sold my last set of Ksyriums SLs one of the first generations (black with the silver cutout - loved those wheels!). Those wheels looked well aged and have seen almost everything (including mounting them on my 29er MTB for a year and tearing up the trails!). The rear hub was serviced only once on that set of wheels. They were awesome and I am now regretting having sold them. Oh well. So, I personally have had great success with Mavic products. I am not biased toward Mavic, but I am biased toward eye catching wheels as over the last several years I have flipped many wheels as I have experimented with many different kinds.
> 
> I am not saying that I was ever ready to buy a set of these R-Sys SLR wheels. The thought had crossed my mind though. But for me, the cost is just too steep for a set of aluminum clinchers. You have to admit, there is a cool factor to these R-Sys SLRs in all black.


I used to own Ksyriums SLs and I had the hub issues on three different back wheels. My understanding from people I know, the Gen 1s were darn near bulletproof. Shops have told me that the black ones were crap but everyone I know with them swear by them. The R-Sys have always been eye-candy but I still question their durability. Also, I agree with you about them being overpriced for aluminum clinchers and they do look good in all black..... really good.


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## TomH (Oct 6, 2008)

Salsa_Lover said:


> this is a Mavic hatin' sub-forum BTW
> 
> just sayin'


Its really not.. thats just the card people pull when they dont want to hear any criticism. If you think anyone has provided anything misleading for false, it would be better to address that than just blanket everyone as biased.

Campy makes similarly priced, high end/blingly/big budget wheels that no one really criticizes. Its not a coincidence.. campy isnt given a pass and mavic unfairly judged.


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## Pete H (Mar 18, 2009)

*Negative armchair experts here again !*

'MDutcher's' question was clear enough, all he/she wanted was a bit of info' on the current 2012 SLR wts wheelset.
We don't want to hear about why it's not light a lettuce or not aero enough or will the carbon spokes break, as this has been talked about enough already.
I wish a lot of contributors on these thread topics would do more research themselves, and not just repeat old news/hearsay -even try the wheels for themselves !

The R-Sys rear wheel type is designed primarily as a climbing wheel for different types of rider ability. That's what the 'Tracomp' spoke was designed for -to maximise stiffness & reduce rim deflection under the extra loads when climbing steep gradients.

I used some 2005 Ksyrium SL's (2nd gen) for a while, on my fast summer racer -i then bought a 2009 R-Sys (clincher)rear wheel, and noticed the difference immediately with the extra stiffness & power delivery !.
The weight of the std' Ksyriums is low, the lighter carbon hub types are lower still.
I didn't get the R-Sys for the aerodynamics or super low weight.
I currently live in a very hilly area of coastal Wales, UK, so the extra stiffness is very welcome -R-Sys arn't any more harsh than the Ksyrium Sl's were, which are quite reasonable.
( using Continental GP4000 & the excellent 4000s)

Mavic have taken note of rider feedback, to make the front R-Sys SLR wheel using the Zircal alloy spokes, for better aerodynamics than previous R-Sys wheelsets that had all Tracomp carbon spokes on front wheel, which was unnecessary.

The 1st generation R-Sys had some carbon spoke problems which were rectified in a recall, the R-Sys wheels since then have reinforced carbon spokes, and if any do get damaged while riding I.e. a collision with another rider -the rim will stay in shape to finish ride.
(see YouTube / R-Sys)

The new SLR's do look slick, I want some, but I will be moving to a flatter area soon, so might not be worth it.

'Exalith' metal treatment:
This is a relatively new metal treatment not like ordinary anodising, this new treatment is also used in other industries, Motorsport, power generators etc'.
It is a higher micron penetration process, created by very high voltage discharge to all the rim, which goes a lot deeper than most anodising types, strengthens the metal a lot more, takes a long time to wear down on the braking surface, gives excellent braking combined with a slight roughness machined in braking surface before treatment.


Regarding the discontinuance of Mavic's OPEN PRO CERAMIC rim recenty, I am trying to find out why the stopping of production of these great rims, wether Mavic will make a version of the Open Pro with the Exalith metal treatment is still uncertain.
It is hard to contact Mavic to find out.


I don't work for Mavic, in case some might wonder on the detailed info' I have given.


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## danl1 (Jul 23, 2005)

Pete H said:


> I didn't get the R-Sys for the aerodynamics or super low weight.
> I currently live in a very hilly area of coastal Wales, UK, so the extra stiffness is very welcome -R-Sys arn't any more harsh than the Ksyrium Sl's ...
> ( using Continental GP4000 & the excellent 4000s)
> 
> ...


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## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

Is it


Pete H said:


> Mavic have taken note of rider feedback, to make the front R-Sys SLR wheel using the Zircal alloy spokes


or 


> R-Sys wheels since then have reinforced carbon spokes


Moot point anyway. R-Sys=seemed like a good idea but wasn't.


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## T K (Feb 11, 2009)

Pete H said:


> The R-Sys rear wheel type is designed primarily as a climbing wheel.
> It is hard to contact Mavic .


I don't know about others, but most of my rides don't just go up hill.
And yes, from what I hear, it is hard to contact Mavic. Another reason I wouldn't buy them. 
And, nice pulling up a thread that's over a year old.
And one more thing.....


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## Ramjm_2000 (Jan 29, 2005)

Pete H said:


> Regarding the discontinuance of Mavic's OPEN PRO CERAMIC rim recenty, I am trying to find out why the stopping of production of these great rims, wether Mavic will make a version of the Open Pro with the Exalith metal treatment is still uncertain.
> It is hard to contact Mavic to find out.
> 
> 
> I don't work for Mavic, in case some might wonder on the detailed info' I have given.


According to my local rep and the company rep who posts on a different forum, don't hold your breath, they would rather selling systems vs. components.

JR


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## Pete H (Mar 18, 2009)

*To the condescending 'Danl1' & some others.*

To 'Danl1' & other less than helpful 'contributers',

So sorry to have added more comments to an old thread, but so fookin' what !

The main reason I posted plenty of detail -even if it is nothing that new about the R-Sys, was to give a balanced as possible review for new people or fairly new to cycling to get as much unbiased info' as I thought was useful.
As this website is called Road Bike REVIEW, the more it's contributors post the most constructive & personel REVIEWS the better, based on actually tried bike parts, and not just repeating rumours & half truths.
And not to treat these forums as just casual chat rooms with little substance in posts written -but nor am i suggesting it should be renamed bike geek review either.

To some of the sarcastic dopes that have just responded to my recent post on the Mavic wheels, a big point some people often forget, is such a big function of this website & other similar cycling website's is to try and get as many people interested in road cycling, mtb etc' as possible. 
Any snide remarks about what i recently posted, won't help new cycling people to choose their bike & bike parts/upgrades, they will think they are mere outsiders that should know the difference between a BB30 bottom bracket spec' & an Octalink type when interrogated on their first club ride, and if they don't know then it is a good excuse to shake your head in all knowing disgust & leave them at the back of the group !.

Some of you happy contributors should be glad I am giving plenty of detail in any reviews I post, instead of saying 'oh that bike part is ****, don't like the colour'...without qualifying the comments with proper pro's & cons'. Some contributors might not be fookin' bothered to say something usefull in a product post, but I am.

Lastly to the person who said I contradicted my comments on the R-Sys stiffness, you know damn well I meant lateral stiffness was very good, vertical rim compliance was good, as in the rear rim has enough vertical 'give' to soak up road roughness fairly well, as a posed to an old style deep section alloy rim, that has no give, is harsh, as aluminium is well known to have harsh ride quality at times I.e. a badly designed or cheap alloy bike frame can have.

I won't reply to any other petty comments on this site regarding the R-Sys.


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## natedg200202 (Sep 2, 2008)

four hundred and twenty four words. He he he - That's awesome!!

Those R-Sys wheels will have you spitting up blood soon enough!


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## T K (Feb 11, 2009)

natedg200202 said:


> four hundred and twenty four words. He he he - That's awesome!!
> 
> Those R-Sys wheels will have you spitting up blood soon enough!


Uh oh, you just joined us "sarcastic dopes"!:thumbsup:


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## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

Pete H said:


> you know damn well


Shouldn't that be "you know fookin' well"?


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## Svooterz (Jul 29, 2006)

Cinelli 82220 said:


> Shouldn't that be "you know fookin' well"?


Seriously, I think the guy's right to be annoyed at the way his comment was treated. I mean, some of us may disagree with his views about the R-Sys (a design which I distrust myself), but why make fun of him?

Anyway, some more useful info about the R-Sys :
3 of my friends (all amateur racers) have used them and all 3 of them have had repeated problems with cracked spokes, on both pre and post-recall type spokes. 

This problem seems to be caused by the fact that being under very little tension, the spoke nuts loosen easily due to vibrations... And then, when they loosen, the rim barely gets out of true, thanks to the Tracomp technology. However, these loose spokes react poorly to loads and they crack. That's how it seemed to happen for all three guys.

Of course, 3 dudes isn't a big sample, but it suggests a trend. I would not recommend the use of R-Sys wheels where pavement quality (or lack thereof) is a big concern. The vibrations due to bad roads can easily loosen the spoke nuts, potentially leading to cracked spokes.

When the spokes aren't slack though, they are definitly a helluva stiff wheelset!


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## gordy748 (Feb 11, 2007)

Wow, a whole lotta emotion going on here.

I personally quite like the look of the new Mavic wheelsets, I think they're probably pretty decent performers too. But the price is ridiculous for their weight and aerodynamic properties. And they are not nearly worth their price for stiffness alone; a custom wheelset will be just as stiff for half the price, and you still get a Mavic rim!

So for me, I'll pass on them. For the price of a single pair of Mavic SLRs, I can instead get 2 custom wheelsets (race & training) and enough money left over for 3 years of FMB tubulars. For me there is simply no comparison. For others, well it's your cash. Spend it how you like.


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## danl1 (Jul 23, 2005)

OK, so I was having a bit of fun with the way I worded it. Apologies for having a sense of humor. 

Now that you've clarified so that I know darned well what you mean...

The notion that they can create additional lateral stiffness without creating additional vertical stiffness is an impossibility to anyone that stayed awake during geometry class. Well, perhaps you'd need enough physics to understand force vectoring as well, but most folks can work out one from the other.

There, was that more helpful and less condescending - or is the real intent of your review to opine that Mavic has discovered a way to avoid the basic laws or physics?

All well to have your opinions, and subjective comments on 'feel' are perfectly valid. Just so long as they aren't portrayed or defended as clearly false 'facts.'


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## kmmalek (Apr 21, 2012)

Pete H,

Thank you for the detailed info. I, for one new member, appreciate it greatly.


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## ergott (Feb 26, 2006)

Pete H said:


> Some of you happy contributors should be glad I am giving plenty of detail in any reviews I post, instead of saying 'oh that bike part is ****, don't like the colour'...without qualifying the comments with proper pro's & cons'. Some contributors might not be fookin' bothered to say something usefull in a product post, but I am.


You aren't giving a review of the wheels. You said yourself you don't even own them. There is nothing wrong with people pointing out what they do not like about the wheels. As you said, they are wheels primarily designed for climbing. In fact, they are also being used for cycloross successfully. As others have stated, very few people do hill climbs. Most riding includes flat terrain, rolling terrain and the backside of those climbs. In all of these conditions, a more aero wheel will be faster. Most people are concerned with speed when they drop over a thousand dollars on a set of wheels. It's fine if people don't mind the disadvantage, but there's nothing wrong with stating those facts.



> Mavic have taken note of rider feedback, to make the front R-Sys SLR wheel using the Zircal alloy spokes, for better aerodynamics than previous R-Sys wheelsets that had all Tracomp carbon spokes on front wheel, which was unnecessary.


That is incorrect. The R-sys wheels still use round, carbon spokes for the front wheel. They wouldn't be R-sys wheels with Zircal spokes, they would be Ksyriums. The rear, drive side of the R-sys are Zircal because it's safer to have Zircal spokes hit by an incorrectly adjusted rear derailleur or worse a thrown chain. Correct me if I'm wrong, but they always has Zircal spokes there and that wasn't a running change in design.


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## bernithebiker (Sep 26, 2011)

I have Mavic Cosmic Carbon Ultimates and am very happy with them as they are light, reasonably aero, and look good.

HOWEVER, I have big doubts about the bushing in the freehub. Mavic replaced mine FOC, even though I bought the wheels 2nd hand. But this is a design that sucks, and they should change it, you should never have play, however little in the cassette area.

Also, the bearing preloader down at the hub on each wheel has a tendancy to loosen off so you start to feel a little side to side play in the wheel. This is easily corrected, you just tighten the preload nut with the special tool (or a pair of circlip pliers!), but again, it's not a great design.

But overall, I like 'em. It seems to me that they're a poor man's Lightweight's. Very similar construction method, very similar weight. A lot cheaper.

But like many European products, Mavic are overpriced in the US. I think there is a certain 'cool factor' in the US for exotic European products, sometimes justified, sometimes not. 

Here, I think not.


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## lpnnlp (Mar 7, 2012)

*I own a set*

I have a set of R-Sys SL for over a year now, so, unlike many of you backseat know-it-alls, I actually have first hand experience with these. I have run Michelin Pro3 and now Pro4 tires on them. I weigh 240 lbs.... yes, I will repeat, 240 lbs. I ride a Kestrel RT-900SL with DA7900.

My other set of wheels is Ksyrium ES (SL.) I have had other wheels over the years including several other Ksyriums, a few mid and low grade Shimano, and some other stuff that I rather forget.

I can best describe the R-Sys as it would relate to a new BMW with sport package and a fresh set of supple summer tires. Its both communicative and compliant at the same time. Some of you will know what I am talking about here.

With other wheels, my experience has been that as the tension increases, the harshness increases too, with a corresponding loss of communication with the ground. In other words, there is more noise and less signal. My Ksyrium ES is a good example of this. I need all the stiffness I can get with the weight and torque, but I end up with no feeling at the limits in the corners. Well, not much feeling at any time, but it's not a big deal on the straights or at 6/10 in the turns. But at 8/10 and better, I need info, and the high tension wheels simple don't have it.

The R-Sys does the impossible: stiffness and low tension. The rear is stiffer than the ES/SL for power transfer, yet it is not as harsh. The real gem though is the front wheel. It communicates so well at all times, and particularly well at the limits of adhesion. I can practically feel the grains below the tires with a resolution and clarity that I never though possible. It inspires great confidence in the turns. You know where you are, and how much is left, every time, all the time. No harshness, no fatigue, just information.

As far as aerodynamic drag is concerned, I haven't noticed a problem. My body is a much bigger problem than the spokes. I will say this however, that the rear is so much more efficient than an ES/SL wheel, that if there is more drag on the spokes, the efficiency of the rear more than makes up for it.

Before I purchase these, I, too, saw the wind tunnel data suggesting that they are the worst. The problem is that wheels don't roll all by their own on the road. They are part of a bicycle/rider system, so one would have to do A/B testing on the same setup with a rider included, and then those results are valid only for that particular wheel/bike/rider combo. I decided not to worry about this and took the plunge. I am very happy for it.

The SLR should add superior braking performance to these wheels, so if you can get them way below MSRP, it's a great way to go.

To the poster who has, three, THREE, friends with R-Sys wheels, no less: I doubt the spokes cracked because they rotated. The spokes are locked not only at the nipple, but also at the hub. The way you crack these spokes is to try to true the wheel without removing the lockring in the hub. The torsional stress cracks them.


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## nightfend (Mar 15, 2009)

Also, there seems to be some confusion on Mavic's current wheel line up. The newest Ksyriums (The Ksyrium SLRs) use a R-Sys rear wheel, and what would be considered a standard Ksyrium ES front wheel, and both rims are treated with an exalith coating.

The R-Sys SLR's are different. While they share the same rear wheel as the Ksyrium SLR, the front is the standard R-Sys carbon spoked wheel.

If I were to choose between these two wheel systems, I'd choose hte Ksyrium SLR. The reason being that most of the benefit of the R-Sys wheels come from the stiffness and lightness of the rear wheel. Also, you get slightly better aerodynamics with the Zyrcal aluminum spokes.


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## Svooterz (Jul 29, 2006)

lpnnlp said:


> To the poster who has, three, THREE, friends with R-Sys wheels, no less: I doubt the spokes cracked because they rotated. The spokes are locked not only at the nipple, but also at the hub. The way you crack these spokes is to try to true the wheel without removing the lockring in the hub. The torsional stress cracks them.


That poster would be me and your explanation is plausible. Two of the three do their own wrenching and at least one of them is not careful when he works on his stuff. He has been gifted with the ability to destroy equipment when he maintains it. The other works carefully, but might not have known that he had to remove the lockrings. The last one always brings his stuff to the shop, but could the shop mechanics have done a sloppy job? Possible, indeed.

I thought road vibration and subsequent spoke loosening was the recurrent issue, but maybe trueing without removing the lockrings has been their undoing. It makes perfect sense that the torsionnal stress would crack these tubular spokes, especially one the unidirectionnal carbon spokes like those of the 1st gen wheels... Which they all had. Out of all the cracked spokes, I think only 1 of the 3 guys had one on a recalled front wheel with gen 2 spokes.

It does put all of these breakages into perspective. Thanks for your input!


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