Road Wheels: Mavic Ksyrium SLR or Shimano Dura Ace C24?
- Thread starter earlrise
- Start date
I'm going to get burned for saying this, but I'd take the Ksyriums. They're stiffer, the rims and spokes are more rugged, and the bearings are as good as any. The cassette body is poor design, granted, but once you get int the habit of its annual overhaul, it's no big deal.
Instead of turning on greased sealed steel bearings like everybody else's, the Mavic cassette body turns on a coated plastic bushing lubricated with a light oil. While it has a seal, dirt gets inside; this, plus the residue from pawl wear, turns the lube into a gunky mess.Most riders I know ignore their hubs until one day they're blasting down a long hill and the cassette body makes grinding or screeching noises, or starts to stop freewheeling, causing a bad case of chain suck. Or, if they're lucky, the bushing just gets worn enough that the cassette wobbles and rattles, and they think their rear derailleurs are broken. Replacement bodies are about $100 retail.
The cure is preventive maintenance. Mavic specifies 1500 mile intervals, but annually or whenever you replace the cassette will prevent the catastrophic failure and add perhaps a decade of life before the wobbles set it. It's a simple matter of removing the cassette, removing the body, making sure the pawl springs don't launch themselves across the workbench, cleaning it (and the pawls), lubing it, and putting it back together. Eventually, the thing will wear out, but they all do.
The cure is preventive maintenance. Mavic specifies 1500 mile intervals, but annually or whenever you replace the cassette will prevent the catastrophic failure and add perhaps a decade of life before the wobbles set it. It's a simple matter of removing the cassette, removing the body, making sure the pawl springs don't launch themselves across the workbench, cleaning it (and the pawls), lubing it, and putting it back together. Eventually, the thing will wear out, but they all do.
The outboard Mavic freehub body is supported with a ball bearing. The inboard end turns on a Delrin bushing ring as OBC described. After about 10,000 miles I tore my Aksiums apart to service them. The bushing was not worn at all, the OEM lubricant was still fairly clean and the seal was in like-new condition, soft and pliable. A cleaning and re-lubrication was all that was required. 1/2 hour job requiring only Allen keys and a couple open end wrenches. Go to YouTube and watch the videos on how to disassemble and service the Mavic freehub. It's a simple process and usually the worst case scenario requires replacing the Delrin bushing ring and maybe the seal. The freehub body, itself, is a thin wall steel investment casting and is pretty durable when compared to some of the aluminum models on the market.
Art's has Mavic freehubs (body, bearing, bushing, seal) for $35 and most online retailers list them for $60 or so. Complete rebuild kits (pawls, pawl springs, seals, bushing,) run around $30-35. The bushing, alone, sells for around $15. For those so inclined, Hub Doctor sells ceramic and standard steel ball bearing replacements for the bushing: http://www.ebay.com/sch/sis.html?_nkw=NEW%20HUBDOCTOR%20PRO%20MAVIC%20FREEHUB%20FULL%20HYBRID%20CERAMIC&_itemId=330381984537
Thanks everyone for the advice.
CampyBob do those kits to replace the bushings work? They seem the best idea if I'm honest but wondered if you had fitted or had experience of using these?
What do folks think about going down the custom route as an alternative - Pancenti SL23rims on DT Swiss 240 hubs or something similar?
cheers
CampyBob do those kits to replace the bushings work? They seem the best idea if I'm honest but wondered if you had fitted or had experience of using these?
What do folks think about going down the custom route as an alternative - Pancenti SL23rims on DT Swiss 240 hubs or something similar?
cheers
I have not had to replace my OEM bushing so I have no first hand information to give you regarding Hub Doctor's bearing replacement kit. Online reviews seem to be very positive.
The Pancenti SL23 Rim is interesting. On a pair of Campy, King or DT hubs...a worthy choice.
The Pancenti SL23 Rim is interesting. On a pair of Campy, King or DT hubs...a worthy choice.
What's the appeal of the Ksyriums? There are better wheels for the money (or even for less money), but everyone goes out and buys Ksyriums anyway. I swear at least 50-60% of the riders at every group ride are rocking some model of Ksyrium. The C24's are $600-900 cheaper, yet are lighter, spin on infinitely nicer hubs, are more aero, and (subjectively) far better looking. All of that might not be as important in a training wheelset, but surely the massive cost difference is.
Here's another option that's far cheaper than the Mavics, equally indestructable, very stiff, and just like the C24s, look infinitely better.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/campagnolo-shamal-ultra-road-wheelset-2014/rp-prod88919
Even cheaper:
http://www.wiggle.com/campagnolo-shamal-ultra-mega-g3-clincher-wheelset/
Here's another option that's far cheaper than the Mavics, equally indestructable, very stiff, and just like the C24s, look infinitely better.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/campagnolo-shamal-ultra-road-wheelset-2014/rp-prod88919
Even cheaper:
http://www.wiggle.com/campagnolo-shamal-ultra-mega-g3-clincher-wheelset/
Quote by AyeYo:
"What's the appeal of the Ksyriums?"
Availability. Durability. Replacement parts. Some outfit just had the low-end K-Elite S versions on sale for $479. Sure, you can blow a lot more on the K-line, but most folks around here ride the lower end of the line.
Personally, I find Mavic wheels a little on the low side of spoke tension and they feel a bit soft...but...I can't seem to kill these slutty Aksiums I've spent the last three seasons on. So maybe add 'value' ($199 on sale w/tires & tubes) for a decent training wheel that lasts through three seasons of Ohio's craptastic roads!) to the the reasons Mavic appeals to many riders.
Oh...and it AIN'T
shimaNO!
"What's the appeal of the Ksyriums?"
Availability. Durability. Replacement parts. Some outfit just had the low-end K-Elite S versions on sale for $479. Sure, you can blow a lot more on the K-line, but most folks around here ride the lower end of the line.
Personally, I find Mavic wheels a little on the low side of spoke tension and they feel a bit soft...but...I can't seem to kill these slutty Aksiums I've spent the last three seasons on. So maybe add 'value' ($199 on sale w/tires & tubes) for a decent training wheel that lasts through three seasons of Ohio's craptastic roads!) to the the reasons Mavic appeals to many riders.
Oh...and it AIN'T
If the price is right for you and you have a good builder in mind, custom wheels could be best. DT240 hubs are excellent.
I'm looking forward to the day my Bontrager Race Lites (a very good hub with so-so rims) start breaking spokes so I can re-lace them with the rim and spokes of my choice.
I like Shimano hubs, but I've found the midrange wheels to be a bit flexy and the rims fragile. At least now, Shimano is putting the nipple at the right end of the spoke. It's mainly that I've been abusing my Ksyrium SLs for five years and they've never complained.
Quote by OBC:
"I've been abusing my Ksyrium SLs for five years and they've never complained."
I suspect this is the primary reason so many riders are on the somewhat 'mediocre" Mavics. They just seem to roll on with little asked from the owner.
Get up off your ass when you see a big hole in the road and keep a little air in the tires. I've built lots of wheels over the years and I could not expect more from an inexpensive factory wheel (machine-built, in the case of Aksiums) than what Mavic sells.
"I've been abusing my Ksyrium SLs for five years and they've never complained."
I suspect this is the primary reason so many riders are on the somewhat 'mediocre" Mavics. They just seem to roll on with little asked from the owner.
Get up off your ass when you see a big hole in the road and keep a little air in the tires. I've built lots of wheels over the years and I could not expect more from an inexpensive factory wheel (machine-built, in the case of Aksiums) than what Mavic sells.
I always said I'd replace mine with something better after they crapped the bed. And they haven't. What's not to like about a sub-1500g wheel set that can be had for less than $900, that keeps on rolling with a stupid $25 maintenance procedure once a year?
Would definitely go with the C24s. Hubs are better, wheels are more compliant/less harsh, spin up faster and a touch less expensive. I've ridden both and much prefer the C24s
Like CB I have been running Aksiums for a good long while. After a few seasons the non-drive side rear spokes started breaking on both of my sets. I bought a bag of 32 custom cut straight gauge, straight pull spokes for $25 off ebay and replaced all the nds rear spokes and they are still going strong.
The design of the wheel and hub make spoke replacement very easy. I could replace all 10 nds spoke on a wheel and true it in less than 1/2 hour. Spokes can be replaced without even removing the wheel from the bike.
The design of the wheel and hub make spoke replacement very easy. I could replace all 10 nds spoke on a wheel and true it in less than 1/2 hour. Spokes can be replaced without even removing the wheel from the bike.
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