They’re not exactly light but Mavic have shaved a bit of weight from their entry-level Aksiums by using a sleeve joint instead of pinning the rim.
With their deeply bladed spokes they look aero, and they have a loud freewheel noise – perhaps magnified by the steel reinforcement Mavic have put between pawls and hub body.
The wheels are true, with very highly tensioned straight-pull spokes and reasonable consistency, and the cartridge bearing hubs are smooth.
On the road, the Aksiums are up to the task for most types of road riding, save for racing. They handle well, they're a bit aero and weight isn't that big of a deal unless you're trying to shave seconds off your favourite hill climbs.
In the past we've had durability problems with the Aksium hubs wearing out long before anything else on the wheels. Thankfully Mavic have addressed this issue over the years, and the current model Aksiums don't suffer from premature hub wear.