The new Mavic Cosmic Carbone SLR is possibly our favorite model in the road lineup with its excellent combination of light weight, noticeably speedy aerodynamics and clincher convenience.James Huang
The bonded carbon cap hides a new aluminum rim that is milled in between the spoke holes to shave weight.James Huang
New ‘rim to rim’ carbon fiber spokes are much lighter than steel and feel noticeably slippery at high speed.James Huang
The hubs can be made lighter, too, since the spokes don’t really anchor there anymore.James Huang
The R2R construction technique also yields slimmer hub flanges for a better aerodynamic profile.James Huang
Even though the spokes are carbon, the wheel can still be trued thanks to threaded ends and internal nipples.James Huang
The mid-range Ksyrium Elite arguably gets the biggest upgrade of the range with substantially lighter weights for ’09.James Huang
ISM-treated rims take off weight where it’s most noticeable.James Huang
The rear rim is now asymmetrical, too, for more even spoke tension.James Huang
The Ksyrium Elite also gets new hubs for ’09.James Huang
It’s a detail that most don’t even think about but it’s significant nonetheless; the ’09 Ksyrium Elite now gets Mavic’s higher-end skewers, too.James Huang
A new R-SYS Premium model will wear a sleek new black finish.James Huang
A few grams are shaved with titanium axle ends and titanium-shafted skewers.James Huang
The R-SYS Premium’s carbon hub caps don’t offer much functional advantage over the aluminum ones but they sure look cool.James Huang
Mavic moves into the footwear market with a complete line of road and mountain models for ’09.James Huang
The intriguing Energy Lock system arches up and over the back of the heel to lock it in place.James Huang
The lightest models even use titanium cleat inserts to shave precious grams.James Huang
Current Adidas users will find the Ergo Strap system familiar.James Huang
We don’t know how well these new buckles work just yet but they’re at least small and tidy.James Huang
The lightest Huez model is claimed to weigh just 195g for a single UK sz8.5 shoe.James Huang
The Huez’ Ergo Lite upper looks fragile but feels surprisingly sturdy.James Huang
Mavic’s Energy Frame upper uses almost no conventional seams to minimize irritation.James Huang
The Mavic label will also grace a complete line of apparel and will be headed by the ultra-techy Altium line.James Huang
The lightweight Helium jersey even uses mesh pockets to save weight.James Huang
Laser-cut holes add ventilation without adding extra stitching.James Huang
The Plasma jersey looks to be Mavic’s best ventilated piece for hot summer days.James Huang
Thankfully, Mavic will offer a women’s version of the Altium lineup.James Huang
Mavic will also offer a comprehensive range of outerwear from ultra-lightweight shells to beefier models such as this one.James Huang
A unique XL Vent feature allows for more ventilation without opening up yourself to the elements too much.James Huang
For 2009 Mavic has a host of new road wheels including a lighter Cosmic Carbone, and makes a surprise jump into clothing and footwear.
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Lighter aero road wheels at the top end…
Mavic’s new 2009 Cosmic Carbone SLR wheel may end up being our overall top pick for a do-everything race wheel that can still be used everyday, even though the Cosmic Carbone Ultimate remains at the top of the range.
At just 1595g per pair (without skewers), the SLR lops 175g from last year’s Cosmic Carbone SL and is now light enough to consider for many climbing-intensive events.
The SLR is faster, too, thanks to new flat carbon fiber spokes that span from one side of the rim to the other. This new layout, called R2R (Rim to Rim), also makes for sleeker and lighter hub shells since the conventional spoke anchoring points are eliminated. Threaded ends and internal nipples still allow for relatively easy truing, too.
The r2r construction technique also yields slimmer hub flanges for a better aerodynamic profile. : the r2r construction technique also yields slimmer hub flanges for a better aerodynamic profile.James Huang
Mavic will only offer the Cosmic Carbone SLR in clincher versions. While a bit heavier than an equivalent tubular, this setup yields far better day-to-day livability and the newly ISM-enhanced (Inter Spoke Milling) aluminum rim extrusion (20-25g lighter than last year) also offers more consistent braking performance than full-carbon hoops. Suggested retail is US$1,999.
A new rim extrusion also finds its way on to a revised Cosmic Carbone SL whose weight drops to 1740g per pair. There are no upgrades otherwise for ’09 but there’s a significant US$300 price drop; suggested retail is now just US$1,199. The speedy Comete disc rear wheel loses about 90g, too, thanks to lighter carbon skins and a slimmer aluminum axle.
During our brief test ride (on familiar roads for once), we found the SLR to be surprisingly comfortable in spite of its section depth as well as blazingly fast as we careened down Left Hand Canyon. The weight felt more than reasonable as we crested the last rise over Old Stage heading back into town, too, and the R2R construction delivered a wonderfully snappy feel. If we could only have one Mavic road wheel in our quiver, this would definitely be it.
…and better value in the middle
The mid-range ksyrium elite arguably gets the biggest upgrade of the range with substantially lighter weights for ’09. : the mid-range ksyrium elite arguably gets the biggest upgrade of the range with substantially lighter weights for ’09.James Huang
Riders looking for mid-range wheels arguably reap the biggest rewards from Mavic’s new range with the revamped Ksyrium Elite, which morphs from a rather portly also-ran to a bona fide contender for your hard-earned money. The ’09 version loses a whopping 140g per pair while the upgraded skewers subtract another 35g or so.
The Inter Spoke Milling (ISM) feature previously reserved for the more expensive Ksryium models now finds it way here, too.
Even better is the fact that suggested retail prices climb only US$25 to US$625 and US$650 for the silver or black-anodized finishes, respectively.
The rest of the Mavic road lineup carries over into the new model year although the R-SYS gains a new R-SYS Premium variant with titanium axle ends and skewers, carbon fiber dust caps and a stealthy new black finish. Retail costs climb US$100 on this model to US$1,499.
Best foot forward in new shoes
Mavic moves into the footwear market with a complete line of road and mountain models for ’09. : mavic moves into the footwear market with a complete line of road and mountain models for ’09.James Huang
On first impressions at least, Mavic’s new line of shoes belies its first-year status. That’s no surprise. Mavic is owned by Adidas-Saloman and it’s likely there’s been plenty of cross-fertilisation of ideas between Mavi’s and adidas’s shoes.
Interesting features on several models include the carbon fiber Energy Lock external heel counter which aims to mechanically anchor the heel in place; semi-rigid Energy Frame construction around the rear of the foot for better support; bonded uppers that virtually eliminate all seams; and rigid Energy carbon fiber sole plates, some of which are fitted with titanium cleat inserts.
The unique Ergo Strap forefoot straps will certainly be familiar to current Adidas wearers although the Ergo Fit insoles (which use up to five layers in top models) are new.
The lightest road model, the Huez, is claimed to weigh just 195g each for a UK sz8.5 while other high-end models hover between 250g and 300g apiece.
New clothing range includes high-tech fabrics & women’s gear
The mavic label will also grace a complete line of apparel and will be headed by the ultra-techy altium line. : the mavic label will also grace a complete line of apparel and will be headed by the ultra-techy altium line.James Huang
Rounding out the range for 2009 is a full line of clothing, too, captained by the ultra-techy Altium range. These pieces will serve as showcases for Mavic’s most cutting-edge technologies and fabrics, such as a nearly-seamless pair of bib shorts, ultra-lightweight jerseys and laser-cut ventilation holes. There will be an Altium line for women, too, in addition to comprehensive lines of mountain bike-specific gear and outerwear.
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Do wet need yet another range of cycling clothing? Maybe not, but we saw enough interesting detail in our brief encounter to pique our interest so we’ll keep you posted. The clothing, shoes and wheels should begin arriving in stores around September.
