Road tubeless is no longer rare, but all-carbon wheels with the hubs, spokes and rims bonded together sure are. (Think über-light and über-expensive Lightweight.) And full-carbon wheels that are tubeless? As of now, Mavic owns that unicorn of a category with the new Cosmic Ultimate UST wheels, which weigh a claimed 1,310g with 40mm rims.
Last year, Mavic jumped into the road tubeless game with UST wheels and Hutchinson-made tires sold as a system. Being able to control both the rim and tire dimensions allowed the French company to move into a category it was apprehensive about because of the varying standards among wheel builders and tire manufactures. Mavic claimed its Yksion Pro UST 25 and 28mm tires with its road UST wheels made for a safer, easier system than others available, a concept that generated plenty of discussion.
Now Mavic is bringing that tire-plus-wheel road UST concept to its all-carbon wheel, the Cosmic Ultimate.
Mavic also launched a complementary range of Cosmic Ultimate products including an aero helmet, shoes and clothing.
For now, pricing is only available in Euros.
Mavic Cosmic Ultimate UST
Made with a 26mm-wide NACA, 40mm-deep, 19mm internal width rim, the Mavic Cosmic Ultimate UST weighs a claimed 1,310g and retails for an eye-popping $4,250 / €3,500.
In terms of aerodynamics, Mavic claims its Cosmic Ultimate USTs have lower drag than the similar depth Zipp 303 Firecrest, ENVE SES 4.5 and Bontrager Aeolus 3 when using an unspecified weighted average. When looking at Mavic's own chart, though, the Bontrager Aeolus appear faster or the same as the Cosmic Ultimates in all the yaw angles tested except for 5 and -5.
The carbon hubs spin on aluminum axles and sealed bearings. The carbon hubs are bonded to flat carbon spokes, which are anchored in the rim. You will find no metal spokes with nipples here.
The carbon rim is built around a foam core. Eliminating spokes holes in the rim bed aids the tubeless construction.The brake track uses what Mavic calls ITgMax. The company uses laser to burn off the outer layer of resin, leaving bare carbon for braking.
The Cosmic Ultimate UST rear hub is ready for Shimano/SRAM out of the box, and convertible to Campagnolo and XD-R with another driver body.
Mavic Yksion Pro UST tires
Made by Hutchinson with the French company's new 11Storm Compound, the Yksion Pro UST 127tpi tires come in 25mm (260g) and 28mm (290g) options. The wheels come with a pair of 25mm tires, plus titanium skewers.
Mavic Cosmic Ultimate aero helmet
Weighing a claimed 215g in size Medium, Mavic's new aero helmet has what the company calls EPS 4D padding, which it claims offers 30% more impact absorption than standard EPS.
The standard version is €250 and the MIPS helmet is €270.
Mavic Cosmic Ultimate SL shoes
Build on a new last with a wider toe box than existing Mavic road shoes, the Cosmic Ultimate SL shoes have a single BOA closure and a low cut under the ankles.
A size 42 weighs a claimed 199g. Mavic says its new sole shaved 10g off the previous iteration.
Stack height remains a low 6.5mm.
The €380 shoes come in white and black as well as the loud-and-proud yellow version. A women's model is available in white.
Cosmic Ultimate GTX jacket
Gore-Tex's Active fabric with Shakedry is the current hot ticket for ultralight, breathable rain jackets, and now Mavic has its own version with the Cosmic Ultimate GTX. This 95g jacket costs €350.
As with Castelli and 7mesh, which also use the Active with Shakedry, Mavic adds its own tailoring and touches to the fabric.
There is reflective piping along the lower hem,articulated sleeves and stretchy side panels.
The jacket packs down small into an integrated pouch.
Cosmic Ultimate Insulated SL vest
Although not waterproof, the water-resistant Cosmic Ultimate Insulated SL vest is DWR treated to keep water off. But its main purpose is windblock for the torso with a bit of Coreloft 40 insulation, which is made with siliconized polyester yarn. The end result, Mavic claims, is a warm, light, highly packable piece.
The 80g vest has an exterior chest pocket.
