30/08/2013 01:04
Mavic is a very wellknown producer of strong and high quality wheels. I have been riding on their budgetwheels known as Cosmic Elite Clincher, which came with my 2012 Scott Foil. A 30 mm profile wheelset, that is fine for the everyday ride, and for the riders who don’t want to spend much money on what is “just a pair of wheels”. They come in at around 1770 grams per set, which makes them a bit high in the weight, but at the price of around 300 euro per set, what to expect?
On the road
So, how do they feel on the road? Well, they feel better than they on paper should feel. Somehow, the weight does not feel that big. The acceleration is rather okay, especially when taking the price and weight into account. Of course, there is a big list of wheels better suited for a lighter and better acceleration, but these will do that just fine.
Aerodynamicwise, they do not seem to get much worse than other wheels when the speeds grows above 40-50 km/h. That is mostly because of aerodynamic spokes. Spokes that also are very stiff. I have not felt any flex in the wheels yet, so they are doing that job very well.
One bad thing I have to point out about them is, that I tried doing a test, where I had the Cosmic Elite and a pair of very cheap Alex Rims, and tried to see, which of the rearwheels would spin for the longest time if I started them at the same time. I was very surprised to see that the Alex Rims actually rolled for a longer time. Of course they weigh a bit more (2 kg per set), but I would have expected the hubs to be off a better quality than expected. They do not feel that bad on the road, but I must say that there is a mile in difference between these, and wheels like Shimano C35 Dura Ace wheels, when it comes to maintaining speed. Those wheels are twice as expensive, so that is of course expected, but so would I have thought about the 100 euro Alex Rims, where they actually seems to be better at maintaining speed than the Cosmic Elite. But, let’s remember, that it’s the legs that has to do the talk. Therefore, a good rider on these will still kick the ass of a normal rider on a pair of Lightweight Obermeyer.
And let’s be fair, these wheels were never meant for racing anyway, but as the everyday training wheel that has to deal with all the torture a rider can give them, and still don’t fail on you. For this purpose, they are doing the job as they should. Better than expected actually. They are very VERY solid. I have been getting some beating that none of my other wheels has gone through, but they are still straight as the first day I got them. Mavics wheels are just somewhat indestructible, so if you want very strong trainingwheels, the Cosmic Elite is a winner.
The verdict
The Mavic Cosmic Elite Clincher wheels are perfect for everyday training, and/or for the rider that wants a wheelset that just does not break when it gets tortured. It will be your very best friend on a harsh ride on cobbles, and bad roads. The hubs are not as good as expected, but that is more or less the only downside on this wheelset. They are a rocksolid, overall decent performing wheelset, for a very good price. Therefore, if you are looking for a cheap longlasting wheelset, this is definitely a good choice.
Written by René
