Mavic Ksyrium Elite

[merckx]

Is this the most durable and laterally stiffest 1550 gram wheelset available? Anyone have any bad experiences with this wheelset? I've got a bunch of handbuilts in the 1700 to 1800 gram range and I am seeking something a little lighter that will maintain durability. I weigh 200 lbs and shoehorn in about 6000 miles a year. I was also looking a Zondas too. Can't go over $1000.00 if I want to keep the key to my house.

[Fishbike]

They are ok. I find them quite stiff. But they are noisy and have proprietary spokes. I prefer my handbuilts which with a little shopping you can build with comparable weight and price.

[mcgillicuddy_p]

I have had a pair of Elites for several years and they are good, but not great. No major complaints, but no raves either.

Last year I bought a pair of Industry 9 i25s that I absolutely love. They are $100 over your pricepoint, but are head and shoulders above the Elites.

I also have a pair of Shimano Dura-Ace 7850 SLs that are great! I am not sure if you can still find them, but I think you can find a pair of the 7900s for less than a grand. In my book these would be much better than the Elites.

FYI-I am in the 200 pound range.

[gavingould]

i had great luck with a set of used Ksyrium ES that i picked up off ebay for around $500. i've gotten many thousands of miles out of them on the road and a bit of CX. i'm 225lbs and they rank among the stiffest wheels i've yet ridden.

the only issues i ran into were replacing a few spokes taken out in an accident - pricey and most shops will want you to send the wheel back to Mavic for service.
replaced all the bearings myself (standard sizes on ebay) cheap and not especially difficult.

i've moved on to other wheels but still have these around for backup.

[mvrider]

My wife has the Ksyrium Elites on her Orbea Diva. The only issue we've had is with the Mavic freehub. After a while, it started to bind a bit, so that it stopped freewheeling smoothly (caused a weird chain slapping noise on descents). There's a special Mavic oil ($14/bottle) you're supposed to lube the freehub with every month or so. I haven't in about a year, and no return of noise so far.

[John M]

They are ok. I find them quite stiff. But they are noisy and have proprietary spokes. I prefer my handbuilts which with a little shopping you can build with comparable wight and price.

This, except that I like a hub that buzzes

[shovelhd]

I raced on them and won on them. They were worth what I paid for them (<$400). The biggest issues with them are the freehub and the wide spokes that catch the wind but give you little if any aero benefit. I traded up to a used set of 404's and never looked back.

[merckx]

I should have mentioned that I run Campag. It gets tricky to build strong and stiff hand built wheels in the 1550 gram range. 1650 to 1800 gram hand builts are no problem. This is why I inquired about the Elites. Thanks for the replies.

[merckx]

I am also going to pre-empt Peter before he chimes in and say that I understand that 100-150 grams is nothing between wheelsets. I get the physics. However, I also understand that we pedal our bicycles as much with our mind as we do with our legs. 1500ish grams is what I'm pedaling in my mind at the moment.

[AngryScientist]

just ran the numbers.

handbuilt wheels:

total weight: 1543 grams
total price: $473

basic details:

pacenti rims, dt butted spokes, alloy nips, velocity hubs, campy.

boom.

but, the ksyriums are great wheels too, i've got a gobload of dirt road miles on mine on my old cross bike.

[merckx]

just ran the numbers.

handbuilt wheels:

total weight: 1543 grams
total price: $473

basic details:

pacenti rims, dt butted spokes, alloy nips, velocity hubs, campy.

boom.

but, the ksyriums are great wheels too, i've got a gobload of dirt road miles on mine on my old cross bike.

Pacenti rims are 450 grams? How many spokes?

[merckx]

Pacenti rims are 450 grams? How many spokes?

I just did the math and determined that it would be 24 spokes per wheel using DT Comps. How stiff are 24 spoke wheels with 450 gram rims? Strong and stiff enough for a 200 pound punter?

[AngryScientist]

I just did the math and determined that it would be 24 spokes per wheel using DT Comps. How stiff are 24 spoke wheels with 450 gram rims? Strong and stiff enough for a 200 pound punter?

The weight i ran above was a 24/28 combo. Thats the way i would go.

[AngryScientist]

Ill add that im a bit lighter than you, so my experience may not be valid. Kirk pacenti seems like a really nice, helpful dude, maybe PM him and ask for his opinion.

[merckx]

I just did the math and determined that it would be 24 spokes per wheel using DT Comps. How stiff are 24 spoke wheels with 450 gram rims? Strong and stiff enough for a 200 pound punter?

I also understand the argument that the Elites have only 20 spokes, but the rims are much heavier than 450 gram Pacenti.

The most poignant conversations that I've ever had have been with myself.

[merckx]

The weight i ran above was a 24/28 combo. Thats the way i would go.

DT Comps in that length with an alloy nipple are 7 grams each. The wheels that you specified would be 1600 grams. Again, this is an academic discussion because 50 grams is nothing in the real world, but hitting 1550 grams for hand-builts for a big bloke is not straight forward.

[Ardan MacNessa]

I raced on them and won on them. They were worth what I paid for them (<$400). The biggest issues with them are the freehub and the wide spokes that catch the wind but give you little if any aero benefit. I traded up to a used set of 404's and never looked back.
I had a set of Elites, they came with my SuperSix. I sold them after 2 rides (http://i1320.photobucket.com/albums/u524/faceplant2013/Faceplant%20Facebook/Elite1_zps12a5d1ad.jpg) for $400 shipped.

You hit the nail on the head, shovelhd.

[oldpotatoe]

Is this the most durable and laterally stiffest 1550 gram wheelset available? Anyone have any bad experiences with this wheelset? I've got a bunch of handbuilts in the 1700 to 1800 gram range and I am seeking something a little lighter that will maintain durability. I weigh 200 lbs and shoehorn in about 6000 miles a year. I was also looking a Zondas too. Can't go over $1000.00 if I want to keep the key to my house.

No

Crappy, old design, rear hub. Plastic bushing in the freehub base, requiring frequent servicing(which is pretty easy). Proprietary spokes and rims.

Campagnolo or shimano wheels have far superior hubs, if ya gotta have a wheelouttabox..

BUT I would like to gently remind you, you and your bike weigh in the 98,000 gram range. Saving 150 t0 200 grams on a wheelset that 'may' be less reliable may not be the best choice.

REcord or DA hubs, DT rims, DT spokes would be in the 1600 gram range and be about $1000...using off the shelf spokes, rims. The hubs won't become pen holders like the Mavic's will when they stop making rims/spokes.

[oldpotatoe]

I am also going to pre-empt Peter before he chimes in and say that I understand that 100-150 grams is nothing between wheelsets. I get the physics. However, I also understand that we pedal our bicycles as much with our mind as we do with our legs. 1500ish grams is what I'm pedaling in my mind at the moment.

too late..and I wonder why you think it's tough to make a 1500 gram wheelset that's Campagnolo compatible?

[oldpotatoe]

The weight i ran above was a 24/28 combo. Thats the way i would go.

Not my first choice for a gent weighing .1 offa ton.

[tuxbailey]

I got my ES for $350 used a few years back and they are light and stiff. I had one broken spoke so far but in general I have been happy with them.

But I don't think I would pay more than $500 for a similarly new set of Elites.

[merckx]

too late..and I wonder why you think it's tough to make a 1500 gram wheelset that's Campagnolo compatible?

I don't think that it is difficult at all to build a 1500 gram Campy wheelset. I do think that it is challenging to build one that doesn't feel anemic or risks popping a spoke or suffers premature eyelet cracking. I could build a set of wheels around Reflex rims, Revolution spokes, and Campy hubs with 32 spokes that weigh 1470 grams, but they would last a season if lucky.

[Mark McM]

Is this the most durable and laterally stiffest 1550 gram wheelset available?

I don't know about the latest Ksyrium wheels, but the original Ksyriums wheels weren't very stiff, per Damon Rinard's Wheel Stiffness Test (http://sheldonbrown.com/rinard/wheel/index.htm).

[tmf]

Are you planning for these 1550g wheels to be your primary wheels for everyday riding/training, or are you looking for a lighter set for special rides/hilly rides/races? You mentioned you had some other wheels in the 1700-1800g range. Do you see yourself still riding those, too, or are you looking to replace them with these new lighter wheels?

I'm asking because for me that would affect how much I'm willing to spend, and how important other factors are like ride feel, hub quality, and durability. If these are going to be an occasional wheel, you could build up a set and save a little on the hubs (Miche or other sealed bearing hubs for around $100/pr) and spend more on the rims. For me, on the wheels I ride everyday I care a lot more about the way the wheels feel and I want them to be bulletproof.

[yoshirider]

agree with the comments. we have a set of Ksyrium ES but they're pretty similar to the Elites... to sum it up:

- won't give aero advantage
- need to lube hub once a year otherwise it won't freewheel on its own correctly without getting stuck
- bombproof - crashed once, no damage

[Ardan MacNessa]

For me, on the wheels I ride everyday I care a lot more about the way the wheels feel and I want them to be bulletproof.
I agree with everything you said about needing more info on "use" from the original poster.

Low spoke count and improperly built [off the shelf] wheels can be a long walk back home if they let go. I've had 32 x 3 cross open pros pull a spoke as well as Bontrager's with a 20 24 spoke count. Grant it both were off the shelf and non-custom. In comparison the custom wheels built have been flawless. For the money there are better wheels out there than Mavic Ksyrium Elites in my opinion. These wheels here by Topolino (http://www.topolinotech.com/news.shtml) are my favourites.

http://i1320.photobucket.com/albums/u524/faceplant2013/Wheels%20and%20Stuff/th_MavicSUPUBReflex_zpsabe6801a.jpg (http://s1320.photobucket.com/user/faceplant2013/media/Wheels%20and%20Stuff/MavicSUPUBReflex_zpsabe6801a.jpg.html)
SUP Reflex Mavic old

http://i1320.photobucket.com/albums/u524/faceplant2013/Wheels%20and%20Stuff/th_BontagerRims1_zps28a62f68.jpg (http://s1320.photobucket.com/user/faceplant2013/media/Wheels%20and%20Stuff/BontagerRims1_zps28a62f68.jpg.html)

http://i1320.photobucket.com/albums/u524/faceplant2013/Wheels%20and%20Stuff/th_BontagerRims2_zpse478c4e3.jpg (http://s1320.photobucket.com/user/faceplant2013/media/Wheels%20and%20Stuff/BontagerRims2_zpse478c4e3.jpg.html)
Bontrager

[AngryScientist]

topolinos are absolutely awesome wheels.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C3XMnFVKEoY/UJ_ddrWyrUI/AAAAAAAAA8k/FrdjvP-4rtE/s640/IMG_1110.JPG

[Bob Ross]

Anyone have any bad experiences with this wheelset?

Yes. Lots

...though admittedly mine are the 2006 Ksyrium Elites, and I believe they revamped the design in '09 or '10, so we might be talking apples & oranges. Or maybe oranges and tangerines?
But in addition to the annually-recurring shreiking/binding rear hub problem (which requires a complete overhaul -- disassembly, cleaning, lubing, reassembly -- every time), my pair wouldn't hold a true for more than ~1,000 miles. And those aero (sic) spokes would routinely twist themselves into decidedly non-aerodynamic positions, such that I started carrying the Mavic plastic spoke grabber thingie in my saddlebag for mid-ride twist/tweaks. And then there's that whole "non-proprietary spoke" thing...I've told the story elsewhere about watching an LBS wrench in suburban New Jersey McGuyver a working spoke with a tap & die because, hey, what a surprise, not every LBS carries proprietary spokes, just like those guys on that internet forum warned me!

I suppose I'm willing to believe my pair of Ksyrium Elites could've just been a lemon. (Continuing the citrus theme.) But it just wasn't worth the effort to maintain. I stopped using them as my everyday wheels after 3 three years. Now they're on my wife's backup bike...which she never rides. They're perfect for that application.


I should have mentioned that I run Campag. It gets tricky to build strong and stiff hand built wheels in the 1550 gram range.

DT Swiss Mon Chasseral are an off-the-shelf 28-spoke wheel that seems reasonably strong & stiff (I'm 176lbs & they -- or the handbuilt equivalent -- have been my go-to everyday wheelset since early 2009) and they come in at under 1500g. If you use RR465 rims, 240s hubs, and (I think) SuperComp spokes you can hit that same weight. Nothing proprietary, available w/ a Campy freehub body, chicks dig 'em.

[shinomaster]

Neutrons.

[Ardan MacNessa]

DT Swiss Mon Chasseral are an off-the-shelf 28-spoke wheel that seems reasonably strong & stiff (I'm 176lbs & they -- or the handbuilt equivalent -- have been my go-to everyday wheelset since early 2009) and they come in at under 1500g. If you use RR465 rims, 240s hubs, and (I think) SuperComp spokes you can hit that same weight. Nothing proprietary, available w/ a Campy freehub body, chicks dig 'em.

DT Swiss Mon Chasseral (http://s-tec-essence.eshop.t-online.de/DT-SWISS-RR-1450-mon-Chasseral/en)
1400g about $600

http://s-tec-essence.eshop.t-online.de/WebRoot/Store4/Shops/Shop38023/4819/6A2E/767B/955C/6C04/AC14/5009/E0C6/DT_0020_SWISS_0020_RR_0020_1450_0020_mon_0020_Chas seral.jpg

[nightfend]

Ksyrium Elites are good wheels, but wait until they are on sale to buy them. I got a set of 2012's for $460 and I feel they are certainly worth that. But not sure they are worth the full $699 retail value (or whatever the new retail price is).

[merckx]

Neutrons.

Neutrons are not for me. I broke a spoke on a brand new pair JRA last year and threw them in the rubbish.

[dd74]

Get Shamals, simple as that. Don't screw around with lesser wheels/brands and one-off hand builds. 1425 grams for clinchers and no weight limit.

[oldpotatoe]

I don't think that it is difficult at all to build a 1500 gram Campy wheelset. I do think that it is challenging to build one that doesn't feel anemic or risks popping a spoke or suffers premature eyelet cracking. I could build a set of wheels around Reflex rims, Revolution spokes, and Campy hubs with 32 spokes that weigh 1470 grams, but they would last a season if lucky.

No such thing as a free lunch. Bigger riders mean design choices just like for a rider who's a buck 40 something.

Mavic Elites sure aren't the answer, IMHO.

Are you after a 'gram scale' set or a set that will do what you want it to do? Or price or?????

Fulcrum and Campag come to mind with aluminum spokes..if ya want stiff feeling and that weight point.

BUt, no such thing as a free lunch..