Mavic Road UST

[mcteague]

Looks like Mavic is getting serious about tubeless road. Looks interesting. I wonder if all the other manufacturers would get on-board. Seems like a big ask to me.

https://cyclingtips.com/2017/06/mavic-road-ust-tubeless-road-details-prices-specs-weights/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALVtgcY1YeM

Tim

[mcteague]

No posts at all? :confused: At least there appears to be some interest across the hall.

https://www.velocipedesalon.com/forum/f2/mavic-road-ust-tires-wheels-47643.html

Tim

[kookmyers]

I was hoping for more action in this thread as well. I am highly interested.

[old fat man]

Looks like Mavic is getting serious about tubeless road. Looks interesting. I wonder if all the other manufacturers would get on-board. Seems like a big ask to me.

https://cyclingtips.com/2017/06/mavic-road-ust-tubeless-road-details-prices-specs-weights/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALVtgcY1YeM

Tim

It's another proprietary system and will not gain adopters. All the other brands except Continental already got on board with existing systems.

They failed with UST for mtb, this will fail too

[R3awak3n]

So you need mavic tires for this to work so well?
Its very cool that it works so well but manufacturers are not going to want to charge their existing molds to this even if they could license this system. They are too late to the party. Its unfortunate because it does look like a very nice, very easy system.

I never used road tubeless but I really like tubeless. That said it can be a pita to install and specially with a normal pump.

[oldpotatoe]

It's another proprietary system and will not gain adopters. All the other brands except Continental already got on board with existing systems.

They failed with UST for mtb, this will fail too

Yee GADS..why can't the goofy bike biz standardize anything?? BBs, disc brakes, now tires..it's NUTZ!!

[bicycletricycle]

The ability to consistently mount a tire without mangling ones fingers is a big advantage. It has a big battle to fight but i think it might have a chance. Seeing the GCN dude mount tires easily was enough for me to consider trying them out, and I HATE tubeless tires! (mostly because of the mounting difficulties.)

I can imagine this same demo really helping turn heads at point of sale.

Who is making the mavic tires?

[zzy]

For the last decade, Mavic has been consistently late to adopt every wheel trend, and when they do release an option it is always overpriced. From refusing to make wider rims, to building a freehub whose pawls don't easily fail, to making silly tires no one wants, to ditching the whole rim business to focus on prebuilts. The idea that current tubeless solutions are too difficult to use is laughable. Just another solution looking for a problem. I won't even start on Mavic's warranty process..

[R3awak3n]

how are they still one of the biggest cycling companies? I feel like I dunno anyone that buys mavic stuff. I think buying enve was pretty damn smart though

[ColonelJLloyd]

I guess this has the ear of people who ride 23-28mm tires and want tubeless tires at high pressures.

Maybe I'm lucky, but I haven't had a lick of trouble with my own tubeless setups. Granted, all have been with tires 42mm or wider. All those rims and tires presumably adhere to the ERTRO standard. Whatever the reason all of it "just works" for me thus far. I'll say this, my tubeless setups hold pressure longer than any tube ever has for me.

[R3awak3n]

I guess this has the ear of people who ride 23-28mm tires and want tubeless tires at high pressures.

Maybe I'm lucky, but I haven't had a lick of trouble with my own tubeless setups. Granted, all have been with tires 42mm or wider. All those rims and tires presumably adhere to the ERTRO standard. Whatever the reason all of it "just works" for me thus far. I'll say this, my tubeless setups hold pressure longer than any tube ever has for me.

Never had trouble mounting tubeless tires either, its almost easier since there is no tube in there getting in the way.

[tuscanyswe]

how are they still one of the biggest cycling companies? I feel like I dunno anyone that buys mavic stuff. I think buying enve was pretty damn smart though



I see countless bikes with mavic wheels. the yellow mavic shoes are everywhere. Id say i see as much mavic as i see of anything else if not more.

[93KgBike]

I saw this on GCN and it sounds like the death of wheel building for many disciplines. But it looks awesome and I am filled with desire for a set of Ksyriums and tires. If I can get my ftp up 15% this year, then I need them, don't I?

[93KgBike]

how are they still one of the biggest cycling companies? I feel like I dunno anyone that buys mavic stuff. I think buying enve was pretty damn smart though


Enve probably paid them patent fees just to get outta bed in the AM. Seriously though, Mavic is like the Bell Labs of cycling. I think if you buy a retail race bike in N.A. or the E.U., good chance you are buying some Mavic stuff, or stuff using their patents.

[93KgBike]

Who is making the mavic tires?

Mavic is making the the whole thing as a set package; wheels and tires together. They have specifically tried to normalize the tolerances for the match of tire
to rim. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALVtgcY1YeM)

[R3awak3n]

I see countless bikes with mavic wheels. the yellow mavic shoes are everywhere. Id say i see as much mavic as i see of anything else if not more.

I guess in Europe Mavic sells a bunch more than here.

[tuscanyswe]

I guess in Europe Mavic sells a bunch more than here.

Thats likely true

[bicycletricycle]

Yes, I understand that, however, I doubt they built a tire factory. I imagine Victoria is making them for them in Thailand or something .


Mavic is making the the whole thing as a set package; wheels and tires together. They have specifically tried to normalize the tolerances for the match of tire
to rim. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALVtgcY1YeM)

[93KgBike]

Yes, I understand that, however, I doubt they built a tire factory. I imagine Victoria is making them for them in Thailand or something .Right, of course you did, sorry. Dunno.:o

[fogrider]

so where can I get my hands on a set?

[PepeM]

Has anyone seen pictures of the non-Exalith Open Pro? The Exalith version seems to be delayed.

[benc]

They're trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist.

I'm 20k+ miles in on road tubeless, having ridden most of the available tires. There's certainly a shortage of road tubeless rims out there but that is changing. Mounting and set up and be challenging but if you follow the basic rules, it's well worth it.

A few weeks ago, I had my first road tubeless flat in 5 years. The tire was well worn and received a two inch gash right in the center of the contact patch from a shard of metal.

[bicycletricycle]

Are you saying that tubeless road tires are all easy to put on and that there is no problem with difficult to install tire and rim combinations? Or that it doesn't matter how hard they are to install because you never get a flat anyways?


They're trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist.

I'm 20k+ miles in on road tubeless, having ridden most of the available tires. There's certainly a shortage of road tubeless rims out there but that is changing. Mounting and set up and be challenging but if you follow the basic rules, it's well worth it.

A few weeks ago, I had my first road tubeless flat in 5 years. The tire was well worn and received a two inch gash right in the center of the contact patch from a shard of metal.

[DavidC]

Who is making the mavic tires?


The OP's original article explains it. Hutchinson currently makes Mavic's tires, and will continue, producing the new UST tires. Mavic has their own "rubber engineers," many of whom have significant experience at Hutchinson and Michelin. Hutchinson is simply providing the factory.

[rustychisel]

For the last decade, Mavic has been consistently late to adopt every wheel trend, and when they do release an option it is always overpriced. From refusing to make wider rims, to building a freehub whose pawls don't easily fail, to making silly tires no one wants, to ditching the whole rim business to focus on prebuilts. The idea that current tubeless solutions are too difficult to use is laughable. Just another solution looking for a problem. I won't even start on Mavic's warranty process..

Much as I like Mavic products, I can't help feeling you've hit the nail on the head here....

[Rekalcitrant]

I don't understand the negative responses here. Looks to me like Mavic is finally making a better freewheel, embracing wider rims, and it sounds like the main thing behind the move to tubeless is that they are building the rims (and maybe the tires?) to very precise specs. These all seem like good steps from a company widely considered to be very conservative. The only thing that seems potentially crappy is if the system is truly proprietary in that non-Mavic tubeless tires just won't work on the rims. I'd be shocked if that turns out to be the case, but who knows.

[MaraudingWalrus]

UST for mountain bikes was one of the reasons tubeless actually took off in MTB. It was easier, it worked. There wasn't much fussing about trying to get things to seat, or finding rim and tire combinations that didn't work together. If it was UST and UST, it worked. Well. This paved the way for tubeless to be more broadly adopted.

Hopefully it's the same for this.

I don't personally find the calculus to work in favor of road tubeless, too much fuss getting the damn things even on the rim half the time, and then maybe even more fussing to get them seated. The benefits of road tubeless don't outweigh this gigantic negative for me. They may for you.

The benefits of tubeless is clear for bigger offroad riding...way lower pressures which helps with grip, less flats due to puncture from objects due to sealant, less pinch flats due to no tubes, and lighter rotational mass due to replacing a big honkin' mtb (or fat bike) tube with a, comparatively, small amount of sealant.

Great for MTB and cross/gravel.

not sure it's so great for road - I really don't need any lower pressure than 80-90 on a 25-28mm tire, not sure what I gain by being "able" to go to 50 psi? Maybe a dent in my rim?

I don't get many flats on a road bike anyway, so lessened puncture frequency is not a huge advantage. Nice tires at the right pressure don't get that many flats, in my experience. Random assaulting by a knife blade or some nonsense on the road isn't guaranteed to be tubeless proof either...

Maybe slightly lighter weight in sealant than tube,not sure on road.



Difficulty of mounting in my adventures in road tubeless don't allow the small benefits to makeup enough ground.

[oldpotatoe]

UST for mountain bikes was one of the reasons tubeless actually took off in MTB. It was easier, it worked. There wasn't much fussing about trying to get things to seat, or finding rim and tire combinations that didn't work together. If it was UST and UST, it worked. Well. This paved the way for tubeless to be more broadly adopted.

Hopefully it's the same for this.

I don't personally find the calculus to work in favor of road tubeless, too much fuss getting the damn things even on the rim half the time, and then maybe even more fussing to get them seated. The benefits of road tubeless don't outweigh this gigantic negative for me. They may for you.

The benefits of tubeless is clear for bigger offroad riding...way lower pressures which helps with grip, less flats due to puncture from objects due to sealant, less pinch flats due to no tubes, and lighter rotational mass due to replacing a big honkin' mtb (or fat bike) tube with a, comparatively, small amount of sealant.

Great for MTB and cross/gravel.

not sure it's so great for road - I really don't need any lower pressure than 80-90 on a 25-28mm tire, not sure what I gain by being "able" to go to 50 psi? Maybe a dent in my rim?

I don't get many flats on a road bike anyway, so lessened puncture frequency is not a huge advantage. Nice tires at the right pressure don't get that many flats, in my experience. Random assaulting by a knife blade or some nonsense on the road isn't guaranteed to be tubeless proof either...

Maybe slightly lighter weight in sealant than tube,not sure on road.

Difficulty of mounting in my adventures in road tubeless don't allow the small benefits to makeup enough ground.

Great writeup and I agree.

[Mark McM]

Great writeup and I agree.

I also agree, and find that the same principle applies to several technologies that are advantageous for MTBs, but are more trouble then they are worth for road bikes, including: Pivoting or telescoping suspension systems; Disc brakes.

[oldpotatoe]

I also agree, and find that the same principle applies to several technologies that are advantageous for MTBs, but are more trouble then they are worth for road bikes, including: Pivoting or telescoping suspension systems; Disc brake.

Yessir...