Mavic Ksyrium SSC SL Failure

[pete]

This past weekend I discovered that my rear wheel (Mavic Ksyrium SSC SL) had failed. There were cracks around the rim at several spokes rendering the wheel inoperable. I bought the wheels new last year and starting riding on them pretty hard beginning in June 2003. SO the wheels are about 1 1/2 years old. Has any else had this kind of rim/wheel failure particularly with Mavic's? My bike shop tells me that these are racing wheels and aren't built to last beyond a season or two.

[jerk]

well your bicycle shop is wrong. make them warranty them. this is a common problem on alot of ksyriums and is partially responsible for mavic mp3 program which the jerk urges all mavic owners to sign up for. too bad it's not retroactive, but even if they won't warranty the wheels a rebuild is cheaper than new wheels and if you have to be off your wheels for a while now is the time. the ksryrium is not a single season race wheel.....in fact any wheel that is only supposed to last one season is not likely to be storng enough or stiff enough to really be a race wheel in the first place. who the hell wants a wheelset that is prone to catastrophic failure in the heat of competition?

jerk

[pete]

It's funny you mentioned the MP3 program because when I brought the bike in and he saw the wheel he asked if I had signed up for the extended warranty program. I hadn't because it was never discussed and I wasn't aware of any such program. I am cautiously optimistic that the bike shop will get me a new wheel because it appears that this has been an ongoing problem.

[shinomaster]

your bike shop is a bunch of moronic crapola...

[Chief]

I have these wheels and have maybe 7-8,000 miles on them with no cracks, but I have seen cracks in the rear wheels of Ksyriums so this is not an uncommon problem. Based upon my experience and observations, I think the wheel manufacturers are trying to make their wheels as light as possible and, hence, are at the ragged edge with little margin of safety. The integrity of the wheel depends upon how strong the rider is and the terrian over which they are used--hills vs. flats. The distrubing part is that most manufacturers are not providing any weight limits for their wheels or stating that these wheels should be used for racing only and not training. :crap:

[pete]

Most of my training was on flats and with limited hill training. I have 3400 miles on the wheels and I weigh approx 200 lbs. I think one of the selling points of the mavic wheels is that they are a lightweight durable wheel.

[BumbleBeeDave]

<<My bike shop tells me that these are racing wheels and aren't built to last beyond a season or two.>>

What the heck are THEY smokin’??? . . . I have heard of very few failures of Ksyriums. Most feedback I have heard says they are bulletproof. Mine have been through 11,000 miles since I got them in July 2001 and are going strong. Maybe not the most supple ride in the world, but very durable.

What “race” are they talking about? Iditabike? Paris-Dakar?

BBDave

[pete]

Hey Dave,
That's why a I have querried this forum. To get a reality check on the likely explanation for the failure of this product. The guy at this bike shop looked at me and said most people will use these mavics for a race and then take them off and put on a training wheel. I find this very hard to believe since I thought mavic's where extremely strong and durable. It seems clear to me that the problem was with the manufacturer and not the operator.

[pete]

So I guess the real question is if the manufacturer will not support the product and replace the wheel for free should the bike shop shoulder the responsibility. I think the answer is yes!

[itsalldark]

You need to have a talk with your local bike shop and tell them to get on the customer service bandwagon! The wheels that you own are light and strong and are a perfect blend to race on as well as train on. All you hear about these wheels is how durable they are. If you are not getting any satisfaction from your dealer I would go direct to Mavic! It's not like these wheels were cheap. And the reason we all got on board were for the reasons mentioned above. Keep us posted on what happens and on who comes through for you in the end.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . you should at least make the effort to ask--and NOT through this local LBS you mentioned, either. I would try to keep in mind that manufacturers have to draw the line somewhere and MAVIC may not be wild about replacing it. After all, they really have no idea how far you have really ridden these or what treatment they have gotten. But if they are only that old and you have the original proof-or-purchase then I think you’ve got a good chance.

BBDave

[coylifut]

but seriously, if you have a good relationship with another shop that you routinely reward with your business, they may help you; especially if they have a good relationship with Mavic. I wouldn't be surprised if Mavic honored the wheel. I bought a used set of Cosmos (I wouldn't recommend em btw) and I soon trashed the rear rim. I took it to an lbs that knows me by first name to pay them to re build it and without telling me, they sent it to Mavic's US operation. I got a call two weeks later to pick it up and all I owed was shipping and 1/2 the price of a new rim. Mavic semi warrantied it. I didn't argue. The shop you're dealing with certainly isn't representing Mavic very well, someone else might help you. Your worst case scenereo is that the rim will have to be replaced. I believe they retail for about $140. Throw in labor at $40 and you have a new wheel. I hope you get it straighten it out.

[vaxn8r]

So if these were purchased in June 2003 are they the ones with the black spokes and rims? Because if they are the silver ones it would be pretty obvious they have to be recent.

It doesn't really matter. At the worst its a new set of rims, hopefully from Mavic and a rebuild ought to be on the shop. These wheels are completely repairable. You don't need a brand new set. Even the original Mavic Ksyrium (2000?) are fully repairable.

This shop clearly doesn't cater to high end cyclists or racers or they wouldn't be telling you such nonsense. Did you speak with the manager or one of the hired hands? Something like this needs to go to the man/woman who can actually authorize a repair and take your case to Mavic. You aren't going to get a good answer from the 18 year old whose primary job is building up Trek Bearcubs. No offense meant to the young mechanics out there but this one needs to go to the top.

[toaster]

I've seen a failure on SSL's. It occurred on a descent at over 40 mph to a friend on a new bike and new wheels (less than 200 miles). He wasn't braking, just flying down the mountain and what sounded like a .38 cracked the morning air. He maintained control and when he brought the bike to a stop we looked at a rear Mavic wheel that had failed just below the braking surface at the right angle bend or rather, the corner of the box section. The tires' pressure had exceeded the ability of the structure to contain the inflated tire and tube and it separated with a mighty pop causing the aluminum rim to nearly get tangled in the brake or stays (which could have resulted in injury to the rider). Fortunately, my friend avoided catastrophe that day.

The SSL's were quickly warranteed by the bike dealer who was shocked at the failure. Surely a aberration, a manufacturing defect, or so they say.

Changed my mind about mass produced light weight rims that are bought in record numbers like the Krysirium series. I'll opt for custom wheels with a bit more integity. I mean, once you see a rim in pieces like that and realize they couldn't have made them any thinner if they wanted too, you might think differently.

[vaxn8r]

Aw Toaster, come on. The Ksyrium has to be the most tested mass produced wheelset in existence. Your post sounds reactionary. Everything can, and does, fail. If there were a pattern of failures we'd have heard about it long before now.

[Sandy]

I suggest that you call up Mavic, get the name of the person that you are talking to, and describe to him or her what type of riding you do, and give your weight. In fact, add 10 pounds to your weight. Then ask him or her, what wheel in their line they recommend for you. You might even mention durability. Bet it is the one you have.

If I am correct, then you might have more ammunition when you press your case with the your shop and/or Mavic direct, if the shop fails you.

I believe Mavic pushes that wheel as being strong and durable, for cyclists your weight or even my weight.

Weightless in space,

Spaceman Sandman

[William]

These are some wise words from Big Mac on Larger riders (200+) riding Mavic K's. This is from the "Big Wheels or wheels for the big" thread from about 6 months ago.

William

BIG MAC says:
"I am not your size and probably considerably older and less skilled. I am however a very muscular 6'2" 230lbs. My first suggestion would be to avoid Mavic K's, with all due respect to the gentleman who suggested them. K's are simply not designed for anyone our size, they will self-destruct in under 1000 miles. The cracking eyelets have been a long standing issue with many alloy rims using SS eyelets, the Mavic K's seem to suffer this more than most but honestly most similarly designed rims can have these problems and in many instances it does not effect structural integrity of wheel. The K's however lack torsional stiffness of a big guy wheel, I can easily produce enough flex to cause rear brake pad rub during in saddle climbing, out of saddle sprints are far worse often accompanied by loud popping, creaking and several spoke failures. Mind you, my expiences are with the sewup version but in most cases these are torsionally stiffer than the wire-on versions."

[toaster]

Aw Toaster, come on. The Ksyrium has to be the most tested mass produced wheelset in existence. Your post sounds reactionary. Everything can, and does, fail. If there were a pattern of failures we'd have heard about it long before now.


You're right, my post is reactionary. That was my experience and it is subjective. My friend had the wheel warranteed and has been riding trouble free ever since. He has money invested in the Kysriums, I don't. If they were my wheels I would probably do what he did and chalk it up as a fluke rather than spend more money on new wheels. But as a potential consumer considering this model of wheel I chose to believe them to be a little too far on the edge of thinness. I guess I'd always wonder about them and yet tens of thousands of riders of all different abilities are on these wheels and don't break them. So caveat emptor.

[Lanny R. Levenson]

I had a set of Heliums several years ago that had problems with the spokes pulling through the eyelets. After contacting Mavic, I had no problems and the wheels were replaced. This happened twice with the rear wheel. I only weigh about 150 pounds and I ride on varied surfaces. I would contact Mavic directly rather than deal with the bike shop.
Lanny

[SoCalSteve]

I've owned a few pairs of K's over the years and have not one iota of problem with them...Oh yeah, I am 6' 5" 250 lbs and ride pretty hard.

I really like them. I have a set of Mavic Open Pro's with Chris King Hubs and like the K's better.

Just one mans opinion,

Steve

[coylifut]

I've owned a few pairs of K's over the years and have not one iota of problem with them...Oh yeah, I am 6' 5" 250 lbs and ride pretty hard.

I really like them. I have a set of Mavic Open Pro's with Chris King Hubs and like the K's better.

Just one mans opinion,

Steve

Drafting guys like you down long decents is the only way my skinny *ss can get above 50 mph. Without a little help, I seem to stuck at 49.9

[vaxn8r]

But as a potential consumer considering this model of wheel I chose to believe them to be a little too far on the edge of thinness.


Your post reminded me of a Cannondale our LBS used to have which was sawed in half through the midline so you could see just how thin the tubesets really were. It was astounding. Yes, they are oversized but these are very,very thin walled tubes, especially at the BB. Having said that, a ton of people ride CDales and I have never heard of one blowing apart. I guess it's all in the design.

So I have Ksyriumm SSC's on my Cannondale. Yikes!!!