Mavic knows how to make wheels, but until now, a full carbon clincher was not part of their catalog. It wasn’t that Mavic didn’t think one would sell. Instead, they didn’t believe the technology existed to create one that met their stringent and specific standards. They first wanted to craft a wheel that could handle the heat (up to 200°C) encountered during descents from the tallest peaks. Secondly, they demanded that braking needed to be consistent whether the roads were wet or dry. And finally it needed to be safe. Many full carbon rims require machining to obtain the optimal contour, which can create weaknesses in the wheel due to cut carbon fibers

The CXR60 was Mavic’s first attempt at creating a product that could meet these requirements. To dissipate heat, an alloy insert was added inside the rim bed. At the time, Mavic felt this was the safest solution given the limitations of carbon as a rim material… but as the song says – times they are a changin’.

The Mavic Cosmic Pro Carbon SL

Mavic’s new full carbon clinchers start with a one-piece carbon rim contour. To do this, Mavic perfected the technology to create a flawless rim bed straight out of the mold (no secondary machining required). The rim itself uses a proprietary heat treatment protocol that, once finished, allows the rim to withstand temperatures up to 200°C.

To ensure you stop when you need to, the outside surface has a laser-etched flat track for predictable braking, modulation, and extreme heat dispersion. The result is a 20-30% stopping power improvement in dry conditions, and 50% better braking in wet.

The wheel has a 40mm wind tunnel tested NACA profile rim and measures 17mm internal/25mm external width for ideal tire integration. Mavic chose blade spokes, 18 front and 24 rear, for increased lateral stiffness and integral power transfer.

The hubs are Mavic’s new Instant Drive 360. The new system uses 40 teeth to engage every 9° (previous systems had less teeth and thus took longer to engage). A large contactless rubber seal provides low friction, while a wide array of end caps makes it super versatile. An oversized aluminum axle and hardened alloy freewheel driver body saves 40g.

The complete wheelset weighs in at 1,450g. Priced at $2,199, the wheels will be available March 15^th in limited quantities in France, the UK, and the U.S. Other countries can start expecting to see Mavic’s latest and greatest as of May 1.

Wrapping Up

When we wrapped up our time with the CXR60s we said: “if you’re looking to conquer a flat or rolling course, be as aero as possible, and out-stop the competition, the CXRs should be on your shortlist for any new wheel purchase.” With the advent of a full carbon clincher, Mavic looks to do all of that at a lighter weight that can climb with the best of them. Our only real want is to see what this technology looks like on a 60mm or 80mm wheel. We suspect that, given a bit of time, we will get our wish.