mikev102

hello.

which mavic ksyriums do you use? what kind of riding do you do on these wheels? training, racing, etc?

i am thinking about the ES or the SSC SL's..

any comments.. just no custom handbuilt wheels trash talk as it has not revelence to me as i live in canada and we don't hand build wheels very much. we just buy them for big $$$ from the retailers.

thanks...

-mike.

audiojan

SSC SL's. Used for training and some road racing. Really nice and predictable wheels.

Bob S.

+1. SL's can usually be found on ebay below the common retailer price. Bob

C_Heath

$550 at my LBS

RiPHRaPH

I've got Elites that have 12,000 miles on them. I just had to have them sent back to Mavic for the typical Ksyrium knock. The point where the nipple and rim meet cracked and it ruined the dish on the rim. People have always said that the spokes can pull through the rim. But Mavic is fixing it for me.... still, I loved the value. I am getting a new hub, spokes, rim... essentially a new rear wheel. Great. Any other wheelset, and I'd be screwed for sure. These roads out here have seen better days.

**I just bought some Velomax Circuits. They are being cleared out everywhere. These formerly $440 wheels (same as the Elites) can now be had for as low as $325. Look twice as them. Elites will now be my back-up's and rain wheels.

Bob Ross

I've got Elites...because they came with my bike.

gpelpel

I am using a pair of 2003 SL's I bought used. I like them a lot. I used to have a pair of Elites until the rim cracked at a spoke hole (typical of old Elites, new design fixed the issue). Both are excellent wheels with the SL's 200gr lighter. I would also say that the SL's are laterally stiffer yet seem more comfortable to ride.
One thing common to both, you can ride for miles and miles before even having to do any adjustment (truing). They also resist very well to potholes.

botto 

Also riding on on a set of '05 SLs. I've had them for just under 3 months, with around 3,500 miles on 'em.

While I've been very pleased with the feel & performance, on wednesday i joined the club of ksyrium sl owners who had a spoke pop on them (on the drive side of the rear wheel). the wheel was so floppy that it took me almost an hour to ride 8 miles home.

it was an easy enough fix at my LBS, and cheaper than i thought - 16€ including a new spoke and nipple/nut, although i'm still a tad irritated that it happened to such a new set of wheels. it's not as if i'm too heavy for them at 155 lbs.

patentcad

I have both. About 3-4K miles on each set (the ES's and the SL's). These wheels are bombproof - and generally about as light as clincher rims get. Can't overstate how durable these are. Astonishingly so. 20+ years of riding high end race bikes and I've never seen any wheels that come close to how tough these are, so all this weenie wheel trash talk that goes on here is meaningless to me.

I ride 12K miles per year. And my wheels never even need trueing. That works.

sep999

I ride the sl, they have been great, they role well, they are light, and they stay true. The only problems have been self induced. BTW, I weigh close to 200 lbs.

woodcycl

+1 for me too .. I ride them exclusively on my main and backup road bikes. They are truly bombproof ... I have approx. 8,000 miles on my first set from 00/01' and they have not been trued ... still going strong and straight. I'm a club rider ... riding all types of terrain and distances and speeds. I'm sold on them.

UmneyDurak

I have equpie. he he. Held up pretty well. I think I well over 1k miles on them since I bought a bike in Spring.

patentcad

My favorite Ksyrium experience: on a fast group ride last Fall (all racing dudes) going 38+ mph down a moderate hill (every bit of that, no exaggeration, the ride was hammering). I took a nasty pothole straight on my front rim. * BAM!! * So hard the handebars ROTATED DOWN against the stem. I figure the bolts on the stem were loose. Nope. They were quite snug. So that was quite a shot. I've done that before with traditional rims - and they almost invariably popped a spoke, needed trueing, got a flat spot... the SL's? Nada. Perfect. Unscathed.

THAT is amazing. Like I said, I ride a lot, on some rocky roads. After a year or so on Ksyriums I doubt I'd ride other wheels again. Maybe Zipps if I raced. But the Ksyriums are just SO strong. I think it's that bladed spoke configuration. Great wheel design. My bike shop told me without hesitation they were the most trouble free wheelset I could own. By far the best in that regard I've seen.

botto 

had an identical experience with mine on the 2nd ride i had them (the idiot in front didn't call it out).

the bars rotated, wheel was fine. if it wasn't for the popped spoke of two days ago i'd have NO complaints whatsoever.

patentcad

Suffice it to say they're good, tough wheels. And relatively light for clinchers @ 1400-1600 grams (depending on the model and who's weight stats you believe). The Ksyrium ES's are very schwag looking too : ). Pricey, but nice.

Ah, what price bike weenie bling, eh?

mikev102

hey thanks for responding to my thread.

just a brief question. Is there a noticeable difference between the SL's and ES? Which ones do you prefer to use in racing? Do you train on them also? Are the ES worth the money, as they top the ksyrium price category?

any other comments regarding these wheels would be very beneficial to my potential purchase of these wheels from mavic.

with much thanks.

-mike.

fmw

I also have a set of SL's. I chose them because I found a great deal and knew they were sturdy wheels. Indeed they are.

mahv

Have the ES wheels and as the above they are exceptionally tough. Hit many stones and smallish potholes and still true. Very stiff and because of this not the most comfortable wheeel on rough roads. Highly recommended for smoother roads. I too get sick of all the handbuilt wheel blather that goes on here - still I don't have to read it so I shouldn't whine.

craign04

ive used both SL and elite both are exceptional wheels and neither set has really needed truing

patentcad

Some of the hand built wheel stuff may be valid - but ultimately they're all toast if you hit potholes that Ksyriums would laugh off. And forum hooey aside, I have enough personal experience to KNOW this first hand. I suppose it depends on what's important to you. Ksyriums are close enough to the lightest wheels out there (within 100 grams or so of the lightest clincher wheelsets I've seen) and much more durable than any of them - I'd say they're the ideal solution. At least for me.

Results may vary. But Mavic wheels certainly do seem to have a ton of fans - both on BF and in the real world. I think Mavic's doing something right.

daytonian

I ride 06 ssc sl's. Bombproof and great all round for racing and fast club rides. Go to a local RR and you'll see these everywhere.

Bob S.

I wish that my lbs was as reasonable as yours. I'll trade you even up. Bob