by The CXM Test Crew
Cyclocross, gravel, mountain biking and disc brake pavement pounding are now all possible on one wheelset, and can help justify putting down more of your hard-earned money knowing the wheels could get year round use. In Issue 29, we rounded up many of the latest “do it all” wheels, hoops that promise to handle your rides and races on several different bikes, or in several different disciplines.
And in Issue 30 we looked at the go-anywhere disc brake tubeless wheel options seen here. These wheelsets are easily swapped between bikes or help extend the versatility and performance of a single rig. Want to enter a road race on your cyclocross bike? Or add volume to your rubber for some more gnarly adventures? High pressure-tolerant, aerodynamic or wider rims can help get you there. And of course, they can help you ride lower pressure, flat less and shed some rotating weight come cyclocross season.
Our test crew rode these wheels on trails, pavement, gravel and even up and down stairs to see if they’d remain round, true and burp-free under typical rider use and abuse. Read on to see if there’s a wheel here that's right for you.
MAVIC KSYRIUM PRO DISC ALLROAD
Mavic has a history of wheel innovation and pushing the technological envelope. Its lightweight Helium tubulars and alloy-spoked Ksyriums are two heralded examples, while the carbon-spoked R-SYS may be a less universally loved example. In the disc brake tubeless road market, Mavic could be considered late to the game. But the new Ksyrium Pro Disc Allroad wheels are worth the wait if you’re looking for a no-nonsense, durable and reliable wheelset built with mixed terrain riding in mind. The wheels come complete with their own 28c tubeless Yksion road/gravel tires and there’s a 30c version as well (try to get these if you can). The wheels and 30c tires survived 70 miles of Idaho and Wyoming dirt, and now dressed with fatter cyclocross rubber, they’ve been escorting us on trail rides and cyclocross courses without issue. We’ve forgotten we’re riding new wheels, and that’s a high compliment in that they’ve replaced wheel/tire combos that we’ve taken months to dial in.
©️ Cyclocross Magazine
TUBELESS: Mavic describes the Ksyrium Pro Disc Allroad as UST compatible and ready for tubeless road tires, but they’re not Road Tubeless certified. The wheels do well at low pressure with tight, tubeless tires like WTB TCS, Vittoria TNT and older Hutchinson carbon bead tires. But looser tubeless tires and conversions are burp prone. The sealed rim is something you’ll appreciate the longer you ride the wheels, as there’s no tape to pierce or get bunched up as you swap tires or fix flats. Mavic takes a conservative approach to rim width and minimum tire widths, and lists 28c as the narrowest tire you’d want to use on this 19mm-wide rim, which should work out just fine unless you’re doing some road time trials, but we miss the extra girth some wider rims give cyclocross clinchers. The Yksion tires than come with the wheels are capable, durable tires, but aren’t something we’d opt for on rougher West Coast gravel.
©️ Cyclocross Magazine
DURABILITY: Mavic’s proven, straight pull proprietary Zircal alloy spokes create a durable wheel that make the unique spoke wrench largely unnecessary. You’re not buying the Ksyrium Pro Disc Allroad wheels for aerodynamics, and the large diameter Zircal spokes certainly aren’t aero. But they hold up to abuse, create a stiff wheel and impress over time more than they impress on the scale or during acceleration. The wheels easily switch from QR to thru axle, and all parts are included. If you’re looking for a dependable, no hassle wheelset and don’t mind being a bit limited in tire choice, the Ksyrium Pro Disc Allroad should keep you happy for years, just as many previous generations of Ksyrium wheels have.
©️ Cyclocross Magazine
The Ksyrium Pro Disc Allroad competes head to head with the Zipp Course 30, reviewed here, and it’s a close race. The Zipp is more affordable and slightly wider, while the Mavic is slightly lighter, offers a sealed rim, Centerlock rotor mounts, and an included pair of Yksion tires.
PRICE: $1,250 USD (with Yksion Tires)
WEIGHT: 1,620 grams
OPTIONS: QR, 12mm OR 15mm thru axle front, 135mm or 142mm thru axle rear
More info: mavic.us
