In 2001when Lance Armstrong and the Postal team traded in their custom built Rolf alloy tubular wheels for Mavic's thicker spoked Ksyrium everyone noticed. At the time most other wheels were prone to braking spokes and hubs that needed to be repacked at least once a year. The Ksyrium was light, stiff and bombproof for the most part the answer to every racing cyclist dreams. Ten years down the road and Mavic still offers the Ksyrium SL but is it still a best in class offering or has technology eclipsed the Ksyrium.
The 2011 Kysrium SL clinchers we rode for our test ride are lighter and stiffer than the original version thanks to weight been shaved off the rims and hubs as well as wider flanges and a revised spoke pattern but for the most part they ride the same. They have a unique ride quality, both stiff and smooth at the same time. Sometimes a little too stiff depending on frame and tire combinations but always reliable and bold looking. Compared to some of the latest and greatest new alloy clincher wheels they are a little sluggish. The Hed Ardennes and Zipp 101 are both in the same weight range as the 2011 SL's (+- 1480grams) but the newer wheels are posting significantly better wind tunnel numbers.
With aerodynamics now measurable and seemingly the most important indicator of speed on a race bike it seems the Ksyrium style spokes and angular machined rims are a deal breaker for our beloved SL's. Thus the ride quality and reliability remain but the SL's can no longer be considered a race wheel. They have been relegated to training and strong all rounder in our books.
$999 at retail the Ksyriums are not exactly fantastic value given the notion $$$ equal speed but they are possibly the best value if you look at it from a $$$ for reliability, confidence and now classic looks.
Let me know what you think - clive at glorycycles.com
Let me know what you think - clive at glorycycles.com
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4 comments:
I have to say that I own 2 pair. One set of clincher running tubless for cross, one set of tubular for road. I am in love with these SL's. For the price, I couldn't go wrong.
For a $1K aluminum wheelset I would expect both durability and race performance. The Ksyrium SL has been a nice reliable wheel for many years but Clive is right, now that aero is measurable, these just don't fit that bill. You can match the durability and add performance for a much better price with some other wheelsets. Proprietary spokes don't help things out, when you break a spoke you have to go searching around and possibly wait on a replacement.
hey wait, are you running those tubeless?
Not for the entire review but I did experiment with them tubeless - I don't want to hear from anyones attorney so I never recommend this to my clients but I run it myself. Running these tubeless is for sure a performance upgrade for the SL's. They feel smoother, roll faster and you get less flats.
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