Mavic has been around forever. I remember one of the first high-performance rims that came on my first Yeti Ultimate way back in 1990 was Mavic’s PSP rim, which boasted a 23mm wide, 14.5mm high profile. In fact, Mavic first produced dedicated mountain bike rims in 1985. Fast forward 23 years, and Mavic is now pushing out complete wheel solutions for every situation and riding style. The Mavic Crossmax ST can be considered the everyman’s wheelset.
The Crossmax ST is constructed to be both lightweight (1590g) and strong (using Mavic’s proprietary Maxtal alloy), and is designed with the trail rider in mind. Using a 19mm cross section, you can comfortably mount up a 2.3 – 2.35in tire.
Following the Crossmax line, the ST is home to a ton of technological advancement. One such tech bit that keeps weight down to a minimum is Mavic’s own ISM process, removing unnecessary weight between the spokes. Other key points to note where the rim is concerned include FORE drilling and SUP welding of the joint. Both technologies are necessary for this rim to be made UST. Another important safety feature is the raised ridges inside, which keep the tire snapped in place. FORE technology is Mavic’s own way of preparing the inside wall for the spokes. By spinning a special die, it forms the inside nipple cavity, then threads are cut for the nipples, leaving the outer wall untouched.
As far as the hub and spokes are concerned, Mavic shares technology that’s also found on the Crossmax SLR, SX, and Deemax hubs. All of these wheels are great in their own category.
The big deal with the Mavic ST hub is the QRM+ micro adjustment hub with double seals on the cartridge bearings. ITS-4 is the big feature that basically has two sets of cam pawls, which alternately engage the cassette body to the hub. With a fine resolution, the hub provides about 7.5° of wheel rotation between engagement points. That’s a big deal if you’re riding rocks, roots, and skinnies where you just can’t get a full pedal stroke in.
Tying the rim and hub together are the Zicral spokes. The wheel is laced with 24 symmetrical 2x pattern in the front and 20 laced 2x on the non-drive side, and radial on the drive. The combination of a radial and 2x pattern improves spoke tension side to side.
Installation
Out of the box all I had to do was toss on the right axle adapters and carefully install the UST valves and spacer. The Crossmax ST rim has an asymmetrical design which necessitates an offset spacer to squarely seat the valve.
Mounting a set of Kenda Slant 6 UST tires on the Mavic STs was a snap, with no need for any tire levers or sealant. I only needed to spray a bit of soapy water along the beads to help things seat. It only took a mere 15psi to seat the tires nicely. I pumped them up the rest of the way (30psi), and I was good to go.
Out on the Trail
I put the Crossmax STs to the test in a variety of places in Ontario, and I was very impressed with the balance of weight, strength, and stiffness. Since I was riding the wheels a bit more aggressively than they’re intended, and at my weight, I was sure that something was going to go wrong. But as it stands, there are no dings on these wheels yet. Granted, I haven’t crashed or cased anything horribly wrong yet, but I have pinned them through typical rock gardens, roots, and what you would expect in wooden areas.
I have heard other people say that these wheels felt flexy. Glancing off of rocks and roots, I personally thought these wheels had a bit of lateral give (as all wheels do to an extent), but they definitely are not what I consider “flexy.” Perhaps using the 15 and 20mm adapter helped when using different forks that I had in for review. But again, when it comes to that small amount of lateral compliance, if you’re not looking for it, you won’t feel it.
I really appreciated the light weight and the fast rolling of the Crossmax STs on the climbs. Over a significant amount of ride time I did have to adjust the rear wheel’s QRM once, but that wasn’t an issue at all. I just kept the multitool that came supplied with the wheels, and did a quick trail adjustment when breaking for water and a snack.
After a few months of riding, the Crossmax STs still spin true and smoothly. They’re almost as smooth as new, which is a good testament to the build quality. I have yet to turn one spoke nipple to true these up–yet another testament to the quality of the STs.
The Mavic Crossmax STs are available in the 29in size as well, and with the choice of centerlock, 6-bolt, or lefty hubs. They retail for an MSRP of $800
A big thanks to the folks at Mavic for sending down the Crossmax ST for review.
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