The Mavic Crossline wheelset ($399.00 MSRP) is new for 2009. Mavic released these wheels for those of us who are on a budget but want a true Enduro wheelset. You can buy the wheels as a set or individually but your choice of colors is limited to black, black, or black (though they do have some cool new rim graphics). The wheels come with almost everything you need – a quick release skewer for the rear, rim tape for both wheels, and even a special tool for adjusting the rear hub bearings. Unfortunately the Crossline wheelset doesn’t come with a front quick release so you’ll need to pick up an adapter that sells for about $12 to convert to a 9mm configuration.
Some highlights of the Crossline wheels:
Tough 21mm internal wide rim
28 straight pull, steel spokes
Oversized hubs with large cartridge bearings
A new ITS-4 freewheel. Mavic uses an entirely new transmission with 4 pawls and 4 bearings to reduce the rotation of the wheel before it engages from 17 degrees down to 7.
Weight: 2045 grams per pair – front wheel: 965 grams, rear wheel: 1080 grams
Disc brake specific profile: no braking surface on the rims
Pinned rim joints
6106 Aluminum
8.5 mm valve hole diameter
QRM+ bearings
Aluminum front and rear axle
Oversized aluminum front and rear bodies
20x92mm front axle (adapters needed)
12x135mm rear axle
I was stoked to try these puppies out on the trails at Kelso Conservation area (one of the stops on the O-Cup DH circuit) and I tried to find some really rough stuff just to see how rugged these wheels really are. Compared to the regular wheel set that I usually ride these were a blast. The first thing I noticed with the Mavic Crosslines is the different sound the freehub makes compared to older versions of Mavic’s product line-up. I was also pleased when pedaling from a stop – there is virtually instant engagement of the gears with little movement of the crank before the cassette grabs the wheel (which is great for very slow speeds when you need to hammer over a log, ride a skinny or slam through a rock garden). I felt very little flex when cornering, even while nailing birms and switchbacks. These wheels track very well and inspire confidence, felling solid beneath the bike.
Although Mavic advertises these as Freeride wheels I would have to call them “light” Freeride/Enduro wheels. After a few drops (5′ to 7′), table tops, step ups, and rock gardens on an extreme singletrack run I felt pretty confident about the wheels. Despite the thrashing the Crosslines held true with no signs of problems, other than a sight ding (my bad for under-inflating my tires).
The steel spokes on the Mavic Crosslines (and Freeride/Enduro/All-Mountain wheels in general) are a great choice because steel spokes have a higher tolerance for abrasion and will hold up to branches, rocks, and an occasional dropped chain (I don’t use a chain retention device). On this test I even caught a large branch in my rear wheel which ripped the derailleur off without damaging a single spoke – talk about tough!
Overall these wheels are well worth the coin, and I would recommend these to anyone, even to those of us who are on the heavy side. In a time when everyone is watching their well earned dollar these wheels won’t break the bank and are cheap enough that if you do break them you won’t have to give up an arm or a leg to replace them (you probably broke an arm or leg when you broke your wheel anyway so you won’t want to give up another!).
Cheers… Now get outside and hit the trails!
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May 9, 2009