Mavic introduces enduro wheel and tire system and new shoes
Originally posted on June 18, 2013 at 17:56 pm
Enduro racing is riding a tidal wave of popularity right now and as any sport matures, the products and technology are getting more and more specialized.
Mavic has been investing heavily in the enduro scene with riders like Jerome Clementz, Anne-Caroline Chausson, and Fabien Barel. Today it released two new products designed specifically for enduro racing.
First up is the Crossmax Enduro wheel/tire system. While you might think of this as two separate products, Mavic designs its wheels and tires together for optimal results. The new wheels are designed specifically around the different demands placed on front and rear wheels during enduro racing. The front wheel handles grip and cornering, while the rear provides traction and low rolling resistance.
The front wheel uses 24 bladed, straight pull Zircal spokes, laced 2-cross for stiffness, to a UST rim with a 21mm internal width. Surrounding it is a Crossmax Charge XL 2.4 front tire with a grippy tread and 2-ply, 66 TPI casing. The front hub can be adapted to a QR as well as 15 and 20mm thru axles.
The rear wheel uses 20 spokes laced radial on the drive side and 2-cross on the non-drive side for lighter weight and responsiveness. The rear rim is only 19mm wide to save weight and to round out the rear tire for predictable handling and reduced rolling resistance. The same ITS-4 freehub system from other Mavic wheels is used, and can be adapted to QR 135×12 and 142×12 axles. There is a SRAM XX1 (and soon to be XO1) driver available for all ITS-4 wheels. The rear-only tire is a Crossmax Roam 2.3 with a fast rolling center section, and is also 2-ply and 66 TPI.
The wheel and tire system is available in both 26-inch and 27.5 with weights starting at 1,660 grams for the 26. MSRP is $1,000 when they go on sale in July. Like most of Mavic’s race-oriented products, they are only available in the trademark yellow.
You might be thinking about how they compare to the very capable Crossmax SX wheels. We were too so we asked Mavic and they pointed our the Crossmax Enduro wheels are lighter (by about 100 grams) and the rear wheel is narrower for a more responsive ride.
The Charge XL front and Roam rear tires will also be available separately for $75 and $80, respectively.
While the descents get most of the attention, there is still a lot of pedaling in enduro racing, and Mavic designed the Crossmax Enduro shoe in an effort to blend the low weight and rigidty of the Fury XC shoe with the toughness and traction of the Alpine XL shoes. The result is a race shoe that is durable, protective, and has excellent power transfer.
Look for the shoes to go on sale in September for $190.
See how the new products came about with help from pro riders like Jerome Clementz and Anne-Caroline Chausson: