Mavic Ksyrium Elite S Road Wheelset - Clincher
Collectively, we can't remember a wheelset that more of us have ridden and loved then the Mavic Ksyrium Elite S Clincher Wheelset. We've followed it from generation to generation for one reason -- Mavic always manages make it better. This year, we find that the Ksyrium Elite S has gone on a diet and stolen some of its siblings' technologies. Lighter, faster, and smoother than ever, the new age of the Ksyrium has arrived. For this iteration of the Ksyrium Elite S, Mavic made strives to balance opposites -- it's trickier than it sounds. The objective was to increase stiffness, while also increasing compliance, and somehow at the same time, decrease weight. Needless to say, that to achieve this, Mavic loaded the Ksyrium Elites with proprietary, patented technology. Starting with the rims, Mavic again went with the venerable Maxtal aluminum alloy. Exclusive to Mavic, Maxtal was developed in order to crush the conventional 6061 alloy. In comparison, Maxtal provides a higher strength to weight ratio and is around 30% more resistant to stress. This strength is further expanded upon by Mavic's Soude Usine Process or SUP. When the rim is being shaped and welded, this process is responsible for arc welding the rim joint into a seam that's then given a smooth finish. It might sound fairly boilerplate, but this exclusive process improves wheel balance, eliminates brake shudder, and increases the overall strength of the rim. Now that we've covered the process of shaping the rim, it's time to bring spokes into the picture. Once again, Mavic utilized multiple production technologies to bolster the Elite's output and aesthetics. Where the spoke meets the rim, Mavic uses its Fore technology to eliminate drilling through the rim bed. The process involves pushing down on the lower of the two rim bridges, and then threading the alloy to allow the nipple to thread directly into it. This leaves the the upper bridge untouched, and accordingly, it increases the wheel's rigidity by 20%...