Walking past Mavic’s vignettes set up with each of their product families, you could easily mistake the one above for last year’s Crossmax XL. But take a second look and you’ll notice the legendary Deemax name. That of course, being the name of the bright yellow wheels and hubs that were the must have during the early days of DH and Freeride. The yellow has made a return as the Deemax DH wheelset, but Mavic has a new plan for the Deemax mark to get it out there to more riders.
Replacing the Crossmax XL WTS, and slowly replacing the apparel, the new Deemax Pro and Elite line up looks to be aimed at Enduro. Which makes sense considering much of Enduro is just as gnarly as DH and Freerider were a decade or two ago…
Offered only in 27.5″, the Deemax Pro wheelset features a Fore aluminum rim with ISM 4D milling and a UST rim bead which measures 28mm internally on the front, and a narrower 25mm on the rear. That difference in width corresponds to the difference in tire size selected for the Wheel Tire System. Up front is the new Claw Pro XL 27.5 x 2.5″ tire while the rear will run the Quest Pro XL in a 27.5 x 2.4″. Both tires use 66 tpi Guard 2 construction for a durable casing and the rear sees X-Mix rubber for softer side knobs and harder center tread. The front tire uses SSC super soft compound for better grip.
The QRM+ 6 bolt hubs still carry the yellow torch with Boost and non-Boost options(135/142mm, including quick release), and load 24 Zicral aluminum spokes with their Isopulse lacing on the rear/2x on the front. Hubs are both Shimano/SRAM and XD freehub compatible. Claimed weights are listed at 1700g for the wheelset, and 940g for the rear 2.4″ tire, while the 2.5″ tire weight is unlisted. Pricing starts at $1,249 for the set.
Along with the wheels, Mavic is launching two new Deemax footwear products with the Deemax Pro and Deemax Elite shoe. Both feature laces and velcro straps, though the Demax Elite adds a Quick Lace closure with a velcro lace cover for increased protection. It also adds a bit more ankle protection with a neoprene cuff around the top of the shoe. Both shoes are SPD compatible, with an Energy Grip AM sole on the Pro and Contragrip sole on the Elite.
While the Pro comes in fairly standard Mavic colors of black and yellow, the Elite steps into the new color range Mavic is using across the line with white, red, and blue/orange.
Looking at the full collection of helmets and shoes, it’s clear that Mavic is stepping out of the yellow and black box, but it’s still there if you want it.
