You might say “about time”, but Mavic’s Crossmax wheel lineup has just spread its rims and hubs out to modern standards. And, they switched to a hookless bead wall, which is a big departure from their usual UST compliant design (UPDATE: See response from Mavic below). Then they gave it a new, wider tire option that’s designed specifically for these new wider rims.
Available in two versions, both the Pro and Elite versions get ISM4D machined Maxtal rims in 27.5 and 29er sizes, and both with standard, Boost and Lefty Supermax hub options with all common axle standards accommodated. And both have the new 22mm internal width and hookless Maxtal rims. That’s up from 19mm on the prior generation Crossmax Pro, which gets them inline with modern XC wheels. That’s not the the widest available, but just as with their new Cosmic and Ksyrium Pro Carbon SL road wheels, they are selling them as a wheel-tire system with tires optimized specifically for this rim width…
The Crossmax Elite comes in at $750 for the set, including tires, quick release, thru axle hub adapters, and tubeless rim tape, valve stems and sealant. They use 24 straight pull bladed and double butted spokes and traditional rim drilling.
The Crossmax Elite’s hubs are all aluminum bodies with their latest ITS-4 pawl system with two working at any time for 7.5º of engagement. Choose from black or red graphics. Claimed weights for just the wheels are 1,565g (27.5) and 1,615g (29er).
The Crossmax Pro, shown at top, upgrades to a Fore drilled rim, which chases threads directly into the rim. Then, the nipples for their fatter Zicral aluminum spokes are threaded directly into it. This means no spoke holes on the inside of the rim bed, so you won’t need to use tape to set them up tubeless. They also get higher end hubs, with the front using a carbon fiber shell between the alloy flanges. Claimed weights are 1,535g (27.5) and 1,590 (29er), retail is $1,099 (€1,000 / £765).
Included are the Pulse Pro single-ply, mixed compound tires in either 2.1 or 2.25 widths. Claimed weights are:
- 27.5 x 2.10 – 580g
- 27.5 x 2.25 – 640g
- 29 x 2.10 – 620g
- 29 x 2.25 – 680g
UPDATE: According to Mavic, who were the originators of the UST design and own the patent (it’s an open patent, anyone can use it), the UST standard doesn’t dictate inner sidewall features. Per Mavic, basically the main UST details that are key are:
- the humps design, where the tire beads stays in place, to avoid air leaks, locking them in place,
- the central groove, round for 3 years, no more square as first ust generation design, to ease the mount with minimum air input,
- the precise measurements complying with ISO and ETRTO regulations to ensure tire compatibility and safety. That’s a key element.
“The rim aisles don’t ‘participate’ to locking the tire in place so we removed them,” Michel Lethenet, Mavic’s global PR manager, told us. “Consequently the rim is now a bit lighter too. Hooks are not considered in the UST standard we invented, patented (open), back in 1999. This is still an independent lab that’s evaluating and validating any new tire model to provide the UST compatibility approval or not.”
