I splurged on a set of Mavic Crossmaxes in the early 2000s, and they completely changed my perception of mountain bike wheels — forever. Now, twenty-plus years later, Mavic is launching the lightest Crossmax ever built, made to perform at the highest levels of cross-country mountain bike racing. They officially debuted at the Les Gets World Cup XC this weekend, raced by the Mavic-sponsored Mondraker and KTM Factory XC Teams.
Designed with input from athletes and validated/tested on the World Cup XC circuit, Mavic says its new wheels are engineered to make you faster. With a claimed weight of just 1080 grams/pair, the Crossmax Ultimate wheels promise “to deliver explosive acceleration, razor-sharp handling, and podium-worthy performance.” Let’s check them out.
Mavic Crossmax Ultimate Details
The new Crossmax Ultimate is aimed squarely at cross-country racers, including those competing at the very highest level of the sport. Mavic states that these wheels were developed with and for professional XC racers to deliver uncompromising performance at a very light weight.
How light? Mavic claims the new Crossmax Ultimate wheels weigh just 1,080 grams for the pair with an XD freehub and rim tape. How did they get it so light? According to Mavic, “Every gram, every fiber, and every component has been challenged in the pursuit of pure XC performance.” This includes a new rim concept, carbon spokes with titanium nipples, and new UltraLight Hubs, each of which reportedly reduces the wheelset weight by 100 grams, or 300 grams total.
Adaptive Layup Carbon Rims
At the rim, Mavic says that its new Adaptive Layup optimizes the carbon fiber layers to achieve the optimal balance of stiffness, vibration damping, and low weight. The rims have a 25 mm depth and 30 mm internal width to support modern XC tires. Each rim is drilled with 20 holes with an unspecified offset to optimize spoke loading on the drive side (rear) and braking side (front).
UltraLight Hubs
At the center of the Crossmax Ultimate wheels are Mavic’s new UltraLight Hubs. According to the brand, these hubs weigh just 105 g/180 g for the front/rear, respectively, in the XD 6-bolt configuration. They spin on Mavic’s precise, low-friction ceramic bearings, feature the 40-tooth ID360 LIGHT ratchet for quick engagement, and an optimized spring to minimize freewheel friction.
Carbon Spokes
Mavic opted for a 20-spoke count in a 2-cross pattern front and rear with straight-pull carbon spokes that combine an “optimized stiffness to weight ratio” with “natural vibration damping properties.” They chose titanium nipples to reduce rotational weight even further, so every precious watt is transferred into forward motion.
Validation
In addition to field testing, Mavic says it performed 57 different tests on its in-house machines to ensure performance and reliability. On top of that, the Crossmax Ultimate wheels have been in use by the Mondraker and KTM Factory XC teams since the beginning of the 2026 season. In that time, these wheels have helped propel Katrin Embacher to a U23 XCO victory, along with multiple top-10 Elite performances.
Specs
- Rim width: 30 mm internal, 36 mm external
- Rim depth: 25 mm
- Rim type: Carbon, hookless
- Recommended tire size: 2.3” – 2.4”
- Materials: T700, T1000, 3K… Adaptive layup
- Finish: Raw, UD carbon
- Spokes: Carbon, 20 per wheel, 2-cross
- Nipples: Titanium
- Hubs: UltraLight Hubs
- Spacing: 15 x 110 mm front, 12 x 148 mm rear
- Bearings: Mavic Ceramic
- Brake interface: Centerlock and 6-bolt
- Freehubs: XD and Microspline
- Freewheel system: ID360 Ultralight 40T
- Weight: 500 g front, 580 g rear, 1080 g total
- ASTM: Level 3
- Max weight: 135 kg
- Included: Tubeless valves, tubeless tape, wheel bags
Pricing and Availability
Mavic’s new Crossmax Ultimate XC race wheels retail for €2,299. Head to the Mavic website to learn more, check availability in your region, or find a dealer near you.
