Test ride Mavic's new R-SYS wheelset
By now, many of you have probably seen photos and read reviews of Mavic’s new R-SYS wheelset. On the popular web blog, Belgium Knee Warmers, author Radio Freddy succinctly says of Mavic’s new wheelset, “The Mavic R-SYS wheel system is a carbon/al-u-min-e-um dream team intended to relieve the aging Ksyrium from its duties atop the pre-built, hub/rim kingdom.
We’ve already received our Test It Here Pair* of the 2008 Mavic R-SYS wheels and they are ready for multi-day test rides. Below is a detailed outline of the wheelset and some initial impressions after spending about 300 km riding the R-SYS.
Composition:
Rims: Like Mavic’s current Ksyrium ES wheelset, the R-SYS uses an aluminum rim with a rim profile depth of 22mm at the front, and 25 mm at the rear. This multi-depth rim profile helps shave weight and provide adequate acceleration. Additionally, the rear rim is asymmetric for better spoke tension distribution and balance.
Spokes: The spokes of the R-SYS wheelset are unique to R-SYS and is a complete departure from the way wheel manufacturers have spec’d spokes in the past. At the front wheel, the R-SYS uses 16, 4.4 mm round, carbon fiber spokes . At the rear wheel, the wheelset uses 20 spokes with the round, carbon spokes on the left side of the wheel and Ksyrium-type bladed Zicral spokes on the drive-side of the wheel.
Wheel Highlights:
Fatigue life and durability: What you are probably less likely to read about in reviews of the new R-SYS wheelset is the wheel’s increase in fatigue life and durability. At the heart of this wheel system lies a new, innovative method of spoke isolation.
In a traditional wheelset built with stainless spokes on an aluminum rim, a spoke’s traction or pulling movement under continual rider load will bend the spoke in such a way where the joining of spoke and nipple at the rim will slowly—over time—begin to fatigue the rim and eyelet. This is not a design flaw—necessarily—of other wheelsets; rather, it’s a reality. After continual cycles of this traction, the potential for spokes to break or rims to crack at the eyelet increases.
After the spoke has been loaded from pedal input and compresses, the beauty of the R-SYS system lies within a small ring that is inserted on the inside of the hub.
Image courtesy of rouesartisanales.com
This ring helps keeps the nipple from moving, and therefore prevents the nipple from un-winding an causing stress at the rim. Mavic calls this technology TraComp referring to the Traction of the spoke and the Compression of the spoke, and the new wheel’s ability to minimize the stress that traction and compression causes on ordinary wheels.
Rigidity: One of the biggest advantages the R-SYS is touted to have over it’s Ksyrium SL and Ksyrium ES counterparts is lateral rigidity. Mavic claims that the rigidity increase comes from the R-SYS’s use of an asymmetric rear rim, the rear hub’s flange spacing, the spoke shape and carbon fiber material, and finally the spoke’s bracing angle from hub to rim. The claim in rigidity is offered as about a 30% increase as compared to a standard aluminum hub and steel spokes laced to an aluminum rim.
Wheelset weight: Wheelset weight is always a consideration when discussing high-end wheel highlights. The Mavic R-SYS claimed weight is 1355 grams. This is almost 1/2 a pound lighter than the tried-and-true Mavic Ksyrium SL wheelset at 1535 grams. The weight savings can be attributed to the spoke weight savings at 5 grams per spoke compared to 7 grams for a bladed Ksyrium spoke. Additionally, the rim on the R-SYS is claimed to weigh under 400 grams. This is possible because the R-SYS’s spoke tension and noticeable decrease in stress at the rim as mentioned above. As a comparison, The R-SYS wheelset comes out at the top in Mavic’s wheelset range in terms of weight:
R-SYS tubular:1340 grams
R-SYS clincher:1355 grams
Ksyrium ES tubular:1410 grams
Ksyrium SL tubular:1465 grams
Ksyrium SL clincher:1535 grams
All these details aside, how does the wheeset actually ride? We have been riding them for about 300 km so far, and our very first impression was that they are noticeably more responsive under sprinting and hard pedal input. Recently, we used the wheels to race the Cougar Mountain Hillclimb, a meager 2 mile climb, but with an elevation gain of over 1100 feet in 2 miles. The out-of-saddle climbing seemed (and we are totally aware that this is just our perception) precise, efficient, and forward-moving. The weight of the wheels is also completely evident as they replaced a set of Ksrium SL’s and saved just under 200 grams.
In closing, Mavic’s new R-SYS wheelset is markedly different than the Ksyrium family of wheels. While a racing application may be a good intended use for these wheels, with an increase in performance and durability, and a reduction of weight, the R-SYS wheelset seems well worth the price of $1399 for the pair for racers and non-racers alike. The weight alone puts the wheelset in the class of carbon wheelsets which command a price of nearly double the R-SYS, thus making the wheelset a exceptional value. Please feel free to contact us to test ride the new wheelset today.
*Our R-SYS wheelset is available immediately for multi-day test ride for either Shimano or Campy drivetrains. R-SYS wheelsets are available for ordering immediately.
Posted: August 15, 2007 by Cascade Bicycle Studio