mavic vs. xt mtb rims

[Apache]

which is better?

[Dirtbreath]

Ooooooh. You will get people praising whichever it is they ride.

 

I ride Mavics which have given me no problems and run great. The distributor is an arse but they seem to be improving.

 

XT are great wheels at a great price and no matter what anyone tells you, Shimano does not make crap.

 

Yes, you will find stuff better, cheaper, more expensive, better looking uglier whatever but these 2 brands are great.

 

As far as wheels go there are also a lot more options out there that are as good.

 

[Slowbee]

Education on

 

Dirtbreath, what other makes of wheels are there?

 

I can think of Token, but what others?

 

 

 

[Johan Bornman]

It all depends on which Mavic rims you're talking about.

 

But lets look at the in-the-spotlight ones where the spoke nipple screws into the hub.

 

On the Mavic wheel the hole is formed with a hot tungsten rod that melts the hole and forms a sort of ferrule which is then threaded. This ferrule, as you can imagine, is a rough affair with jagged edges on the inside and an incomplete thread. It works fine in static applications but in a wheel where the stresses change cyclically with each revolution, the jaggies cause stress cracks and the cracks propagate from the inside of the rim out, starting at the spokes and radiating outwards. It is a common failure. Secondly, the spoke nipples are not anodised and very quickly oxidation-weld on the rims with the effect that a spoke adjustment requires you to cut out the spoke and replace it.

 

On the Shimano rim the ferrule is formed on a machine and then welded onto the rim with a reinforcement backing plate which you can see around the spoke. This has the effect that the ferrule is perfectly formed and cannot introduce stress cracks.

 

Further, the ferrule and nipple are both anodised, which protects the aluminium for the oxidation problem.....to an extent. But, to protect and help the mechanic down the line, the spoke is also formed so as to have a flat spot just above the nipple where it can be gripped, should things freeze-weld.

 

Although I have not seen this and I thus cannot say it will happen, I do think this design has one weakness and that the reinforcing place may eventually cause cracks around it in the thin part of the rim. I base this guess on the fact that local reinforcement leads to overall weakness. I would have preferred the plate to be feathered and gradually blend into the rim rather than end abruptly as it does.

 

And oh yes, Shimano does make crap. They're as guilty as anyone else. I can only point to their current Dura Ace wheels (rims crack), WH-550 range with the nipples at the hub - poor spoke alignment and other design issues and their MTB wheels (don't know the model number) but the ones where the spoke on the left and right is one piece and loops through the rim - rubbish.

 

Mavic also makes rubbish. The only rim of Mavic's that I rate as a good product is the hellishly expensive CXP-33.

[stringbean]

XT no question is better.I think Mavic make crap wheels,this is based on how many come in for repairs at my lbs.Along with a distributor that hasn't got any spares i would stick with shimano.DT make good wheels but expensive.Like thier hubs,virtually bombproof.Just go to your LBS and ask them which wheel they work on the most

[stringbean]

 

I see you based in WC even more so XT.Have a huge problem of spokes,nipples,rim binding with the mavic wheels here at the sea making it difficult to true.

stringbean2008-12-23 23:34:11

[Slowbee]

whats the price on an XT wheel set?

 

how does this compare to Token's wheel's?

 

 

[stringbean]

What spokes are been used on Tokens wheels?Find many manufacturers save by using cheap crap spokes.

[Johan Bornman]

This is what I mean with the Ksyrium. I'll take some photos of the equivalent Shimano cross section later today.

 

[AndreZA]

Go for the Token wheels. If something happens to it you will be able to find new pokes or even rebuild them completely if you must. They do provide a few extra in the box anyway.

 

 

[Daxiet]

I am also looking to upgrade my MTB wheelset, was pondering Mavic or Shimano (XT XC in particular). I have also considered the more expensive DT range, but where do the good wheelsets start in Mavic and DT. Shimano generally make things easier with their standard MTB naming convention. Deore entry, LX getting better, XT good, XTR you've arrived. Mavic and DT you have nice model numbers that mean little to the average person.

 

JB you never committed to one or the other, you mentioned some big positives on the Shimanos, but then threw a spanner in the works with a lot of issues mentioned there after.

 

 

 

[tubed]

I went with the XT hub, Mavic 819 build. So far lots of abuse and still looking good. Also easy to work on if they do need it in time.

 

Have an old crossmax set, the rim cracked and the effort and expense to replace the rim with Mavic locally was too much in the end. Forget the fancy wheelsets and have a set built that can be rebuilt when they get tired.

 

 

mini hijack: Johan, any comments on your experience with these:

 

[Johan Bornman]

JB you never committed to one or the other' date=' you mentioned some big positives on the Shimanos, but then threw a spanner in the works with a lot of issues mentioned there after.


[/quote']

 

I never (with one exception) commit to endorsing products. I comment based on engineering flaws I encounter when repairing these wheels. I don't see a wide range of products since most are returned to the agent under gaurantee. I get the few that fall outside the gaurantee or where the owner has had enough poor service and been subjected to enough BS by the agents. I dont ride them, don't sell them and have no commercial interest in them.

 

You should know where I stand when it comes to boutique wheels.

[Dirtbreath]

 

Education on

 

Dirtbreath' date=' what other makes of wheels are there?

 

I can think of Token, but what others?

 

 

 

[/quote']

 

Unfortunately I'm not too educated myself on these matters and can only comment on my own experience.

 

The only problem I have experienced with my Mavics apart from normal wear and tear is a nipple tearing off. his happened after a spoke bent and bent out a section of the nipplie which is weaker because of the formed grooves which allow the specific Mavic spoke spanner to grip them.

 

 

That is probably another weakeness, you need specific tools to work on these Mavics. Although I now have them, kindly supplied by Mr Bornman, I would rather just use regular spoke spanners and cone spanners. My bike's multi - tool doesnt fit the Mavics and I dont carry the stand alone one with me so if a spoke goes I'm stuffed but can probably limp home.

 

[Johan Bornman]

 

 

mini hijack: Johan' date=' any comments on your experience with these:

 

[/quote']

These are excellent rims, having spoke sockets (double eyelets) and enough meat in the extrusion to do the job.

 

However, the price cannot be justified. The same rim (looks exactly the same and made the same) is the DRC St 17. It sells for 1/3 of the price and the agent doesn't mess around when a gaurantee replacement is called for.

 

 

[fatcyclist]

Johan, your comments on the DT Swiss X1800 wheelsets? I recently bought a pair for Desert Dash and have been quite impressed (especially seeing I'm on what can be term 'fat bastard' side of the scale). How long they will last is another matter, but for now they seem to be rather decent..