I’ve been wanting to get myself some aero wheels for a couple years and for many reasons I held off. Cost, wet-braking, and style were among some of the reasons. For years I’ve ridden Mavic wheels off-road and after hearing good things about the SLE wheels—especially the Exalith technology—I jumped on a set.
I’ve got about 1200 miles on the
wheels and I’m still psyched every time I ride. The wheels have
transformed my rig and my rides.
Speed is synonymous with the wheels. I
had heard aero wheels are “harder to get up to speed” but I
haven’t really noticed a big difference. I definitely notice an
advantage at certain speeds. 18 mph is the first bump, then 22, then
24 mph. 24 mph is where I’ve really noticed the wheels working for
me. Holding speed is much easier and they’re rock solid when you’re
rolling around 30 mph.
The transfer of power is also a
noticeable advantage. The wheels are stiff and give nice propulsion
when hammering on the pedals. When rolling at speeds in the mid 20s
they give a good kick when you push them.
I’ve been riding a lot of hills with
the wheels. Even though “they” say aero wheels are too heavy for
climbing I’ve enjoyed riding in SW Wisconsin with them. My typical
ride would include about 2000’ of climbing for a 50 mile route.
Whatever disadvantage I have from the weight when climbing is made up
on the descents. These are solid bullets on a descent, they roll fast
and hold steady.
The wheelset comes with Mavic tyres –
the Yksion GripLink (front) and PowerLink (rear). The tyres are great and provide good traction. I rode
wet roads this past weekend and they performed well. This was also a
good opportunity to test the breaking. I didn’t notice any decrease
in breaking distance and I attribute this to the Exalith technology.
The breaking surface has grooved surface like a file and used in
combination with the Mavic brake pads they work well.
Initially I didn’t use the Mavic pads
and burned through my pads in about 300 miles. Part of the reason I
did this was to avoid the loud screeching that the new rims make with
the Mavic pads. Once the new rim surface wears a bit the Mavic pads
don’t make noise. There is still a noise when breaking but it’s a
proud whistle akin to a King hub whine.
So aside from the speed, transfer of
power, stiffness and grip I’d have to say my favorite aspect of the
wheels are the way they look. Initially I thought about removing the
stickers but after stepping back and reveling in the typography of my
machine I’ve decided to keep them. I’ve gotten several
unsolicited comments from non-cyclists about how my bike looks bad
ass. I have to agree.
The only downside to the package are
the valve extenders. They’re pretty temperamental and I’m now
using 80mm valve tubes.
Overall, these wheels are awesome. They
make going faster more fun.
He wasn't lying about the extenders, it appears he's decided to ride completely without valves! We can get you a set of these things for a song, and they come with tires. Give us a call.....
