Mavic has been making great bicycle wheels ever since I can remember. It actually all started in 1889 in Lyon, France, by brothers Leon and Laurent. Mavic has been at the forefront of innovation throughout the brand’s history, including being the first to anodize alloy rims, developing the first hook-shaped bead and creating the UST tubeless system. It is known for pushing boundaries.
I haven’t ridden a set of Mavic wheels since the DeeMaxes came on my 26” freeride bike in early 2010. But now that Mavic is returning to the United States after surviving bankruptcy, I feel a twinge of nostalgia when I think back to those days of bright yellow rims. I was excited to see what Mavic had cooked up since I last came up with a pair.
Build
(Image credit: Charlie Kohlmeier)
The Mavic Allroad S is an alloy wheelset with:
25mm IW Maxtal rims
24 blade spokes
Mavic’s Fore tapeless tubeless system
brass nipples
aluminum infinity Instant Drive 360 hubs
and weighs only 1790 grams for the set.
The Allroad S is only supplied with centerlock brake mounting and an HG freehub. The XDR, Campy or Microspline driver are all sold separately. Unique to the Allroads is that you don’t need tubeless tape. The rims are threaded and the nipples are screwed directly into the rim. This allows Mavic to leave the upper rim bridge intact and saves you the headache of dealing with tubeless tape. The nipples have a unique head and the tools are included in the box.
What’s in the box
(Image credit: Charlie Kohlmeier)
My wheels arrived carefully packaged. Each wheel comes with a tubeless valve, stickers, manuals and a spoke/nipple tool – very useful for the unique bits.
I was sad to see that there were no spare nipples or spokes in the kit. Centerlock lock washers are also not included, nor are spacers for the freehub.
Set up
(Image credit: Charlie Kohlmeier)
Installation on the Allroad is about as easy as it gets. Install the included tubeless valves – or don’t if you want to work with tubes.
With the tubes installed, I had no issues adjusting my tires. I mounted some 700×42 Ultradynamic Cavas with about an ounce of Stan’s classic. In retrospect, I should have used another ounce.
After installation I had some problems with air ingress. I added another ounce of sealant and the problem resolved itself. I will say it was wonderful not having to work with tubeless tape. Props to Mavic for saving us all some headaches.
My centerlock rotors went through without any problems, as did my older Sunrace cassette – I haven’t had an HG freehub in a while! After a quick adjustment of my rear derailleur and both brake calipers, I was ready to roll.
Ride impressions
(Image credit: Charlie Kohlmeier)
Out of the box the Mavic Allroads laser are straight, true and round. When you lower the power, these wheels are impressive. Stiff enough to feel light and ready to sprint, but when the going gets tough they’re also remarkably compliant. Prior to this review, I spent a lot of time on the WTB CZR rims, and I expected these Mavics to be significantly stiffer. To my surprise, the Mavics felt just as good. I always assume that carbon hoops will be better, but I forget how good aluminum can be.
I generally spend my time in the saddle trying to keep up with faster friends. The Allroads are great for keeping up. Bearings spin forever and are smooth. I usually enjoy a loud freehub. I find they do a great job of alerting other trail users as I approach. The freehub on the Instant Drive 360 is quiet, but maintains an impressive 9º engagement.
I made it a point to put the Allroads to the test. That included many miles of asphalt, gravel and a lot of singletrack. These wheels are brilliant on asphalt. They feel great when you really want to turn the power off. On rougher roads and smoother gravel they absorb the higher frequency stuff well. When the bumps get bigger, there’s a very clear threshold where these wheels find the end of their comfort – which is to be expected, since not many people will “steer” it on a gravel ride. A larger rubber can help in situations like this.
After some heavy impacts to the rims along some of the rougher sections, I was happy to find that the Allroads shrugged off even the biggest impacts. These would be my wheels of choice if the ride was about 85% asphalt or smooth gravel and 15% rough/singletrack.
As you venture deeper into the unknown, I’d probably go for something wider and with more spokes – something about relying on 24 spokes makes me hesitant.
Highlights of the ride:
(Image credit: Charlie Kohlmeier)
Stiff if necessary
Docile when plowing through the rough material
Freehub is quiet
Freehub involvement is great
Reliably strong
Value and judgment
(Image credit: Charlie Kohlmeier)
I’m impressed with the Mavic Allroad S wheels. For $530 you can get a great looking set of wheels from a company with a deep cycling history. They ride great and are ready for any challenge you throw their way. Really define what a All roads wheelset means. If you’re okay with the proprietary parts, the Allroad S is a good choice. The wheels come with everything you need to get started, and a 2-year warranty.
