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FEATURES: ON TEST: MAVIC K10 WHEEL SYSTEM
Road Bike Action
June 28, 2010
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Mavic’s K10 is a wheel and tire system with the K10 wheelset adopting every trick in the French dictionary for aluminum wheel making. The Mavic K10 elevates its Ksyrium wheel concept to the highest level. The matching K10 tire is an open tubular design with a slick tread. Like tubular tires, the K10’s thin tread is bonded in a separate operation to a lightweight, latex-coated casing. Mavic’s tire is made under contract by Vittoria, which is a good thing, as that firm virtually invented the open tubular clincher concept.
STANDOUT FEATURES
Mavic’s magic begins with 3D inter-spoke milling, which means that they machine sections of aluminum from the rim between each spoke and along the sides of the extrusion to eliminate every possible gram of metal from the clincher rim. Mavic’s trademark aero-profile Zicral aluminum spokes are radial-laced to the 18-spoke front wheel, and the 20-spoke rear wheel uses “IsoPulse”—a counter-intuitive radial lacing pattern on the drive side with two-cross on the left-side hub flange. The “Maxtal” aluminum rim has no spoke holes in its tire-side channel and employs Mavic’s externally threaded spoke-nipple system. The aluminum rear hub has a two-pawl freehub ratchet and an aluminum cassette spline, while the front hub uses a carbon fiber center section. Quick-releases are Ti-shaft Mavic items, and freehubs are available for SRAM/Shimano. K10 system wheels weigh 2100 grams, including K10 tires and tubes. Expect to pay $1400 for the set.
SETUP
We mounted Mavic’s K10 wheels and tires to a BH G4, inflated to 110 psi. The K10 system replaced Zipp 202 tubular wheels and Continental 4000 tubular tires. The switch increased the weight of the test bike by close to a half pound—but don’t panic, as 202 wheels are among the lightest available. We remounted the K10 tires, which was an easy job, and noted that Mavic’s supplied tubes were almost 105 grams each. There is no need for rim strips, which offset the figure by 10 grams a wheel. Mavic supplies its own cassette spacer—a thick, 2-millimeter aluminum piece that offsets the cassette one turn of the derailleur’s adjustment barrel. Be prepared to dial in your rear changer when you switch wheels.
PERFORMANCE RATINGS (1 to 5 with 5 being best)
BEST USE: Training, fast-paced club rides, amateur racing.
Initial setup: 4
Easy to mount clincher tires to wheel. The Mavic cassette spacer requires a derailleur cable adjustment, and if lost, would require hunting down two, perhaps three of the slim, standard spacers to replace it.
Weight: 4
Surprisingly lightweight aluminum clincher wheelset that mocks some of the heady carbon clincher wheelsets we have tested.
Acceleration/climbing: 4
Very stable when laterally stressed, feels stiff without being immovable like a disc wheel. Acceleration and climbing feel was lively, but not quite up to the level of lightweight carbon wheels.
Road comfort: 3
With the K10 tires inflated to our clincher-ready 110 psi, K10 rims transmitted some road vibration, but not nearly as much as we experienced with previous Ksyrium wheels. We attribute some of this comfort to its smooth-rolling K-10 tires, and the rest to the copious amounts of metal that Mavic machines from the rims.
Cornering feel: 5
Slick tires with supple open tubular casings hug the pavement like geckoes on a wall, and the K10 wheels stay online regardless of speed. You’d have to ride tubulars to corner better than this.
Braking: 4
Braking is smooth (Swisstop pads), there are no grabby stops and the rim surface remained squeal-free. The K10’s smooth, positive braking feel and precise lateral feel was a big plus in the mountains.
Windy conditions: 3
No crosswind effects, and the bladed spokes run silently. While the K10 is not an aero wheelset, its thin, bladed spokes are an emotional boost when pushing headwinds.
Durability: 4
K10 is a tire and wheel system (although it accepts any clincher tire), so part of its high ratings go to the flat-free tire, which we often rode on gravel roads to flaunt its “Proteklink” nylon armor. The K10 wheels still roll true and feel fresh.
BUYING ADVICE
Aluminum wheels, especially Mavic’s blend of Zicral spoke and Maxtal rim, are the best value for a rider who needs one wheelset that is durable enough to train on, yet light enough to be within the realm of a racing wheel. For money-is-no-object competitors, the K10 wheel/tire combination rolls fast enough to keep a bike snob happy on training days and offers aluminum security for high-heat braking when descending mountain passes.
PRICE: $1400 (wheels, QR’s, K10 tires, tubes and bags)
WEIGHT: (wheels): 1456 grams (without QR’s)
WEIGHT: (tire): 245 grams each
COMPATIBLE: SRAM/Shimano
INFO: www.mavic.com
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