Mavic will display its first carbon clincher wheels at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California, next month, the company announced Wednesday.
The French brand has been cautious about releasing a carbon clincher, a product category that has been plagued by durability and braking performance issues. The company said it has overcome those problems in a three-year development process, in part by using aluminum spoke bed inserts, tire bed and bead hooks.
Mavic said the "extremely lightweight aluminum insert" resists tire air pressure and brake heat buildup, adds radial impact resistance and creates precise tire fit and brake track geometry.
The rim's carbon construction uses two types of resin plus a specific heat treatment protocol to optimize heat management. A special surface treatment on the brake track is said to improve braking efficiency in both wet and dry conditions. The company claims the rim offers wet braking distances that are half that of current carbon wheels on the market.
The wheel has a 40 millimeter rim profile shaped to optimize handling in crosswinds and reduce head-on wind resistance.
The CC40C WTS wheels weigh 1,545 grams per pair. The company noted that a rim strip is not needed, saving additional weight. The hubs have carbon shells and aluminum flanges and axles. Spokes are bladed and butted stainless steel with external alloy nipples. There are 16 radial-laced front spokes and 20 radial/1-cross on the rear. Mavic will offer a wheel-tire system with a GripLink clincher front tire and PowerLink clincher rear tire.
The wheels will be available June 1, with an anticipated price of about $2,750.
