zipp 303 or mavic cosmic slr advice needed

[flat stick]

do i go for zipp 303 clinchers or mavic cosmic slr clinchers for general road racing and crits i weigh 13 stone

 

[Magnus]

I've ridden neither. Based on my experience with zipp 404 tubs and mavic ksyrium sl premium and impressions from the interwebs:
If you're determined on clinchers I'd go for the mavics. Probably cheaper, stiffer and more aerodynamic.

If you're not determined on clinchers get zipp 303 tubulars.

 

[ergmonkey]

Since you only mention racing applications, I agree with the last post 100 percent. Get the Zipp tubulars. Much lighter and much more durable/reliable. Both of the sets you've mentioned cannot justify their costs as clinchers, in my opinion. If you want an everyday clincher that can be raced well, though, I love my Fulcrum 1's.

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

For what you're going to be using them for and considering your weight go with Zipp 404 MAX tubualrs. A few more spokes will add stiffness strength, and durability at a minimal weight penalty. Forget about Mavic prebuilt wheels, they are by faaaaaaar the most troublesome of the big wheel mfg's.

 

[LugHugger]

For what you're going to be using them for and considering your weight go with Zipp 404 MAX tubualrs. A few more spokes will add stiffness strength, and durability at a minimal weight penalty. Forget about Mavic prebuilt wheels, they are by faaaaaaar the most troublesome of the big wheel mfg's.

Could you expand please? I'm riding SL Premiums and love them. Stiff and light. Had them about 6 months, 800-1000km per month. Any pre-warning of issues or maintenance requirements would be great. Thanks.

 

[locker]

i have the mavic cosmic slr clinchers and they are really good maybe a little bit heavier than the zipps but are far more durable, zipps tend to buckle really easy and flex way to much under load

 

[locker]

and you can also get clinchers these days that you can pump up to 160/170 psi which is more than enough

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

Could you expand please? I'm riding SL Premiums and love them. Stiff and light. Had them about 6 months, 800-1000km per month. Any pre-warning of issues or maintenance requirements would be great. Thanks.

Go to any bike shop and ask the mechanics what brand of prebuilt wheels come through their doors for repairs the most. Mavic's biggest knock over the years has been their hubs, tiny little needle bearings make for a really short lifespan, and terrible to work with. Zipp hubs aren't much better, but a better wheel system for racing. Mavic's second biggest knock is the use of non-standard spokes and nipples, those aluminum ones being the worst. Not only do those Zicral spokes make for a terrible ride, they have a lifespan that is about half of a stainless steel spoke, consequently the other half of all those Mavic repairs are broken spokes, I'm sure in the next season or two we'll start seeing waves of their broken carbon spokes. All these proprietary parts make for big headaches and down time without a wheel for it's owners. So, in my experience I'd say the ratio of Mavic to Zipp repairs is about 10 to 1, I just went through a wave of Mavic repairs this Spring at the shop, and It was literally 10:1. I'm absolutely not a fan of mass produced prebuilt wheels anyway, but these are the choices that the OP gave. If you really want to get bang for the buck, go custom. You know how I roll LugHugger, you've been around here long enough to know.

 

[oronet commander]

I don't know if one more data point may be useful, especially from a recreational rider, but I ride on Ksyriums SL and just hate them: need constant play adjustment, mainly the front hub, rear spokes creak a lot, and the freehub has far too much play. When they break I'll happily go back to custom built wheels.

 

[LugHugger]

I'm absolutely not a fan of mass produced prebuilt wheels anyway, but these are the choices that the OP gave. If you really want to get bang for the buck, go custom. You know how I roll LugHugger, you've been around here long enough to know.

I hear you. got the mavic's 2nd hand for a steal ($450) from a guy i race 'cross with - he only lasted a season and used them as his 'dry' wheels. have to say, riding them with 25c conti's at 110psi, they're versatile and comfortable. i guess the maintenance issues are just over the horizon still, the custom wheel fund has had an additional 6 months worth of contributions! thanks for the heads up