First Ride: Mavic's Allroad wheelsets aren't entirely new in and of themselves - they've been around since this season as the Ksyrium Allroad. For the future, the traditional French manufacturer is expanding the gravel segment. We were able to experience the new wheels and tires in sunny southern France.
2:45 a.m. my alarm clock rings. To be honest, I have other things on my mind right now than getting up and flying towards Barcelona. But it doesn't help, the journey seems promising to me and so I pick myself up and get ready for the very first flight of my life.
After a stopover in Frankfurt, I land in Barcelona at 12:00 p.m. and am welcomed by Eric as planned. He is on duty for the traditional wheel manufacturer Mavic, this company is the reason why I went to dizzy heights and took the path to Spain. From Barcelona we continue towards the south of France, more precisely to Perpignan. The small town, near the Mediterranean Sea, will be our home for the next four days. Us, that's me and 21 other journalists from all over the world.
The theme for the coming days will be allroad. Allroad is pretty new and fresh for most of us because, unlike in the US, gravel or allroad bikes have only really arrived in Europe for about two years. A gravel bike is a fusion of a road bike, a cyclocross bike and a little bit of cross-country bike. So a drop bar bike with wide tires and a very comfortable seating position.
This discipline is also quite new for me and I was curious what to expect. After the Global Marketing Manager Michel welcomed us and we checked into the hotel, we can already take a look at the new tires and wheels from Mavic while setting up the test bikes. The special thing about our test bikes is that they are not big brands, but all from smaller manufacturers. I'm getting a caminate bike. A genuine French and handcrafted titanium bike.
Mavic Alloroad – The one for all?
As at the beginning of every product development, Mavic asked itself the basic questions when it came to Allroad: What actually is Allroad? Which customer group do you want to serve with it? The result was that gravelling is the extended playground of a racing bike. Accordingly, impellers should be many times more resistant.
With this knowledge, four optically very attractive wheel sets in two wheel sizes, two WTS (Wheel Tire Systems) combinations in three price classes were created.
The models at a glance
Mavic Allroad UST
At €250 (without tires) it is probably the most interesting price/performance ratio for many. It is true that you have to do without the tried and tested ISM4D rim. This offers a tick less weight and a little more aerodynamics - but in this price range to get over it. Especially since special nipples are used on the ISM4D, which can be problematic in the event of a defect 'on the road'. Thanks to the traditional construction of the Mavic Allorad UST, you can always get a replacement, especially when travelling.
The rest of the high-quality wheel set hardly differs from its slightly more expensive and lighter siblings. It has a light tubeless-capable aluminum rim with an inner width of 22 millimeters and the resulting option of mounting tires between 28 and 45 millimeters wide. The stable and durable steel freewheel is available for both Sram and Shimano systems. It is planned that the cheap wheelset from France will be available from July.
Price: € 250
Weight (manufacturer information): 1890 g
Mavic Allroad Pro UST
The most expensive of the bunch is the Mavic Allroad Pro. It also has a stable and durable aluminum rim. Unlike the entry-level model, the ISM4D system developed and patented by Mavic was used. It is intended to make the rim lighter and more aerodynamic without negatively affecting stability. In addition, the so-called Fore technology was used on the flagship, as well as on the mid-range model. Fore designates the type of nipple drilling. Unlike standard wheels, where a hole is simply drilled, Mavic uses a special process to press the rim base inwards and thread it. The in-house nipple is then turned into this and the spoke is tightened with it. According to Mavic, this should bring increased stability and durability.
As with the inexpensive model, the rim also has an inner width of 22 millimeters, which is of course ideally suited for tubeless tires. When it comes to tires, customers are given a choice and can choose from a total of three tire options. The basis is always Ykision Allroad. A new tire that has been optimally adapted to the needs of gravel bikers and should always offer optimal grip. The choice is left to the buyer with the width of the tire, which can be ordered in 30 mm, 35 mm or in 40 mm, the XL version. In order to be compatible with all systems, the Allroad Pro aluminum freewheel will also be available for all systems.
Price: € 1000
Weight (manufacturer information): 1610 g
Mavic Allroad Elite VAT
The good middle class goes by the name Mavic Allroad Elite. At €749 for the complete tire and rim system, it is still around €250 cheaper than the expensive top model and is only a little heavier. This is mainly due to the slightly heavier spokes. The rest of the wheel set hardly differs from the top model, so an ISM4D rim with an inner width of 22 millimeters is also installed here. And the customer is also given the choice as far as the tire width is concerned. There will also be the Mavic Allroad Elite UST with a braking surface for rim brakes.
Price: €749 without brake track
Weight (manufacturer information): 1720 g
Mavic Allroad Elite Plus
The fourth and last in the series is the Allroad Elite Plus. It differs from its brother, the Allroad Elite, in one enormous point: the wheel size. Due to the smaller 27,5" wheel size, the inner rim width was also increased from 22 millimeters to 25 millimeters, making it possible to ride tires up to 47 millimeters and increase comfort. Hub and freewheel options are no different from the Allroad Elite. Only the Fore nipples are not used. Unfortunately, this wheelset, like the cheap model, will not be available until mid-July and only without tires.
Price: € 700
Weight (manufacturer information): 1610 g
For all wheelsets, the decision was made to refrain from the classic six-hole disc mount and instead to install a Centerlock mount. It has the advantage that you can use all Shimano discs and, with the help of an adapter, you still have the option of a classic disc.
The four system wheels also do not differ in the axle standard. Here you move with the times and trust in much more stable thru-axle systems with 15 mm at the front and 12 mm at the rear.
When I asked why there was no carbon version, I got an answer that made sense to me. With all Allroad wheelsets, the aim was to achieve a high level of comfort. A carbon rim is currently still unsuitable for this, because in addition to the somewhat more direct driving behavior, it also offers significantly less comfort. Therefore, a conscious decision was made against carbon for the time being.
The next day, in bright sunshine, we got on our bikes to put the wheels presented on the previous day through their paces. Putting it through its paces, it hits the spot, because the region around Perpignan is perfect for gravel bikes. But before we started, the air pressure was checked again on all bikes, this now works via app. That's right, the Mavic app has recently been able to calculate a setup recommendation. All you have to do is enter a few parameters such as riding style, rider weight, tire type (tubeless or inner tube) and wheel weight and the app will immediately display the recommended air pressure. In my case it was 2.0 bar at the front and 2.1 bar at the rear. When everyone had the right air pressure in their tires, the entire group headed towards Ille-Sur-Tet.
On the seemingly endless gravel roads I got a first impression of the new wheels and tires. It feels like they roll a little worse on asphalt than on gravel. But there they are a force and, contrary to what is expected, the puristic profile offers irrepressible grip in all situations. The wheels have also crept into my heart. They are neither too tight nor too soft, so I always had a perfect driving experience and my hands never hurt. Even if I didn't believe it at first, we even took on some real single trails in between. Together with cyclocross pro Tim Johnson I started on the first real trail and the gentle question crept in me whether what we are doing here is really still gravel or whether we are more likely to ride enduro gravel bikes. Anyway. The Mavic Allroad Pro also passed this endurance test with flying colours.
At noon we went to the company Caminate Bikes for a barbecue. In addition to the super-shaped pump track, it was exciting to see how all frames are individually designed and welded by hand according to customer requirements. After a rich barbeque we continued towards our sleeping place today: a small hut in the mountains of Villerach.
As ordered, the clouds opened up overnight and it rained heavily - perfect conditions to put the tires to the test. On the now completely sodden gravel roads of France, I was once again surprised how much grip the Ykision XL can provide. Because even in fast corners on the sometimes deep, sandy soil, nothing started to slip and the tires always cleaned themselves quickly.
Mavic Allroad gravel bike wheels – conclusion
In the two days I was able to spend a total of about 150 kilometers on the new Allroad Pro wheelset. This surprised me in many ways. On the one hand, the included Mavic Yksion Allroad XL provides an enormous amount of grip in dry and wet conditions. But the Mavic Allroad Pro also gets a definite buy recommendation from me. It is definitely not the lightest in its class at 1610 grams. But he is one thing above all: tough as nails. You can confidently travel for several days with it or simply hit the home trails with a gravel bike. A real all-rounder.
On both days, despite the demanding trails, I had no defects or even failures and the concentric run was apparently still the same as on the first day.