Mavic has been making rad bikes for as long as I can remember. It all actually started in 1889 in Lyon, France, with 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 shoe and creating the tubeless UST system. She is known for pushing the envelope.
I wasn’t on the Mavic wheelset from DeeMax that was on my 26” freeride bike in early 2010. But now that Mavic is coming back to the States after surviving bankruptcy, I feel a surge of nostalgia thinking about those days of bright yellow rims . I’ve been excited to see what Mavic has been up to since I last spun a pair.
Construction
(Image credit: Charlie Kohlmeier)
The Mavic Allroad S is an alloy wheelset that features:
25mm IW Maxtal rims
24 bladed spokes
Mavic’s Fore strapless tubeless system
brass nipples
aluminum infinity Instant Drive 360 hubs
and weighs only 1790 grams per set.
The Allroad S comes exclusively with central mount brakes and HG freehub. XDR, Campy or Microspline driver sold separately. Allroads are unique in that you don’t need tubeless tape. The rims are threaded and the nipples are screwed directly into the rim. This allows the Mavic to keep the top rim bridge intact and saves you the headache of dealing with tubeless tape. The nipples have a unique head and the tool is included in the package.
What’s in the box
(Image credit: Charlie Kohlmeier)
My bikes arrived carefully packed. Each bike comes with a tubeless valve, decals, instructions and a spoke/nipple tool – very useful for unique bits.
I was disappointed to see that there were no replacement nipples or spokes in the kit. Centerlock circlips are also not included, as are freehub spacers.
Establish
(Image credit: Charlie Kohlmeier)
Setup on the Allroad is about as simple as they come. Install the included tubeless valves – or not if you want to use tubes.
I had no trouble fitting the tires with the tubes installed. I fitted some ultra dynamic Cava 700×42’s with about an ounce of Stan’s classic. In retrospect, I should have used an extra ounce.
I had some issues with air leakage after setting it up. I added another ounce of sealant and the problem resolved itself. I will say it was nice not having to deal with tubeless tape. Props to Mavic for saving us all a headache.
My center rotors worked without a problem, as did my older Sunrace cassette – I haven’t had an HG freehub in a while! After a quick adjustment to my rear derailleur and both calipers I was ready to go.
Driving impressions
(Image credit: Charlie Kohlmeier)
Out of the box, the Mavic Allroads are laser straight, true and round. When you turn off the performance, these bikes are impressive. Stiff enough to feel light and ready to sprint, but also remarkably supple when the going gets rough. I spent a lot of time on WTB CZR rims before this review and expected these Mavics to be significantly stiffer. To my surprise, the Mavics felt just as good. I always just assume carbon hoops will be better but I forget how good alloy can be.
I generally spend my time in the saddle trying to keep up with my faster friends. Allroads are great for keeping pace. The bearings rotate 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 silent while maintaining an impressive 9º of travel.
I made a point to put the Allroads through their paces. This included lots of miles of tarmac, gravel, and lots of singletrack. On asphalt, these wheels are great. It feels great when you really want to turn off the performance. On rougher roads and smoother gravel, they do a good job of absorbing the higher frequency stuff. When the bumps get bigger, there’s a very clear threshold where these bikes find the end of comfort – which is to be expected, since few people will “send” it to gravel. In such situations, some larger rubber could help.
After a few heavy hits on the rims along some of the rougher sections, I was happy to find that the Allroads managed to take even the biggest bumps. I would choose these bikes if the ride was around 85% tarmac or smooth gravel and 15% rugged stuff / singletrack.
If you’re going deeper into the unknown, I’d probably go with something wider and with more spokes – something about relying on 24 spokes makes me hesitate.
Highlights of the ride:
(Image credit: Charlie Kohlmeier)
Stiff when you need them
Suitable for plowing rough materials
Freehub is silent
Freehub’s involvement is great
Reliably strong
Value & Verdict
(Image credit: Charlie Kohlmeier)
I was impressed with the Mavic Allroad S wheels. For $530 you can have a great looking set of wheels from a company with a deep cycling pedigree. They ride great and will be ready for any challenge you throw their way. Truly defining what an Allroad two-wheel means. If you’re fine with proprietary parts, the Allroad S is a great choice. The bikes come with everything you need to get going and come with a 2 year warranty.
