Mavic R-Sys SLR wheels review

We found the Mavic R-Sys SLR wheels to be slightly heavier than the claimed weight of 1,295g a pair, although not by much, when weighed on the Cycling Weekly scales. These wheels score highly in the looks department, with black rims complemented by carbon spokes and charcoal hubs. However, the colour did mean they were often mistaken as being made from carbon, not alloy.

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The rims come with Mavic’s Exalith braking surface, which features a machined surface for increased friction. When used with the included specific pads, the stopping power was nothing short of exceptional. For the first 300km, they squealed and screeched to such an extent it would cause children and old ladies to jump at zebra crossings. Fortunately, after this time, they bedded in and the noise died down.

The durability of carbon spokes may be a worry to some, but having ridden almost 1,000km and having unintentionally hit some rather deep potholes, there were zero issues with truing or tension. When sprinting hard out of the saddle, a slight flex and small amount of rear brake rub was detectable. Cornering at speed or descending inspired confidence, with plenty of lateral stiffness.

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Mavic includes its 25mm Yksion Pro Power and GripLink tyre system. These tyres are light, provide decent grip in both wet and dry, but do not have great puncture resistance.

For more details visit the Mavic website.