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review

Mavic Cosmic Elite UST Disc wheelset

6
£430.00

VERDICT:

6
10
Durable and smooth wheelset, but weighty against the opposition
Well made
Quick freehub engagement
Not the lightest
Narrow internal rim width
Weight: 
1,910g
Contact: 

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The Cosmic Elite UST Disc wheelset is the entry point into high-level race performance, according to Mavic, but at just over 1,900g they're immediately at a real weight disadvantage compared to much of the opposition. They deliver on ride quality, though, and their durability is to be commended.

The Elites sit at the entry level end of Mavic's 'Fast and Light' line-up, and are available in both rim brake and this disc braked version.

> Find your nearest dealer here

They're based around a 30mm deep aluminium alloy rim which, by modern standards at least, is actually quite narrow at 17mm. Many current road wheels are using rims that are 19mm to 21mm wide internal, but Mavic has stuck with 17mm.

2020 Mavic Cosmic Elite UST Disc wheelset - rim detail.jpg

It's not exactly a problem unless you use 28mm or 30mm tyres, when your start getting the 'lightbulb' shape that narrow rims cause instead of a nicely rounded profile.

The 25mm Yksion Pro UST 2 tyres that come as part of the package work absolutely fine, though, in terms of sizing and fit.

2020 Mavic Cosmic Elite UST Disc wheelset - rim and tyre detail.jpg

Connecting the Mavic hubs to the rim are aero bladed steel spokes and nipples – 24 at either end, in a two-cross pattern. The aluminium hub bodies are fitted with Mavic's 'QRM Auto' self-adjusting sealed cartridge bearings which, I must say, spin very smoothly and took a broad mix of wet and dry roads in their stride.

2020 Mavic Cosmic Elite UST Disc wheelset - fornt hub 1.jpg

The freewheel system is called Instant drive 360, and has an engagement of just 9°, so there's no sense of lag with a change of pace or hard acceleration from a standstill.

2020 Mavic Cosmic Elite UST Disc wheelset - rear hub 1.jpg

Mavic design their wheels and tyres to work as a package, so it's no surprise the rims are tubeless ready (ours came fitted with tubeless tape already installed). You get valves and tyre sealant too, giving you everything straight out of the box to ditch the inner tubes.

2020 Mavic Cosmic Elite UST Disc wheelset - valve.jpg

As I've said, they are on the weighty side and that is noticeable. With the pre-installed tubeless tape they tip the scales at 1,910g; compare that to something like the 26mm-deep Scribe Race-D wheelset at 1,546g and it's disappointing. It blunts acceleration, and on the climbs it feels like you're dragging the wheels up there.

Include the Mavic tyres in your reckoning and the set weighs 2496g.

Ride feel

Everywhere else, though, things are more enjoyable. The Cosmic Elites have quite a stiff build with plenty of tension in the spokes, and they cope well with hard efforts out of the saddle. They're not harsh though, and comfort levels are pretty good even with the tyres pumped up firm.

2020 Mavic Cosmic Elite UST Disc wheelset - front hub 2.jpg

The tyres themselves are also decent performers. Early versions of the Yksion weren't very well received, at least by me... they felt quite dead, offered unexceptional grip, and weren't the best when it came to puncture protection.

Today's Yksion's are better by a large margin. Grip is good in both the wet and dry, and while they still aren't the most supple tyres out there, they roll well. I didn't have any aggro from the puncture fairy during testing, either.

> 44 of the best road bike wheels — reduce bike weight or get aero gains with new hoops

This whole package will set you back £430. Mavic list the tyres at £54 each, so if we knock them out of the equation, you're paying £322 for the wheels with valves and tape. You're also getting the sealant and saving perhaps another tenner there, so it's not too bad a price.

That Scribe Race-D wheelset is £370 for example, while the Mason X Hunt 4 Season Disc wheelset is £329 with similar depth (but slightly wider) rims, plus a far lower weight of 1,593g. The Halo Devaura Disc RD2 wheels have 31mm deep rims and still manage to be lighter than the Mavics, although at 1,733g with tape, it's not by a huge amount. They are more expensive though at £569.98

Overall

If you want durability and a quality ride feel, the Mavic Cosmic Elite USTs are a good choice. They stand up to plenty of abuse and can be used for a range of disciplines. If weight is a major consideration though, there are much lighter hoops out there that still deliver on the reliability front.

Verdict

Durable and smooth wheelset, but weighty against the opposition

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Mavic Cosmic Elite UST Disc wheelset

Size tested: 700C

Tell us what the wheel is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Mavic says, "The Cosmic Elite is a perfect entry point into high-level race performance. This all-new UST Road Tubeless system delivers a smoother ride and improved puncture resistance while retaining a lightweight feel for climbing and accelerating."

It's a good all-round wheelset, but the weight is a touch too high for 'high-level race performance.'

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the wheel?

Rims

ETRTO size: 622x17TC ROAD

Use with Mavic Tubeless Tape

Drilling: traditional

Internal width: 17 mm

Disc brake specific profile

Height: 30 mm

Valve hole diameter: 6.5 mm

Material: S6000 Aluminum

Tyre: UST Tubeless and tubetype

Joint: SUP

Hubs

Front: Quick release and 12x100 through axle compatible

Auto adjust sealed cartridge bearings (QRM Auto), front and rear

Rear: Quick Release, 12x142 and 12x135 compatible

Freewheel: Instant Drive 360

Front and rear bodies: aluminum

Axle material: aluminum

Spokes

Nipples: steel, ABS

Material: steel

Shape: straight pull, flat

Lacing: front and rear crossed 2

Count: 24 front and rear

Compatibility

Front axle: 12x100 thru axle, easily convertible to quick release with included adapters. Not compatible with 15mm through axles.

Rear axle: 12mm thru axle, convertible to Quick Release with included adapters

Freewheel: Shimano/Sram, convertible to Campagnolo and XD-R with optional driver bodies

Tyre

Front and Rear Tread: 11 Storm single compound

Yksion Pro UST

UST Tubeless Ready

Dimension: 25-622 (700x25c)

Breaker: Polyamide, from bead to bead

Casing: 127 TPI

DELIVERED WITH

Tyre sealant syringe

Rear QR adapters for Instant Drive 360

Mavic tyre sealant (rear wheel)

Tubeless rim tape

Front QR adapters

UST valve and accessories

User guide

Rate the wheel for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the wheel for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the wheel for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the wheel for weight
 
4/10
Rate the wheel for value:
 
7/10

Did the wheels stay true? Any issues with spoke tension?

The wheels stayed true throughout testing.

How easy did you find it to fit tyres?

Removal and refitting of the Mavic tyres went without issue.

How did the wheel extras (eg skewers and rim tape) perform?

The Cosmic Elites come with comprehensive extras and perform very well indeed. It's great to to have everything needed in the box to run tubeless.

Tell us how the wheel performed overall when used for its designed purpose

A decent all-rounder, if a little on the heavy side.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the wheel

Smooth ride feel and plenty of stiffness.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the wheel

The weight.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

The price is pretty good when you consider all the extras. Take the tyres and sealant out of the equation and they compete well with the likes of Scribe and Mason's offerings (see review).

Did you enjoy using the wheel? On the flat

Would you consider buying the wheel? No

Would you recommend the wheel to a friend? If reliability was a higher concern than weight, yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

As an overall package the Mavic Cosmic Elites are pretty well priced and deliver a quality ride feel, and if they were lighter they'd be a seven or eight – but the weight is noticeable when you hit the climbs. They're still above average and a six.

Overall rating: 6/10

About the tester

Age: 41  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

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2 comments

Avatar
sparrowlegs | 3 years ago
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No wonder Mavic have gone down the pan. The specs for these wheels read like any other manufacturers 2016 catalogue and here's Mavic releasing them in 2020/21. Just shows there's been no real innovation at that place for years. 

Avatar
Boss Hogg replied to sparrowlegs | 3 years ago
0 likes

This is in fact an "old" model. They will release an entire new and updated wheelset line in October.

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