The Cosmic Carbone SR is the benefactor of technology that originated in Mavic's Carbone Ultimate Wheelset. Remember the left side spokes on its rear wheel? They had threaded stainless inserts on the hub end so you could true the wheel. The spokes on the Carbone SR have the same type of threaded ends, but at the rim junction. So not only does this wheel have the super-aero, full carbon spokes, but they're fully serviceable and all of the spokes are replaceable as well. The carbon spokes allow these wheels to be lighter and faster than ever before -- easier to climb with and better for acceleration.
The 52mm aero shaped rims are a carbon-aluminum hybrid. The structure comes from a lightweight aluminum rim extrusion, giving you both the strength and braking performance of aluminum. Mavic bonds this to a superlight elliptical carbon fiber fairing to better slice through the wind. The aluminum rim is finished with Mavic's UB Control finish, meaning the surface is flat and grooved for smooth, consistent braking.
The spokes are perhaps the most impressive aspect of the wheels. If you go around the wheels and count, you'll come up with 20 front and rear spokes. There are actually 10 in each wheel, five on the left and five on the right. The center of each spoke anchors onto the outboard side of the hub flange and then extends to opposite sides of the rim. Mavic calls this Rim 2 Rim (R2R). The design is both strong, because of the two-cross tangential lacing and half as many spoke connections, and aero, because of the thin profile carbon spokes and the smooth hub flanges.
The hubs, once you get past the unique flanges, are fairly traditional Mavic creations. The hub shells and axles are made from aluminum and sculpted for light weight. The freehub mechanism is their Force Transfer System-Light (FTS-L). It features a lightweight body that sits directly over a hub "nub" that boasts centrally-located pawls and stainless steel inserts for durability. The result is less flex, less friction, and faster engagement. The front and rear hubs spin on Mavic's top-end QRM+ bearings. Perhaps the best part about Mavic hubs, including these, is that the bearing preload can easily be micro-adjusted with the wheel in the bike.
This wheelset is part of Mavic's MP3 extended warranty program. The acronym stands for Mavic Product Protection Plan, and it provides you with two years of almost unlimited no-fault protection from Mavic. More details can be found on the MP3 website. Please note that MP3 coverage must be purchased within 5 days of the date that you receive your wheels. You'll get an email from us the day after your online wheel purchase, containing the retailer and product codes that you'll need to register your wheels on the Mavic MP3 site. You'll also need the serial numbers that you'll find on your wheels. The cost for this coverage is approximately 8% of the retail cost of the wheels.
The Mavic Cosmic Carbone SR Wheels are compatible with clincher tires only and are available with either Campagnolo-compatible (ED10) or Shimano/SRAM compatible (M10) freehub bodies. They come with a bearing adjustment tool, spoke wrench, BR601 titanium-shafted quick releases, rim tape, wheel magnet, wheel bags, valve extender, user guide, and warranty card.
