Mavic

Cosmic Carbone 40 Wheelset - Tubular

Just as not every pro rider is capable of a victory at Roubaix, not every high-end wheelset is created with the right mix of technology and construction to excel in the brutal conditions of the Hell of the North. Mavic's Cosmic Carbone 40 Tubular Wheelset is one of those that can, and has, with a 2011 Roubaix victory to prove it. Displaying groundbreaking advancements in heat dissipation and carbon construction, as well as Mavic's attention to detail throughout the wheelset, right down to the tires, the Cosmic Carbone 40 confidently handles conditions that slow other wheelsets down — all while keeping an eye towards getting to the finish line as quickly as possible.

To develop a rim that can go beyond the point where others would fail, Mavic looked beyond the heat-dissipating rim treatments that other manufacturers have relied on for years to help mitigate the issue. Instead, Mavic rethought the construction of the rim itself, focusing their efforts on a proprietary resin and a construction process called TgMAX.

TgMAX begins with a standard process of laying-up unidirectional 3k carbon. These layers are applied manually in order to ensure that the proper positioning of each layer of carbon is achieved — no corners cut here. Mavic then furthers the process and incorporates several types of resins, affixing them to the carbon structure with a proprietary heat-treatment process. After this, the rim is tempered at high pressure, a process that relines the carbon crystals to raise the amount of heat the rim can shrug off before it fails.

The point of failure is known as the glass transition temperature, or Tg. At a material's Tg, it transitions from a stiff substance to a rubbery one, which accounts for the failure of carbon rims under hard, heat-producing braking, often occurring during long, steep descents. TgMAX realigns the carbon fibers' crystals to maximize the amount of heat the rim can endure without failing, translating to more braking with a reduced likelihood of catastrophic failure on the roads.

Similar to Mavic's Ultimate, the Carbone 40 tubular relies on the highly versatile 40mm rim profile. This wheelset was built with a blunt, 19mm-wide bed, and it uses 16 front and 20 rear steel spokes that have been radially laced throughout — minus the two-crossed rear drive side pattern.

Mavic trusts carbon-center hubs with aluminum flanges and its double-sealed QRM+ bearing system to keep the Cosmic Carbones spinning smoothly. QRM+ allows for extensive preload micro-adjustments to adapt the wheels for various road conditions without having to take the wheels off your bike, and the bearings were engineered with tight tolerances to guarantee efficiency. The rear wheel also uses Mavic's FTS-L system to reinforce the contact area between the pawl and hub body, and the entire system is enhanced by two stainless steel inserts that create more stability and greater efficiency in the lightweight aluminum freehub body.

Unsurprisingly, Mavic was unwilling to sacrifice ride quality by running basic stock tires on these wheels. Expanding the line of its wheel-tire systems, Mavic has included its Pro Griplink/Powerlink front- and rear-specific tubular tires with the wheelset, designed in-house at Mavic and produced by the rubber masters at Hutchinson. An adaptable, grippy tread and puncture protection in the front complement low rolling resistance and additional flat protection in the rear, with both tires boasting a reasonably supple 120 TPI. Like the rims they're mated to, the tires complete a wheelset that you can trust to perform in the most challenging conditions you encounter.