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Submitted by
dantheman762
a Cross Country Rider
from Uxbridge, Ontario, CANADA
Date Reviewed: September 15, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | TJ's Way, Walker Woods | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$150.00 | | Purchased At: | Spoke-O-Motion, Newm | | Strengths: | Light weight, combined with incredible strength. Best weight/durability combo. | | Weaknesses: | Might be a little too light for riders over 170lbs, if doing anything more than XC racing. | | Similar Products Used: | Bontrager Select rims, but these aren't similar and don't compare. | | Bike Setup: | 2007 Gary Fisher Hi-Fi Deluxe, Fox RP3, Manitou Comp Air (Fox will be my next upgrade), XT 770 disc hubs/DT-Swiss Super-Comp spokes/717 rims/Crank Brothers split skewers with Continental Speed King Super-Sonic 2.1 on the rear and Schwalbe Nobby Nic Evolution 2.1 on the front, XT 770 hydro brakes (on back-order), King headset, XT 760 Low-Normal ("rapid-rise") rear D, LX front D, SRAM 990 11-32 cassette, SRAM 991 Cross-Step chain, XT 760 crankset with TIME ATAC ROC XS pedals, Easton EC-70 zero-offset seatpost and monkey-lite high-rise bars, LX shifters, ergon grips, WTB Devo saddle. | | Bottom Line: | Mavic XC 717s are by far the BEST compromise for weight and durability. No contest here. Even if you do moderate stunts and drops (3 feet) and weight less than 170lbs, these things will stay true - just take care of them with spoke tension and you'll love them. Not bad for a cross-country race rim. Also the best way to go if you aren't 100% sold on Mavic's hubs and not sure about buying their complete ($$$) wheel-sets. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
dek london
a Cross Country Rider
from birmingham/london
Date Reviewed: September 9, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | swinley woods, chicksands, hamstead heath mini trail jumps | | Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years | | Price Paid: |
$60.00 | | Purchased At: | cyclesurgery | | Strengths: | light rotational weight, smooth aerodynamic profile, strong | | Weaknesses: | never had any probs | | Similar Products Used: | always used mavic rims | | Bike Setup: | the best santa cruz chameleon in the world, mint green custom paint, revelations 426, xtr, hope hubs, answer bars, intense ti seat, sub 26 lbs. | | Bottom Line: | i only weigh 13 stone, so im light, maybe thats why ive never had any serious problems with mavic rims.i ride all the time.keep your wheels on the trail, land jumps smooth, and keep your tyre pressure spot on and checked every week.
the last pair i had lasted 2.5 years on my old chameleon, on white industries fr hub and a middleburn rear, and i only needed them trued twice and theyre still going on my dmr trailster so ill run them into the ground.
will always use mavics as ive been riding on them since i started riding 15 years ago | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Cracker69
a Weekend Warrior
from Whitefish Bay WI USA
Date Reviewed: August 31, 2008 | | Favorite Trail: | Crystal Ridge | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Purchased At: | bike wheel warehouse | | Strengths: | Weight, durability, looks | | Weaknesses: | no noticeable problems | | Similar Products Used: | Sun Rhyno Lites (great but too fat), Sun DS1-XC (good but to skinny), Alex DH 18 and 19 (very good), Bontrager Mustangs (also very good) | | Bike Setup: | Mountain cycle Zen, RS Recon, XT hubs, Sram X7/X9 shifters, truvative crank etc etc | | Bottom Line: | These are nice rims well made no nonsense and strong without too much beef. Two weeks ago I fried my senses in a local cross country race and left the front wheel resting against my vehicle and attempted to drive away. The wheel fell beneath the front tire and I backed over it. In an attempt to correct my error I then drove forward and back over the whhel. SO I drove over the wheel twice in a mid-sized SUV. The rim wasn't even bent, the skewer was shot and the brake rotor was as well but the rim and hub were completely fine - not even a mm out of whack and no evident of trauma. I've ridden it twice since without issue - I'm convinced...... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
methcohna
a Cross Country Rider
from
Date Reviewed: July 24, 2008 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$30.00 | | Purchased At: | Evans Cycles | | Strengths: | Light, circular shape | | Weaknesses: | Unbelievable weak, dents, splits and feels flexy. | | Similar Products Used: | DT Swiss (very good) Mavix 323 (i think, this was also quite good) | | Bike Setup: | Stumpjumper | | Bottom Line: | I have had the rim 3-4 weeks and I am taking it off to replace already. I cant believe how poor this rim is, I have had a different (older) model similar to this rim that after a year of thrashing only had one tiny ding. The 313 now has 3 big dints and has split the rim, it easily buckles and feels really flexible.
I was on a tight budget when I bought the rim, but trust me, spend the extra money and get a DT Swiss, I am running that with a hope hub and its bombproof.
Uterly disappointed, just hope the bike shop refund my money! | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike
a Weekend Warrior
from Laguna Hills Ca.
Date Reviewed: December 11, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | five oaks Aliso | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$400.00 | | Purchased At: | The Path | | Strengths: | Like the silver option. Very hard to see rock ricochet scratches | | Weaknesses: | underrated in strength | | Similar Products Used: | 517,321,317 | | Bike Setup: | over three thousand miles on them. First on a Santa Cruz Lt, now on a '08 Heckler | | Bottom Line: | I weigh 200 pounds. I jump at the local ABA bmx track and I ride aggresively on rough trails with 3-5 foot drops and exposed rocks. The nipples are aluminum, the spokes are DTcomps, the hubs are a pro 2 front and King rear. I feel if you have a wheel builder who knows how to make them, this rim will give you the best of both worlds as long as you check your tire pressure before you ride and don't neglet them. They have come out of true for me twice, but my shop re-checked each spokes tension and trued them. That was about a year ago, and I feel the time they needed to break in. For my style of riding, I can't ask for a better rim. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto Ontario
Date Reviewed: November 28, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | many | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | light inexpensive rim, looks good and feels strong on your bike. My front wheel setup was around $300 plus tax with everything (details in the setup section) | | Weaknesses: | none so far... | | Similar Products Used: | a few... | | Bike Setup: | wheel set up - Mavic XC 717 36 hole, laced with DT Swiss spokes, Hope Pro II Hub, 185 mm Avid rotor, Panaracer Fire XC Pro's and super light tube. | | Bottom Line: | I really like this rim/wheel combo. I had to replace my front setup... I stupidly left it at the trailhead one day after a long ride... it started to rain and I rushed.. any way, I phoned a few LBS and one just happened to have this sort of random set up. Now that I've had a bit of time with it, I'm going to replace my rear wheel/rim with the equivalent equipment.
I would highly recommend any similar setup if you're doing any fairly aggressive XC biking... may not be the best with a hard tail or a heavy downhill bike. But its great with light to medium stunts and drops and medium to aggressive trails. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Madmaxx
a Weekend Warrior
from Philippines
Date Reviewed: November 19, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$65.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | solid lightweight materials...neat and simple black design. Perfect with Shimano XT hubs and DT Swiss Revolution spokes. | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | american classic mtb 26, Alexrims DP17 | | Bike Setup: | Giant Anthem | | Bottom Line: | Mavic 717 + Shimano Hubs + DT Swiss Revolution = Value for Money wheelset.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Djaka Dwiputra
a Weekend Warrior
from Jakarta, Indonesia
Date Reviewed: October 11, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$100.00 | | Purchased At: | e-bay | | Strengths: | One of the lightest rims 395 you can find very strong and Good value for money. | | Weaknesses: | None yet | | Bottom Line: | ......Go get a pair!
Really very light and strong pair of fast wheels and a very great rim, even better laced to quality hubs like the Chris King. I've got DT revolution Spokes lacing mine and it will be perfect rims. Just put it on and forget abaout it. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
caudex333
a Cross Country Rider
from Colorado
Date Reviewed: May 28, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Light, clean looking | | Weaknesses: | None so far | | Similar Products Used: | Mavic, DT Swiss | | Bottom Line: | Great rim. Super light and strong. Very similar to the DT Swiss 4.1d rim but the Mavic 717 is slightly wider and more resistent to tire roll in tight corners. Great rim. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Podlipnik
a Weekend Warrior
from Sacramento
Date Reviewed: March 28, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | Light..(good rims) | | Weaknesses: | Can be taken beyond xc for a 130-140 pound person with full suspention | | Bike Setup: | Steel hardtale | | Bottom Line: | Rode a steel hard tale with these rims. After about a year of use the front rim (hooked to a Manitou 5/6 inch fork) was in like new condition. The rear rim on the other hand had flat spots and Badly needed to be replaced. For perspective I mainly rode the culvert trail in auburn with all its sweet mini features... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
k3n!f
a Cross Country Rider
from Hobart, Tas, Aus
Date Reviewed: January 21, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$75.00 | | Purchased At: | Cyclingo | | Strengths: | Strong as hell, light as hell (395g), look great. | | Weaknesses: | Uh.... pass. | | Similar Products Used: | Deore disc hubs. | | Bike Setup: | Merida HT, Fox Vanilla's, Juicy 7's, RaceFace Evolve etc. | | Bottom Line: | Laced up to some Hope XC hubs these things are fantastic. I ride mostly XC but they have taken drops up to a meter on a hard tail which is a pretty good effort for an ultralight rim.
Buy 'em, fit 'em and love 'em. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Corey Cassell
a Cross Country Rider
from Enumclaw
Date Reviewed: January 18, 2007 | | Favorite Trail: | Black Diamond | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$190.00 | | Purchased At: | Ebay | | Strengths: | Light weight, strong, clean looking with nippled spoke holes | | Weaknesses: | None so far | | Similar Products Used: | Weinman | | Bike Setup: | Giant Trance1 custom built, Marzo comp, XT throughout | | Bottom Line: | This is an excellent cross country rim. It's light weight and plenty strong. Ignore the one detractor on this site who either got a badly built set of wheels or is abusing them. These are not downhill wheels, they are not intended for that, or for freeride. If you're taking 3 foot drops onto rocks you need something made for doing that. I've done plenty of riding on these with minimal truing needed. Any new set of wheels is going to need a tune up after the first 100 miles or sooner. The spokes will settle a bit and after that they should stay true. These wheels have stayed very true. For the money, I think this wheel is tough to beat. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Dylan
a Racer
from Boise Idaho USA
Date Reviewed: October 13, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Hard Guy | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | my dad's old bike | | Strengths: | stiff, somewhat light | | Weaknesses: | I cracked a nipple in half at a xc race, I was able to finish, but I only weigh 100 pounds and ride lichtly so it probably shouldn't have broken | | Similar Products Used: | bontrager superstock | | Bike Setup: | 2003 Gary Fisher Big Sur with xt group carbon bars kenda karma tires avid bb7 brakes | | Bottom Line: | great rim, you might want to upgrade the stock spokes and nipples to dt swiss or something because it looks like other people have had similar problems, awesome rim, little flex and no dents after riding it in with a flat tire at nationals. light enough to race, but sturdy enough to take off some drops. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Eric
a Cross Country Rider
from Sactown
Date Reviewed: October 9, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | Diablo | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$120.00 | | Purchased At: | mailorder | | Strengths: | Light, round, strong, light | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | Mavic crossland, 117, 728? (the freeride) | | Bike Setup: | Hardtail | | Bottom Line: | This is a superb rim. Mine are mass-produced: I'm a clyde 215 lbs, hard on my rims, and on a hardtail, yet this rim stays true. I could see freeride on a light rider and custom-built.
How do you blame the rim for broken spokes? And, knicks? What rim doesn't get knicks? Maybe the black shows them off better? Sheesh. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Craig
a Cross Country Rider
from Rochester, MN
Date Reviewed: August 9, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | maah daah hey | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$350.00 | | Purchased At: | Colorado Cyclist | | Strengths: | Weight, strength, parts availability | | Weaknesses: | Rather narrow rim profile (compared to my rhyno-lites). If you are running a large volume tire and go into a corner to fast you may roll the tire over the rim. | | Bike Setup: | kona bear/dawg | | Bottom Line: | I weigh about 220 and occasionaly bottom out a 900 lb. coil on the back of my Kona. This rim has held up great to many miles of rocks, roots, racing and pulling the burley. Great product. I purchased the X717 disc along with WTB laser lite hubs (CC special) and have put about 800 miles of hard summer riding on them. Both products have held up really well and plan to ride them into the ground (4-5 years).
I wanted something which would last several years and I just couldn't justify a costly crossmax or King/X717, although someday may have to splurge on those. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Neil Rogers
a Cross Country Rider
from Manchester, uk
Date Reviewed: July 6, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | hayfield to edale loop | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1.00 | | Strengths: | Lightweight, trusted brand, good hub | | Weaknesses: | Spokes (32 spoke version) | | Similar Products Used: | bontrager superstock | | Bike Setup: | 2005 Specialized rockhopper (upgraded with shimano deore/lx disc hydraulic disc brakes, shimano SPD's, Panaracer trailblaster 1.95 tyres, FSA Pig DH pro headset). | | Bottom Line: | Mavic rim was good, as was hub! nice and light no problems. Ran for 1200 miles and just over 12 months. Had to have the rear trued after approx 6 months (not the wheel's fault, blame the bike as it's a hardtail!). But recently the spokes started to go, 2 spokes went on 1 ride, requiring a trip to the bike shop. They replaced the spokes only for another one to go the very next ride! maybe time was up for the wheel. I can conclude that after 12 months of abuse on a hardtail that the rear has finally given up the ghost. I would recommend these wheels as they have done a fantastic job, (the front whell still lives! and is still nice and true, front fork has saved the wheel on many an occasion). I just hope that the bontrager superstock outlives the original mavic rear wheel. I would give these wheels a nice 4 flaming turds. Just a shame about the spokes letting the whole package down. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John Podlipnik
a Weekend Warrior
from Sacramento, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: June 8, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | culvert in Auburn I guess, fun trail | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | stong, light...exelent rims for trail riding...in my opinion they can be taken beyond xc... | | Weaknesses: | None I iv expierienced. | | Similar Products Used: | No similar but: Adamlab trail pimps (great rims unbreakable, literally), laserdisc DH...(almost killed me but was not on my bike and the rim was not properly taken care of) | | Bike Setup: | burly hard tale | | Bottom Line: | I have the 36 hole discs. I jump/ride trails and am ruff on my bikes/bike parts. Has not been a single problem with them. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Charles
a Cross Country Rider
from Los Angeles
Date Reviewed: May 18, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | sycamore | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Light Weight | | Weaknesses: | Terrible Durability | | Similar Products Used: | Bontrager Race X Lite Tubless | | Bike Setup: | Seven Sola Ti, Chris King Hubs, Hayes Mags, blah, blah, blah | | Bottom Line: | I'm not some freerider using the wrong product for it's intended purpose. I ride XC, maybe a little harder than most. These rims, after 3 months of riding, are toast. They have dents all over the place. I really think these rims are poorly designed and weak. I had Bontrager Race X Lites for a while, but ditched them for a King wheelset to rid myself of the dreaded Shimano disc brakes. Now I miss the Bontragers, because those rims, despite being equally light weight, survived through many more miles and far more bumps, rocks and drops than the Mavics did, without one single dent. I never rode on these rims with a flat tire or anything. All I did was go mountain biking. I will never purchase these rims again, and I don't recommend them to anyone who rides hard and weighs over 150 lbs. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
John
a
from SoCal
Date Reviewed: January 30, 2006 | | Favorite Trail: | The next one | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Purchased At: | Rose Canyon Cycles/Blacksmith Wheels | | Strengths: | Light, durable, tough | | Weaknesses: | None | | Similar Products Used: | Bontrager | | Bike Setup: | Heckler, Maverick DUC32, Fox DHX 5.0, SRAM X.0, etc. | | Bottom Line: | When I had a new bike built, I left the wheels up to Rose Canyon Cycles/Blacksmith Wheels in San Diego. They built a set up with a Maverick front hub, a Hadley rear and 14 gauge spokes. I installed Stans goop and 2.3 to 2.5 tires.
I thought these rims were a little light for a six-inch travel bike in rocky SoCal, but they've held up great. I have one small dent and numerous small scratches after 14 months of hard riding. The bike smokes down hill and is light enough to make climbing a reasonably tolerable experience. I owe at least some of that to these rims. They're light, yet quite tough. As other reviewers have said, maybe it has a lot to do with getting the wheels built by someone who really knows what they're doing! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
kevin highfield
a Racer
from Houston
Date Reviewed: January 18, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$70.00 | | Purchased At: | JensonUSA | | Strengths: | Light, stiff | | Weaknesses: | None to speak of | | Similar Products Used: | Mavic 223 | | Bike Setup: | Specialized fsr Expert Disc | | Bottom Line: | Bought these rims as a $300 wheelset from Jenson, with Hope hubs and double butted spokes, running Stans Notube - a successful combination. Tacoed the front rim in an unfortunate combination of circumtances, which was bad luck rather than the wheel. These wheels have raced in everything from mud-fests to rocky deserts, with good results. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
JOHN
a Cross Country Rider
from MD
Date Reviewed: November 29, 2005 | | Favorite Trail: | LOCHRAVEN | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$200.00 | | Purchased At: | PERFORMANCEBIKE | | Strengths: | I BOUGHT A PREE ASSEMBLED WHEEL SET WITH DT SWISS SPOKES AND SHIMANO XT HUBS. VERY SMOOTH AND LIGHT WEIGHT | | Weaknesses: | A BIT OF A PRICE BUT WORTH IT FOR ME BECAUSE I CAN NOT BUILD MY OWN WHEEL | | Similar Products Used: | STOCK | | Bike Setup: | IRON HORSE WARRIOR DISC, XT HUBS, MAVIC DISC RIMS, AVID BB DISCS, DT SWISS CENTERLOCK, LXM580 CASS, MEGA 9 SIIFTERS AND LEVERS,TRUVATIV CRANK | | Bottom Line: | GOOD DURABLE AND LIGHT WEIGHT. A BIT EXPENSIVE FOR MY WHEEL SET BUT THE RIMS ALONE ARE PROBALLY A GOOD DEAL IF YOU ARE JUST BUYING THEM. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
gary
a Cross Country Rider
from arkham, ma.
Date Reviewed: November 24, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | |
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$ 69.95
