As seen in press photos of Cannondale Pro Cycling's team issue bikes, the Mavic Cosmic Ultimate Tubular Wheelset delivers eye-catching aesthetics in a featherweight and aerodynamic package. At a claimed 1,185g per set, these wheels climb like a mountain goat while a 40mm deep profile slices through the air like a diving falcon for efficient speed no matter the gradient.
Mavic fashions the Cosmic Ultimate rims out of exceptionally light and stiff 12K carbon fiber for a ride that snaps up to speed and transfers power with lightning fast efficiency. The sidewalls maintain much of the classic Cosmic profile, with a slight elliptical bulging on the compared to the razor straight sidewalls of yore. In theory, this slight curvature should improve crosswind stability, an issue that has plagued Mavic's hard-edged, V-shaped offerings.
In contrast to its less expensive siblings, the Cosmic Ultimate boasts bladed carbon fiber spokes that are fused to the rim. This minimizes weight and eliminates the need for drilled spoke holes, increasing the overall strength and durability of the rim. The braking surface on these wheels features Mavic's TgMAX technology, which is a proprietary resin layup and heat treatment process that results in higher resistance to braking heat for more consistent functionality and — more importantly — virtually no possibility of hitting the glass transition temperature and experiencing the unpleasantness of violent rim deformation during long, hard-braking descents.
The Cosmic Ultimate wheelset rolls on a carbon front hub body and alloy rear, and both are equipped with Mavic's QRM+ bearings. With an allowance for micro-fine, preload adjustments and narrow tolerances, the bearings promise reliable power transfer and a customizable ride that can be adapted to different conditions. Mavic includes Force Transfer System Light technology in the freehub body to reinforce the contact area between the hub body and the pawls with two stainless steel inserts. These enhance engagement and increase overall durability while allowing liberal use of lightweight aluminum to save weight.
The rims are wrapped in Mavic's Griplink and Powerlink tubular tires, which feature a supple, race-worthy 210 TPI casing. The front-specific Griplink tire focuses more on traction and puncture protection for cornering confidence that defends against mid-race flats. The Powerlink tire out back is constructed to lower rolling resistance and is reinforced with a nylon breaker to maximize speed. Please note that while the tires are seated on the rims for packaging purposes, they are not glued. They will need to be properly secured prior to riding.
The Mavic Cosmic Ultimate Tubular Wheelset includes carbon brake pads specific to the Cosmic Ultimate, a multi-function adjustment wrench, and BR601 titanium quick-release skewers.