Mavic Cosmic Elite
 

Anybody have an opinion on these? I searched old threads but didn't see much. I'm looking for a wheel for both training and racing. Most of my racing is on pretty rolling stuff (no huge, long hills). Training I like to hit the hills much more. I ain't got much to spend so the Cosmic Elites seemed like a good option.

by the way, i weigh about 140

I bought mine two years ago -- 155lbs -- and ride on terrain that is similar to what you describe. They're OK for what you're looking to do with them but no longer "state of the art" and perhaps not even the best value unless you've found them on close-out, etc... VeloMax would also be a good wheel to look at IF you're dead set on an aero wheel system for whatever reason.

To be honest, I chose the Elites because they had the right "look" for the bike I was building at a fair price and was only planning on using them for training / fitness maintenance rides.

http://home.att.net/~mark.livingood/...ages/dean1.JPG
Note: I removed the flashy decals.

They "feel" faster on the rolling stuff than either my Mavic Heliums or Campy Chorus/Mavic Reflex wheelsets but are noticably heavier on longer climbs and sprints as you'd expect. Bottom Line: For what I paid and how they have performed I have no regrets.

For reference purposes, I also have a set of Campy Eurus wheels and they are faster that my other wheelsets all the way around; rolling, flats or climbing -- of course come of that could be in my head.

http://home.att.net/~mark.livingood/...icksonroad.JPG

I'll put in the first vote for a good custom wheelset built by your LBS. You can get something built up with a non aero rim, nice double or triple butted spokes and sweet hubs. You'll have something that will last forever, is easy to repair and will be faster than the Elites in many situations, all while saving money.

Now I'm intrigued. That's a very interesting idea. I will discuss it with the LBS.

It's not a bad idea. If you're patient enough, you can start picking up hubs, rims, etc. on sale every once in a while and have a shop put it all together for you. Find a shop with a wheel guru and you're set. You can customize everything, right down to the lacing pattern of the spokes on each wheel.

Yeah and that suits my wallet better too to slowly pick stuff up.

So, I've looked around at some of the old posts about custom. People seem happy with the mavic open pro rims.

By the way, these aren't custom, but what about this deal from Colorado Cyclist on Open Pros w/ Dura Ace hubs




http://www.coloradocyclist.com/commo...335&TextMode=0 Colorado Cyclist

That would be a very solid wheelset for a long time. Not as custom as you might be able to get working with someone local, but good stuff nonetheless. I suggested the LBS route partially because, if they build up a high end wheelset for you, they'll keep it true for as long as you're on it. Buy a set online and you're paying for every true the shop does for you. Something to remember.

That makes sense indeed. It seems overwhelming to start figuring out rims, spokes and hubs, but I guess that's why you find a good wheel man who can help out based on what type of riding. I kind of need a set that'd be suitable for my training rides and for my weekend racing, until I'm richer.

I would also endose this as a smart way to go vs system wheels. A great hub can take on several different lives as rim technology comes and goes whereas I see my Eurus, Helium & Elite wheels as "nice to have extra wheelsets" because I found them either on sale (Eurus/Elite) or as second hand (Helium).

There are several sets of conventional component wheels sitting in my garage that have been in service for well over 10-15 years and I suspect I'll still be using at least the hubs, if not the hubs and spokes well after the the more expensive wheel sets have been retired to a hook in the ceiling to collect dust vs trying to locate a replacement rim for a rebuild if the rims get "nicked" or if the braking surfaces wear out.

As ImprezaDrvr notes, check with the guys/gals who race in your local area to get a line on a good LBS or a local wheel builder to evaluate all your options before starting a collection of exotic hardware -- something that seems to happen to a lot of us as we try to off-set the rigors of mid-life work demands and less time in the saddle with "go-fast goodies" to bridge the ever widening gaps in the pack.