Mavic..(cosmic elites)...rebuildable?

Spinman · Feb 15, 2013

I have a set of mavic "cosmic elites" and i'm not too sure how old they are but they appear to be in good shape.They came with a frameset as the difference in a trade deal.They roll true and don't make any grinding sounds and i don't see any stress cracks around the spoke nipples.
Are the hubs rebuildable or at least serviceable without an entire relacing?? and or should i ride these until i notice some changes?
The guy i got them from suggested that at some point to change both hubs out....but seeings how i got them for virtually zero dollars i thought why not throw a little cash at them and see if they end up better with say a tuneup,or a complete rebuild.....any opinions?
Thanx's

Lelandjt · Feb 15, 2013

Bearings and freehub body can be changed, we stock both at my shop and I work on a LOT of Mavic wheels. I'd just clean and regrease those parts and sell them. Not a fan of Mavic wheels. The freehub has little sealing and the bushing it rolls on wears out. I also don't like their proprietary spokes and while their rims used to be the benchmark there's now plenty of better options.

Spinman · Feb 15, 2013

Funny thing how one review say's and i quote" these wheels are bombproof" and another says their are better wheels out there,mmmm well of course their are better wheels....i'd love a set of zipp's or bora's but the budget dictates something altogether different.Would these mavic's be a little better with a rebuild and if not is their a aero wheelset out there with at least 24+ spoke count and a 30mm. or more profile??
I'm a 220# rider and i know that i should stay off low spoke very aero wheels for saftey reasons,just wondering aside from some custom build is that wheelset out there and not a gazillion dollars......yeah i know...i want it all...but the cosmic elites are'nt that terrible are they?

AndrwSwitch · Feb 15, 2013

People buy aftermarket wheels and then say all sorts of things about them. It's a self-justification thing.

There's no reason aero wheels should be fragile. They're using more material. Plenty of aero wheels don't have a weight limit. It's really just about whether or not you can afford them. There was a bit of a fad with Zipps showing up at 'cross races for a while; supposedly part of it was that they're stiff wheels and (supposedly) easier to keep going in a straight line through sand and stuff.

IMO, buying good wheels is all about having a clear idea of what "good" means to you. The last wheel I built has 36 spokes and replaced one with many fewer, that I damaged. For me, "good" is a wheel that I can take for granted.

As far as racing stuff goes - I did some of the reading and have promised myself a skin suit if I'm racing track next season. Maybe even a goofy helmet.

Although Velocity Deep Vs are relatively inexpensive and give enough space to stick on vinyl letters reading "All you haters suck my balls."

So in your shoes - well, it's always nice to have spares. Now you have two wheelsets to ride the hell out of. Go forth, and do. For myself, I'll ride pretty much anything I think is safe and that rolls smoothly, unless it's on my commute bike in which case I relax the "rolls smoothly" requirement. But I won't bother to rebuild something if the hub isn't adequately sealed, and I won't build a wheel using too few spokes or around a hub I can't get parts for.

Spinman · Feb 15, 2013

So...without sounding too much like a salesman,do you have any ideas for my previous inquiry....24+spoke count/30mm+ aero profile...and rebuildable hubs,and price point???

dcgriz · Feb 15, 2013

Spinman said:
Are the hubs rebuildable or at least serviceable without an entire relacing?? and or should i ride these until i notice some changes?

Yes they are rebuildable. The freehub could also be replaced if need to. Check the Mavic website and Youtube on how you could take the hub apart for cleaning and inspection. When you have it apart relube it with hydraulic brake fluid and most probably that will be the extent of the rebuilding unless the seal is damaged.
Slowly spin the wheel while you hold the wheel by the hub ends, if you dont feel any grinding most probably they are fine.

Lelandjt · Feb 15, 2013

Why DOT fluid? It's pretty caustic. I've found medium bodied oil works well for freehubs and a mix of grease and thick oil for the bearings.

AndrwSwitch · Feb 15, 2013

Spinman said:
So...without sounding too much like a salesman,do you have any ideas for my previous inquiry....24+spoke count/30mm+ aero profile...and rebuildable hubs,and price point???

I'd probably want Enves. You can get them as a bare rim or on DT or King hubs, so if you don't want DT or King, you get your choice of whatever. I'd be happy enough with DT or King myself - well-reputed hubs with good parts availability, so what's not to like. With Hed and Zipp, the wheels always ship as sets. I'm a bit suspicious of the hubs that come that way. But, maybe I'm just being paranoid. These are your aspirational wheels; you do the homework. :wink5:

I'd also look at Mad Fiber because I get a kick out of supporting businesses that employ my friends.

AndrwSwitch · Feb 15, 2013

And incidentally, when rebuilding, I usually just use a Q-tip to clean. Maybe alcohol at the nastiest. Then, regrease with Phil. Although I don't believe it's any better than other marine grease. It just comes in a convenient size and is available at my LBS.

dcgriz · Feb 15, 2013

Lelandjt said:
Why DOT fluid? It's pretty caustic. I've found medium bodied oil works well for freehubs and a mix of grease and thick oil for the bearings.

Not DOT fluid. Bicycle hydraulic brake fluid. You need to use a very light viscosity fluid; lighter than medium bodied oil.

Lelandjt · Feb 16, 2013

dcgriz said:
Not DOT fluid. Bicycle hydraulic brake fluid. You need to use a very light viscosity fluid; lighter than medium bodied oil.

Do you mean mineral oil, cuz every bike brake uses DOT 4 fluid or mineral oil. I guess mineral oil would work as a freehub lube, cuz like you say it has to be fairly light to not gum up the pawls and springs. However, I have no idea how it does at lubrication and corrosion resistance. I've been putting a thin coat of Phil Tenacious Oil on the drive ring, then dribbling Tri-Flow on the moving parts: a little thick+lots of thin=medium

For the bearings themselves popping the seals off, picking some dirt and old grease out, and repacking with grease and a little Phil Tenacious really improves feel without the hassle of pulling and pressing new bearings.

dcgriz · Feb 16, 2013

Lelandjt said:
Do you mean mineral oil, cuz every bike brake uses DOT 4 fluid or mineral oil. I guess mineral oil would work as a freehub lube, cuz like you say it has to be fairly light to not gum up the pawls and springs. I've been putting a thin coat of Phil Tenacious Oil on the drive ring, then dribbling Tri-Flow on the moving parts: a little thick+lots of thin=medium

For the bearings themselves popping the seals off, picking some dirt and old grease out, and repacking with grease and a little Phil Tenacious really improves feel without the hassle of pulling and pressing new bearings.

Yep, I use Tectro Mineral Oil on the freehub. Before that it was Pedro's Road Rage but its no longer available. Magura Royal Blue is another choice.
Phil Tenacious Oil is too thick and could cause the pawls to stick and Triflow has additives that may affect the bushing

Mavic..(cosmic elites)...rebuildable?

Spinman

Lelandjt

Spinman

AndrwSwitch

Spinman

dcgriz

Lelandjt

AndrwSwitch

AndrwSwitch

dcgriz

Lelandjt

dcgriz

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