Mavic AllRoad Pro UST Disc
£899.99 › Pick a road, any road
THE THREE YEARS SINCE THE Ksyrium Allroad Pro wheels launched have not only seen rapid growth in the gravel/adventure bike sector, but also in the width of rims designed for it – as reflected in this updated version of Mavic’s all-terrain wheelset.
The Allroad Pro arrived in 2015 compatible with tubeless tyres but sporting a ‘narrow’ internal rim width of 19mm. That’s now swollen to 22mm to provide a more open tyre profile that’s better suited to lower pressures and higher traction. (Mavic recommends using this wheelset with 28-62mm wide tyres.)
The updated alloy rims also benefit from Mavic’s inter spoke milling process, which removes excess material from between the spokes and leads to a rim height that varies subtly from 21mm to 22mm. The Ksyrium range’s signature undrilled rim beds also means there’s no need for rim tape, whether you decide to run them with inner tubes or not.
Both hubs take centrelock rotors but the front hub has a carbon-fibre body, whereas the rear is an all-alloy affair that uses Mavic’s ‘Instant Drive 360’, 9° engagement freewheel. The test wheels came with 12mm thru-axles but quickrelease skewers and end caps are supplied, as are UST (universal standard tubeless) valves, sealant and a syringe. The front hub can also be easily converted to take a 15mm axle. With the 12mm thru-axle end caps and valves, the wheelset weighs 1671g – impressively close to the previous, narrower version’s 1650g.
Fitting Mavic’s Yksion Elite Allroad UST tubeless tyres (also supplied with the wheels) adds a further 932g. They seated easily but allowed sealant to seep out for around half an hour after the initial inflation and lost air over the following couple of days. A re-inflation and a quick ride solved both issues.
While not feathery light, this wheelset feels efficient, responsive and tough enough to handle a beating. The tyres are essentially slick but with channels cut into the deep rubber to create large, supple tread blocks that do a good job of clinging to loose gravel, rocks and shallow mud.
Extended, multi-terrain rides are this wheelsets’ natural territory, where its good road speed ensures quick progress between excursions off the beaten track. It’s also perfectly capable of handling the accelerations and technical riding of cyclo-cross events. All told it’s a versatile package that’s pretty good value too.