2024 Mavic Deemax DH YLW Wheelset

It isn't possible to talk about Mavic's new Deemax wheels without first walking down memory lane. The era is early 2000's, I've just got into downhill, and anyone who's worth talking about has a set of yellow rims on their bike. If you weren't downhilling in this era, I can't explain how ubiquitous Mavic rims were, and the brand's pinnacle was their yellow Deemax wheelset. It seemed like all the best riders were on Deemax wheels, and I wanted a set badly. My lust for those wheels was so deep at the time that I would've taken a set of Deemax wheels over a night with Anna Kournikova.

Enough about the Past. What's new about this Deemax wheelset?

• 30 mm internal width aluminum rim
• 28 J-Bend bladed spokes in a 3-cross pattern
• 2080 grams for the wheelset
• $1,284.99 CDN for the yellow wheelset ($220 CDN for a replacement rim)
• $1,199.99 CDN for the black wheelset
• 3-year warranty

Install

Installing the Deemaxes was easy. The new Maxxis downhill tires inflated easily on the rims with a charger pump. I suspect even a regular floor pump would have been sufficient. The tires seated easily, with less than 40 psi required. I had no issues with rotor or cassette installation. I like the supplied front hub adapters that allow for a quick change from 110 x 20 mm to 110 x 15 mm.

The rear hub uses Mavic's Instant Drive 360 mechanism. The hubs use two ratchet rings with 40 teeth, giving an engagement angle of 9°. Out of the box the Deemax rear has a nice ratchet hum. All internal parts looked well-made and well-greased from the factory. I like the 17 mm ID bearings, giving the axle a thicker / stiffer wall. The wheelset comes standard with an XD driver. If you're using a non-XD cassette you'll have to purchase a separate driver, which is available for all other cassette standards.

On The Dirt

Once out on the trails, the Deemax wheels are certainly nice. The colour is eye-catching, and you're going to get a lot of questions from middle-aged men who rode downhill bikes 20 years ago. I like the sound of the rear hub which has a wonderful change in pitch as the bike is whipped in the air. This sound can probably be damped with additional grease if you'd prefer.

I tend to put a lot of load and torque through wheels and always have rub marks on the stays of my bikes. I was a bit weary of the 28 spoke build, but after a number of days slashing berms and leaning into these wheels, I've come away perfectly happy with the stiffness. They provide some forgiveness in rough sections but didn't deflect excessively. I'll probably still choose 32 spokes for personal builds because I'm resistant to change, but I can't fault the 28 spoke build in any way. On the trail the Deemaxes feel slightly damped, yet still plenty precise under load.

Wear and Tear

The hubs have been reliable over the test period. I like the engagement, and haven't had any issues with bearings, axles or ratchets. I haven't ridden these in the wet much yet (we've had a dry summer), so I can't comment much on long term durability in adverse conditions.

Rim-wise, after 2 days in the bike park, I had to re-tension and re-true the rear wheel. This is standard for me on metal rims. Since then I've done one minor re-tensioning. Tightening the bladed spokes is more of a faff than I'd like because the provided tool is needed to prevent spoke twisting. Both wheels have dings in them, with the rear wheel showing significantly more character after 10 days in the Whistler Bike Park. If this were my primary wheelset I'd likely need to replace the rear rim after a season of use.

Conclusion Time.

I'm conflicted on this one. I love the yellow rims. They look fantastic while scratching a nostalgic itch for me. As a wheelset they've been great. Tires are easy to install, they've been reliable, have a lovely ride feel, and I like the hub noise. That said, as with all aluminum rims, I've had to true and re-tension these twice already, and they have visible character after a handful of days in the bike park. I don't want this to be a carbon vs. metal rim debate, but I'm hard-pressed to recommend these outright when a set of local carbon rims on a nice set of hubs costs around the same money. Factor in the time and cost of tensioning, truing and rebuilding the metal rims, and my money would be laid down for carbon. Some riders prefer metal rims as the rim bending can reduce the chance of cutting the tire in heavy sharp impacts. If you'd prefer metal rims on your downhill bike, this new Mavic Deemax wheelset is a great choice.

Mavic Deemax DH YLW Wheels