Mavic Ksyrium SL vs Fulcrum Zero Nite

dan45a

Hi all, As the title suggests, looking to buy a new of wheels basically between these 2, Mavic Ksyrium pro exalith SL or Fulcrum Zero Nite both 2016 year model.

they will be going on my Binachi Oltre - shimano groupset. I like the all black look of these wheels but have heard about problems with the brake track wearing off quickly on both? Any comments?

Price wise the maivc is a little more but do come with tyres. Mavic is about 65g lighter, but know fulcrum wheels roll so well.

Have loved a set of fulcrum racing 3 wheels I've had for years, but also loved all the mavic MTB crossmax wheelset ive had.

Anyone had any experience of these wheels? Comments or feedback welcomed.

thegreatdivide

Exalith 2 is excellent so go for the Mavics. There was an issue with the first version of Exalith and the same issues are being seen on the Nite's - silver shows through far too quickly, especially after a few wet rides with added grit. Campagnolo/Fulcrum haven't made any updates to resolve which is a shame because I like Fulcrum wheels. My Mavic RSYS SLR's still look superb after two and a half years of ownership.

cmcdonnell

Love the Fulcrums personally. Mavics never really did it for me.

redvision

Another vote for the fulcrums.
Loved mine to bits. Sold them with my old bike but will be getting another set as soon as I can afford it.
I had no problems with the rim surface fading or scratching even after a few thousand miles.

I will never use mavics again personally as every set I have used has had problems. Although this was probably bad luck as many people swear by them.

Anyway, imo you should get the fulcrums as you will not regret buying them.

norvernrob

I've got the fulcrums and love them, only wear on the brake track is from when I got lost down a mud track in p*ssing down rain halfway through a century ride. I had to poke mud out of the forks and brakes with a stick just to get the wheels to turn, and squirt puddle water out of a bottle onto the calipers just to try and clear some mud away once I'd got back to an actual road.

The noise under braking was horrendous and I was convinced I'd wrecked them, but once I'd cleaned the bike up at home the only damage to the brake track was some light wear that can't even be noticed from a few feet away. Unless you abuse them more than that, which is unlikely, I can't see you having an issue.

daniel_b

I have Exalith rim Mavic's, and they are awesome - when I had a canti braked bike in regular use, I would often nearly put myself over the bars when swapping to the bike with these on, the stopping power is that good, and zero sign of any wear on mine at all.

I forget the exact model of mine (apart from the fact it's the 125th anniversary ones) but the weight is listed as something like 1420 grams.

You can only use the Exalith pads though, but they are readily available, and not too expensive.

tartysurfer

I can give you a vote for the Nites. I have been running a set on and off for a year now. Initially after a couple of rides I swapped out to my Assaults (both because they were also a new purchase and because I was getting break screech on the Nites). Long story short, crashed the Assaults, forced back on to the Nites and have since put 2,000km on them and loved it (have shiny new Assualts, but they are still unused as of now, but they are also a great wheel). Used in all situations hilly/ flat, solo/ peloton, social/ race with no issues. Light and stiff, they accelerate and climb well and I don't struggle to hold a good speed on them (35kmph plus over 100km).

yes, the pads do seem to wear a little like cheese, so trying to track down new pads currently (I'm going for the specific one's, but depending on where you look on the internet there are comments that carbon specific pads are fine). The screeching is a thing of the past as before each ride I drop out the wheels and simply brush clean the pads with an old toothbrush). My rims are still as new, although for transparency I ride in Malaysia so wet muddy gritty rides are few and far between if ever. Hope this helps.

dan45a

Thanks all for the replies, appreciate the input. The fulcrums are getting lots of love as I expected. Good to hear experiences of the brake track. I get the feeling it doesn't last as well as the Mavic exalith 2 so you need to look after them. I spoke with the Fulcrum warranty department to check how they dealt with the wear and the stated they would not cover the wear under any circumstances, which is disappointing but they did also state that if kept clean with the correct pads they should not show wear for a very long time.

I think I am leaning towards the fulcrums as they compliment the Italian bike and cost is slightly less. I also have a winter disc bike I tend to use for wet bad weather rides.

cmcdonnell

Have you considered the regular Fulcrum Zero's? I went through this last year after deciding on the Campy Shamals (pretty much the same as the Fulcrum Zero's) and wanted the Millie version. In the end I decided to save a couple of hundred £ and went for the regular Shamal ultra version and have not been dissappointed. Saying that I can understand wanting the black ones. On another note how do you rate your Oltre? I'm on the brink of ordering one

dan45a

Good point on the fulcrum zeros, £200 for the all black look is steep and a test of my vanity!
My mate just put the shamal Millie's on his bianchi and they are stunning. I can think of worse decisions to have.

About the oltre, it's fast and very responsive, surprisingly comfy, done a few 90 milers without issue.
I came from a giant TCR which i thought was amazing, the oltre moves the game on for me. It's got a shorter wheelbase than my tcr did so can really move it about.
It's a special bike, with sweet handling. No regrets.

Mart74

I'm going through a similar thought myself.

I love to look and idea of the Nite's but couldn't handle the brake tracks wearing off. I've decided to go for the standard Zero's but can't find Shimano fit ones in stock anywhere at the moment.

thegreatdivide

You can't go wrong with standard Zeros. I'm on my second pair (Dark Label version this time) and don't have to worry about wearing the treatment away. Meanwhile my RSYS SLRS keep going strong and keep looking grey.

dan45a

Much difference in the ride between the zeros and slrs?

cmcdonnell

Looking at other options, I'd go for the Fulcrum Quattro Carbons as wiggle have them for £40 more than the nights. They would look fab on the Oltre and are not much heavier but are aero and if your keeping them for fair weather the carbon braking would be fine. To be fair my Bora's brake fine in the wet but I don't use them as I don't want to ruin them. I use the Shamal Ultras in any conditions but neither wheel has let me down.

thegreatdivide

Zeros are super stiff but RSYS are as stiff as you'll get in the current shallow rim options out there. Whether that makes any difference to overall performance I'm not really sure but you'll not get any flex whatsoever. The braking on the Mavics is superior in all conditions to a standard alu track as I'm sure fellow Exalith 2 owners will confirm. They'll stop you dead. But as s good quality lightweight standard alu rim wheel you can't beat a Zero (or its Camapgnolo equivalent). Great wheels.

FWIW I run my Mavics on a C59 with Record EPS. Not running Italian brand wheels on that set up doesn't make me feel dirty ;-)