Cosmic SLR 32 23i Wheelset

What Our Gearhead® Experts Are Saying:

"I have been racing and training on the Cosmic SLR 32 23i Wheelset for a full mountain season, and they have been one of the most consistently impressive wheels I have tested at this weight. The 32mm profile gives just enough aero benefit on the valley roads without becoming a liability in the crosswinds that show up on exposed ridgelines, and the Fore Carbon tubeless interface has been completely airtight through dozens of rides without a single top-up. The Instant Drive 360 engagement is fast enough that I have stopped noticing the transition between coasting and sprinting entirely."

At 1390 grams for the pair, the Mavic Cosmic SLR 32 23i Wheelset sits in the category of wheels where rotational mass reduction has a measurable impact on how the bike behaves on repeated accelerations, sustained climbs, and the kind of variable pace riding that mountain road racing demands. The 32mm rim height is a deliberate choice for this application, deep enough to contribute meaningfully to aerodynamic efficiency on the approach roads and valley sections, shallow enough to remain controllable in the crosswinds that accompany exposed mountain terrain.

The carbon rim is built using Mavic's Adaptive Layup construction, which applies carbon reinforcement selectively to the areas of the rim that absorb the most stress during riding, cornering, and braking. The result is a rim that is lighter than a uniform layup of equivalent strength would be, without introducing flex at the points where stiffness matters most. Fore Carbon technology addresses the traditionally weak point of tubeless rim construction by eliminating the drilled spoke holes in the upper rim bridge entirely. Instead, the lower bridge is pressed upward and threaded internally to accept spoke nipples from below, leaving the outer rim surface structurally intact. This means no rim tape is required for airtightness, tire installation is more predictable and consistent, and the long-term tubeless reliability is significantly better than on conventionally drilled rims.

The 24 aero spokes front and rear are laced in a crossed-2 pattern into Mavic's Infinity hub, which equalises spoke length front and rear and distributes tension evenly around the hub flange for quiet, efficient power delivery with no spoke noise under hard accelerations. Instant Drive 360 freehub engagement uses a large contactless rubber seal to minimize friction while maintaining the fast engagement response that matters when accelerating out of technical corners or responding to attacks on a climb. Mavic Ceramic bearings run ceramic balls in low-density, highly lubricated grease that reduces rolling resistance below what steel bearings can achieve and maintains that performance advantage across the full duration of a long mountain stage.