You've probably heard the following saying, "Light, strong, and cheap. Pick two." Well, that person never took the Mavic XA Light 27.5in Wheelset out for a spin. We'll be the first to note this saying usually holds true in the mountain bike world, but there are a few exceptions on the market, this wheelset being one of them. Overall, we feel Mavic is doing an admirable job in producing high-quality wheels that buck the trend of being extremely pricey.
The XA Light 27.5in Wheelset offers a superb balance of trail dependability, low weight, and cheap cost, but without being the absolute best in any particular category. Weighing 1760 grams with its S6000 alloy construction, it's a nice compromise between low rolling weight and overall dependability on the trail, all without emptying your wallet on pricier wheels. That being said, it's not made for aggressive thrashings, catering more to the everyday trail rider out for the experience of escaping into the forest and local mountains instead of hucking off everything in sight.
Mavic's UST rim profile sets up nicely with your favorite tubeless tires, thanks to its hookless rim design that won't turn your tire into a bulbous shape or squared-off profile. Not only does it set up nicely with tubeless tires, but the 25-millimeter internal width supports modern trail tires of 2.2 to 2.3 inches in width (give or take a few tenths of an inch). By providing optimal support for tubeless trail tires, you'll be able to run lower pressures, in turn gaining better traction, bump compliance, and rolling speed on the trail.
