Mine are showing wear too mostly around the upper edge of rim, so I wouldn't think the finish is going to last forever, but they still look black from any normal distance away which is good enough for me.

HI guys,
I will for sure pass on this feedback. We've been pushing for an update to the rim program b/c of the resurgence of interest in custom built wheels.
Unfortunately there are so many different things our guys need to be working on. Aero carbon for example. 29er MTB. So, it's always a matter of where to allocate resources.

the 2012 catalogue includes Reflex Tubular and Open Pro rims with CD hard ano, but that's it. No Open Pro ceramic for 2012. So, if you want them, stock up now. I don't see any in Mavic USA inventory but if your LBS calls their inside rep, maybe it's possible to scare up a pair.

thanks for all the feedback - Mavic Zack

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I have raced on the 2011 SLR all summer, trained on them a bit (including the 500 km break in period) and my wheels show zero sign of wear and no scratches after about 2,000 km. I have ridden them on dirt roads, including one nasty day above Boulder with lots of rain on dirt roads, with mud, and big descents, and still no wear signs. I highly doubt they will look great forever, but in Mavic's defense that is exactly that they tell customers.

So far I am totally happy with these wheels and I have to say the Exalith brake coating is the best breaking surface I have ever used on the road, bar none. Once properly broken in they work better and you can stop faster. Twice this summer I have had a rider go down in front of me in a corner, at full speed, both times I was on the brakes very hard, and was able to come to a full panic stop, before anything bad happened to me. I do not think I could have stopped anywhere near as quickly with regular rims. The rims also work better than a standard option in the wet, they start to slow down much faster, without the normal delay, the breaking force is much more progressive, and it does not die out as much as a regular set up.

would it be possible to build a powertap into these?

ive got a set at the moment but looking to buy a powertap - or should i go down the crank based route?

I reckon you could get a PT built into the SLE, but the SLE is apparently a Limited Edition (it's basically the old SL with the Exalith brake track).

ive got the r-sys rear wheel

No chance then.

Can anyone here please post some close up photos of their exalith breaking surface.. That would be really nice..

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THIS IS A FASHION STATEMENT !

I will try to get some photos up, having a hard time loading them.

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Mavic, Inc.
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USA Communications Guy
Mavic, Inc.
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Cheers MavicZack! U da man!

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THIS IS A FASHION STATEMENT !

@MavicZack: thanks for the pics, do you know what the official lifespan of the exalith rims? i.e. how long before 1. they show the silver aluminium and 2. the rims are worn out (thickness of rim below safety levels) and hence need replacing.

HI,
I forgot to give any context to the photos above:
R-Sys SLR are about 5 weeks and 1500km old.
The CC SLR have been ridden since May, about 3500km.

There is no official lifespan that we can quote, because it will vary so much depending on riding style and conditions. If you're riding in the wet and hills all the time (Seattle?) the coating might wear through in 5-6 years. Here in Colorado (dry with big mountains) I fully expect 8 years minimum. (Note that we've had reports of riders in Portland or Seattle wearing through the brake track on standard Ksyrium SL wheels in as little as 2 years).

Honestly I'm not sure about wall thickness/wear through and the need to replace based on that criterion. But I think it's safe to say, when the Exalith coating is worn through, you'll be ready for new wheels or at least rims, regardless.

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I've had mine for about 3-4 months and have probably ridden then in the wet 4 or 5 times. The rims have some patches maybe the size of a thumbnail where the coating has completely gone. I'd say the coating is very susceptible to any muck on the roads when it is wet, I rode mine for about two hours in a torrential downpour with notable new wear apparent afterwards. To compare to older tech it is more like (although nowhere near as bad as) an ano CD coating in terms of wear rather than the more resistant ceramic coating.

But I think this is more an aesthetic problem rather than any performance problem. The issue being I bought the wheels for mainly aesthetic reasons!

Maviczack can the rims on the r-sys be replaced when the coating is worn? Or is it basically the same cost as a new set?

as far as I know, rims can be replaced. Contact your dealer and have them get on the phone with the MSC service center. Rebuilds are typically a fraction of the price of a new wheel.
I'm going to fwd your experience to our product team, sounds like much faster wear than I would have expected.

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Mavic, Inc.
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