Mavic Introduces the 2018 Deemax and Deemax Pro Wheels 4

Ask anybody who has been into gravity mountain biking for a while, and a yellow Mavic Deemax wheel will likely have put in an appearance on their wish lists or on their bike builds at some point over the past 20 years or so. With tons of race wins to their name, the iconic hoops have long been a staple of paddocks and garages the world over, but with ever-evolving standards that did not mean that Mavic could rest on their laurels if they wanted to keep up. No sooner said than done, the Frenchies took their classic DH wheelset back to the drawing board to return with a lighter, wider version for 2018 - they also updated its little brother the Deemax Pro which is aimed directly at the enduro crowd. Details below!

2018 Mavic Deemax Highlights

The first and most obvious update to the new Deemax is the color. No longer all yellow, only highlights remain. Never a proponent of ultra-wide rims, Mavic has nevertheless stretched the Deemax out to a versatile 28mm internal width, which puts it close to the sweetspot for a standard 2.4 to 2.5 inch tire.

For the rest of the wheel, it's classic Mavic: an aluminum rim which has been heavily machined to save weight where possible, UST tubeless (non-drilled rim bed), straightpull steel spokes and a 7.5-degree engagement ITS-4 freewheel. The complete Deemax wheelset now weighs in at 1944 grams, and Mavic says they have increased its vertical compliance to offer more comfort and help avoid punctures and other impact-related problems.

The new Deemax wheelset will go on sale "during Q3" and will cost $899 USD (EUR 899 in Europe).

2018 Mavic Deemax Pro Highlights

With the Deemax Pro, Mavic sought to bring to the market an aggressive wheelset that would be up for the demands of modern enduro-type riding, whilst saving a bit of weight and putting a little bit more emphasis on pedaling performance compared to the fully gravity-oriented Deemax. To do so, Mavic reduced the spoke count and went with hollow aluminum spokes instead of the steel spokes found on big brother Deemax. They also used their radial "Isopulse" lacing in the rear, which is said to offer better pedaling response while also helping keep spoke tension even on both sides of the wheel. On that note, both the Deemax and Deemax Pro make use of offset spoke placement on the rim, with the Deemax Pro also featuring a hookless rim profile.

To further improve the efficiency of the Deemax Pro wheelset, Mavic reduced the internal rim width to 25mm in the rear (while sticking with 28mm up front), which they say gives the tire a more rounded profile that reduces rolling resistance. 

The Deemax Pro wheelset weighs in at 1700 grams, 250 grams less than the new Deemax. This reduction comes at the expense of ultimate strength though, as Mavic only "certifies" the Deemax Pro for "offroad use with less than 122 cm jumps", and recommends that the total rider + bike weight does not exceed 120 kg. The Deemax Pro is available in boost and non-boost versions, but no 29er option for now.

The new Deemax Pro will cost $1099 USD (EUR 999 in Europe).

For more information, head on over to www.mavic.com.