Mavic Deemax Pro Sam Hill wheelset review

This limited edition Deemax Pro features graphics designed by the multiple EWS and downhill champ Sam Hill. The wheels are otherwise identical to the regular Deemax Pro, which sits alongside the Deemax DH in Mavic’s range and is designed for anything from trail to enduro racing.

The Deemax Pro features a slightly narrower-than-most 28mm internal width, with a hookless aluminium rim. Unusually, the UST rims feature an intact rim bed with no spoke holes, so there’s no need for often-leaky rim tape to keep the air inside the tyre.

To get around the lack of spoke holes, Mavic’s proprietary nipples thread into the rim from the inside – using a reverse thread – threading onto the spokes using a conventional thread. That means there’s no need to remove the tyre to replace a spoke and nipple.

While the spokes are proprietary, six spares are provided in the box (two front, four rear) along with the required spoke key.

The 24 bladed aluminium alloy spokes give the wheels a unique look and are claimed to have a higher stiffness-to-weight ratio than steel spokes.

Mavic Deemax Pro Sam Hill ride impressions

Despite the 28mm rims, I couldn’t detect any more tyre-squirm with my 2.5in Wide Trail Maxxis tyres compared to wheels with 30mm (or wider) rims, but if you wanted to run 2.6in wide tyres or fatter, these might not be ideal.

On the other hand, I’ve found that some tyres become too square on an overly wide rim, so the 28mm width is a good compromise for some tyres.

Disappointingly, the included valves leaked slightly (perhaps due to incorrect installation on my part), but once I’d replaced them with Stans valves, the wheels would go days without measurably losing pressure thanks to the tape-free rim.

They’re heavier than some wheels at this price, but they’ve proven tough so far. The 40-tooth freehub is fast-engaging enough and you’re unlikely to ever want for a faster pickup, and it’s quiet when coasting.

The hub bearings and freehub turn more freely than most wheels, suggesting the coasting drag is low, although I can’t say I noticed this on the trail.

While differences in ride feel between modern wheelsets are subtle, I experienced slightly less hand-pain over long, rough test tracks with the Deemax Pro than with any of the other 13 enduro wheelsets that I tested alongside them in identical conditions.

Whether this is because the rims flex more easily or because the 28mm rims result in a more flexible tyre profile is unclear. But with 2.5in Maxxis Minion DHF WT tyres, the ride appeared to be marginally comfier through rough trails without allowing any unwanted flex or vagueness when cornering hard.