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Deemax reviews?

Chachi

Chimp
Apr 13, 2002
11
0
Anybody spend a significant amount of time on the 2003 Deemax's last year? I am thinking about buying some, but am a bit skeptical about their strength. Great race wheels, but will they last a season?
 

DHS

Friendly Neighborhood Pool Boy
Apr 23, 2002
5,094
0
Sand, CA
I love em, wanted a light, durable, tubeless wheelset. and these are them. put them on a evil with a sherman breakout plus. stiffness was too bad for 28spoke wheels too. they handle stair gaps and such. still TRUE. but i HATE the Mavic hub, comes loose to easily, and i can't use them on all my bikes. so i think i'll probaly sell them, and just build up more sets of hadley hubs and the deemax rim(EX823).

i'd say go for them, there really isn't anything wrong with them in the long run, plus theres that new warrenty thing through mavic.

i'm just picky, and like to spend money anyway, and hadleys' been REAL nice to me lately:D
 

ohio

The Fresno Kid
Nov 26, 2001
6,649
24
SF, CA
know a couple of people using them. nice wheels, but for the same price or less you could build ex823 (d3.1) on hopes or hadleys with supercomps and have a lighter stronger wheel with a better hub.

i still get wood for the xmax xls, though.
 

1soulrider

Monkey
Apr 16, 2002
436
10
nor cal
I have about four months of riding on a set of 03 deemax. First, I would not use them for dh unless you don't ride in the rocks much, and have a smooth style. They are nice and light (for what they are) and quite stiff. I have had no issues w/ the hubs other then they do need to be tightened more often than other hubs I've used. This is so easy I don't consider it a problem, the tool is supplied w/ the wheelset, and you don't even have to take the wheels off the bike to tighten them. I have used these wheels for dirt jumping and 'freeriding' and they are holding up wonderfully. I use the Mavic 823s for dh and have been bending them regularly, so I would be hesitant to use the deemaxs for this application. I only weigh about 160, but I do ride a lot of very rocky terrain. They would be a great 'race only' wheelset if the terrain isn't too abusive, or if you don't mind replacing a hoop or two through the season. If you can get a deal on them, I'd go for it. If no deal your most likely better off building a set of 823s to Hadley's, Ringles or Kings. This gives you 32 spokes vs 28 and a easier wheel to rebuild/repair in a pinch.
 

Kntr

Turbo Monkey
Jan 25, 2003
7,526
21
Montana
I think the yellow 2002 Dee Maxxes are far more superior.... The 321 rim is super strong plus the yellow looks oh so good.
 

1soulrider

Monkey
Apr 16, 2002
436
10
nor cal
Originally posted by Kanter
I think the yellow 2002 Dee Maxxes are far more superior.... The 321 rim is super strong plus the yellow looks oh so good.
The old DeeMax are strong but heavy, the new ones are light but less tough. Let your riding style and conditions dictate your wheel choice.
For racing the new ones are the better choice, if you can make them last.
 

Chachi

Chimp
Apr 13, 2002
11
0
Thanks for the info....pretty much what I expected, I suppose. I think I will try them. I am not particularly hard on wheels. And the price is right. I will post the results as the year progresses.
 

Kntr

Turbo Monkey
Jan 25, 2003
7,526
21
Montana
1soulrider
The old yellow Dee Max set is only 150g more than the new grey set. Do you consider a wheelset that is only 150g more, heavy?


The front yellow is only 5g heavier
The rear yellow is only 145g heavier.
 

zedro

Turbo Monkey
Sep 14, 2001
4,144
1
at the end of the longest line
Originally posted by Kanter
1soulrider
The old yellow Dee Max set is only 150g more than the new grey set. Do you consider a wheelset that is only 150g more, heavy?


The front yellow is only 5g heavier
The rear yellow is only 145g heavier.
the older ones musta had a lighter hub, because the difference between the rims is more than 5g (although i suspect the info is just innacurate, since the new ones also use less spokes).

Dont forget the weight savings from running no tubes or strips.
 

Kntr

Turbo Monkey
Jan 25, 2003
7,526
21
Montana
Those are the numbers I found on Mavic's website and MTBR review and also in the new Jenson book and also on weightweenies.com. I always thought the new Deemaxes were way lighter too until I did a little research.

I want to find out for sure because I have been thinking of getting another set of light wheels....

Does anyone have a # for Mavic? There website says to call a local bike shop for questions but I know they have a direct line. Anyone have the 7 digets????
 

zedro

Turbo Monkey
Sep 14, 2001
4,144
1
at the end of the longest line
Originally posted by Kanter
Those are the numbers I found on Mavic's website and MTBR review and also in the new Jenson book and also on weightweenies.com. I always thought the new Deemaxes were way lighter too until I did a little research.

I want to find out for sure because I have been thinking of getting another set of light wheels....

Does anyone have a # for Mavic? There website says to call a local bike shop for questions but I know they have a direct line. Anyone have the 7 digets????
well MTBR and Jenson will get the listed weights from Mavic (usually right off the website), so any typo if any would propagate themselves.

Anyways the E729 (old Deemax) rim is 675g and the E823 (new Deemax) rim is 580g, so a 95g difference.

Also for the front wheel, the weights for the 9mm axle are 90g heavier than the 20mm axles for the old Deemaxs, so maybe you are comparing the new 9mm axle to the old 20mm axle (90g + 5g from the old set = 95g lighter, the difference between the rims).

But either way, I'd buy for the tubeless.
 

zedro

Turbo Monkey
Sep 14, 2001
4,144
1
at the end of the longest line
Originally posted by Kanter
I thought the yellow Dee Max was a 321.....


MTBR... yellow
http://www.mtbreview.com/reviews/Rim/product_88130.shtml

Mavic.... grey ust
http://www.mavic.com/servlet/srt/mavic/vtt-prod_fiche?product.id=79&lg=uk

The Mavic sight doesn't say anything about the weight difference in the 20mm and 9mm. I guess you cant believe everything you hear and see on the internet.:D :D
ya, D321 = E729. The MTBR link gives the weight difference between the 20mm and 9mm of the old Deemax set. I'm assuming the same difference applies to the new one.
 

Fulton

Monkey
Nov 9, 2001
825
0
Originally posted by Kanter
Those are the numbers I found on Mavic's website and MTBR review and also in the new Jenson book and also on weightweenies.com. I always thought the new Deemaxes were way lighter too until I did a little research.

I want to find out for sure because I have been thinking of getting another set of light wheels....

Does anyone have a # for Mavic? There website says to call a local bike shop for questions but I know they have a direct line. Anyone have the 7 digets????
888 466 2842
 

1soulrider

Monkey
Apr 16, 2002
436
10
nor cal
Originally posted by Kanter
1soulrider
The old yellow Dee Max set is only 150g more than the new grey set. Do you consider a wheelset that is only 150g more, heavy?


The front yellow is only 5g heavier
The rear yellow is only 145g heavier.

Those numbers are off. I have ridden both the new and old Deemax and the difference is quite noticeable. Not to mention the big weight savings of tubeless.
 

Kntr

Turbo Monkey
Jan 25, 2003
7,526
21
Montana
So what are the numbers? Im going to call Mavic tomorrow. I want another set of UST rims and if the new Dee Max are that much lighter I might just have to get me a pair.:D
 

Kntr

Turbo Monkey
Jan 25, 2003
7,526
21
Montana
Well, I called Mavic and these are the weights I got.

Yellow 02
Front 20mm-1160
Rear-1390
------Total 2550-------


Grey 04
Front 20mm-1075
Rear-1235
--------Total-2310---------


Still that is only a differnce of 240g




Now the Crossmaxx XL
Front-860g
Rear-945g
------Total- 1805g----------
 

1soulrider

Monkey
Apr 16, 2002
436
10
nor cal
So the difference in wheelsets is 195 g, this weight reduction is on the rim (321 vs d3.1,823) where it is most noticable. The other part of the equation is the lack of tubes, a very big reduction if you use dh tubes.

Kanter, try tubeless you'll be convinced.
 

Kntr

Turbo Monkey
Jan 25, 2003
7,526
21
Montana
I run thin tubes now so the weight difference wont be that different. I just dont know if I want to mess with it or not.

Are there any other benefits?
 

1soulrider

Monkey
Apr 16, 2002
436
10
nor cal
The benefits I have noticed are:
Almost no flats.
With the exception of one instance, last year I did not have to fix a flat. The one incident was my fault for running too low of psi for the conditions, and I snake bit the casings of a pair of Mitchys too badly for the sealant to be able to fix. I tossed a pair of tubes in the wheels and enjoyed the rest of the day. On one notable occasion I was out hitting the dirt jumps, a notorious place for picking up goatheads. When I got home and was putting my bike away I noticed I had picked some of these in my tires. I pulled over two dozen out of my tires, gave the tires a couple spins to seal the holes and added about 10 psi that they had lost. I really like not having to be constantly patching & replacing tubes. Being able to keep riding after puncturing your tires is really nice. I have had the Stan's seal 3/8" rock slices in tires. This works best in the tread area, sidewall slices don't seal as easy.

Better traction.
Tires hook up better w/o tubes. I increased my tire pressure by 8 - 10 psi, with an increase in high speed traction and control. Everyone I ride with who has switched has remarked on a noticeable increase in tire performance w/o tubes. Tires don't ping off rocks near as much, this is most noticed w/ trail bike tires as dh tires don't deflect much.

Weight reduction.
I need to use dh tubes in my dh bike because where I ride if you run xc tubes you flat constantly. DH tubes are very heavy. But dh aside, I use them on my trailbike too because the setup is still lighter than tubes, and the UST rims are stronger because they aren't all drilled out. I have found the x3.1 to be a great trail rim, stronger than the old 519s and lighter too. The right tire is important too.

These are the main improvements I've noticed, there are other subtle benefits as well.
If you can run xc tubes, I'd think the new DeeMax should hold up well for you. If you do end up trying them be sure to post your impressions, I'd like to see what you think.
 

Fulton

Monkey
Nov 9, 2001
825
0
Originally posted by Kanter
Well, I called Mavic and these are the weights I got.

Yellow 02
Front 20mm-1160
Rear-1390
------Total 2550-------


Grey 04
Front 20mm-1070
Rear-1235
--------Total-2305---------


Still that is only a differnce of 195g




Now the Crossmaxx XL
Front-860g
Rear-945g
------Total- 1805g----------
I think you need to double check your math, 2550 - 2305 = 245 grams................plus it's rotating weight
 

Kntr

Turbo Monkey
Jan 25, 2003
7,526
21
Montana
Your right my math sucks....... 240 g!!!! Plus I typed in the wrong amount on one so now its correct.

240g difference
 

Chachi

Chimp
Apr 13, 2002
11
0
Update on my Deemax:

So, I took the plunge, even though I was somewhat hesitant (especially considering I ride a V10 which is notorious for killing rear wheels). I found a new set on Ebay for cheaper than Canadian shop cost so I jumped at the chance. I have had them on my V10 for two months now and so far, I love them. I weigh 185 with gear, race pro-elite (fully mediocre) here in Canada, eh. My riding style is somewhere between smooth and power. The terrain here in Vancouver is varied, everything from fast rocky dried up river beds to gnarly loamy rooted and rocky singletrack (quintessential Vancouver riding). I have not had problems blowing up wheels in the past, but I am by no means easy on my gear.

The rear Deemax had to be re-dished to fit the V10 rear end. Not a problem. I mounted up Michelins front and rear running tubeless without sealant (20-25 psi front/rear). They mounted up easily and did not leak any air. Later, I was convinced to use ‘Slime’ to prevent puncture leaks. After my first rides, I re-tensioned the spokes. I typically run my wheels with more tension than less. The wheels remained true. One ride, I blew a corner and came to a standstill only to be run down by the guy tailing me. He (200 pounds) made first contact with me at my rear wheel, from the side. I expected the worst. But, the wheel held up fine, although it was slightly out of true.

Since I have had the wheels, I semi-regularly true and re-tension them. To my surprise, they have never been much out of true and there are no signs of any flatspots or cracks. The rear hub came a little loose, but as someone already mentioned, it can be tightened with one tool while still on the bike. I am really happy with the wheels, and coming from 321’s with tubes, my wheels feel far lighter/quicker. From the rumours I had heard, I thought I might destroy them, and so far, there is no signs that that will be the case.

The ‘Slime’ I added is useless. It did not seal a small puncture. The puncture had to be repaired with a patch and tubular glue. It seems to be holding up.
 

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math2014

wannabe curb dropper
Sep 2, 2003
1,198
0
I want to move to BC!!!
The Ex823 is indeed 580 but without the nipple inserts...which is another 50gr per rim, so 630gr for the 823s, and 675gr for the D321=729, this means 45gr of weight difference per rim, and not 90gr.