2018 Mavic Shoes, Helmets, Apparel & Bags

Turns out that Mavic has more than just nine new mountain bike wheels to show off this week. In a further filling-out of its off-road lineup (there’s loads more road stuff too if you’re into that), Mavic has bolstered its offerings in the softgoods department with the addition of some new shoes, jerseys, shorts and helmets – plus the rest.

Get a look at some of the highlights from the 2018 Mavic line here;

The XA Pro helmet is brand new for 2018, and is designed as a lightweight, well-ventilated trail helmet that slots right in between the Crossmax SL cross-country trail helmet, and the bigger Crossmax Pro enduro helmet. It’s packed with features, including EPS 4D technology that Mavic states offers up to 30% more shock absorption than the industry standard. On the inside of the front of the helmet, you’ll find a wide band of ‘Live Fit XRD foam’, which is a soft breathable memory foam that’s designed to provide an adaptive fit.

There’s loads of ventilation, special 37.5 fabric pads for “moisture evacuation”, and all of that in a helmet that’s claimed to weigh just 280g. The XA Pro helmet will be available in two sizes (Medium & Large), four colour options (Blue, Green, White & Black), and will retail in the UK for £129.

Joining Mavic’s XA trail line is a new pair of SPD shoes called the XA Pro, which slots in above the existing XA Elite shoe. It’s got a cross trainer vibe about it, with a well-ventilated mesh upper that uses thermal bonding (how romantic!) to bring the panels together without stitching. The result is a very clean and low-profile upper that’s adjusted with a big velcro strap and a Mavic Ergo Dial QR thingamajig. It also helps to make these very light, with each shoe weighing a claimed 300g.

Like the Mavic Deemax Pro shoes I just finished testing, the XA Pro shoes get a sticky Contagrip rubber outsole, with an open-spaced tread pattern designed to provide walking traction when off the bike. Inside is a stiff carbon fibre-reinforced midsole for pedalling stability, and Ortholite cushioned footbeds for comfort. There’ll be three colour options (Black/Yellow, Green and Blue/Red), loads of sizes, and the sticker price will be £159.

Going one lighter is the new Crossmax Pro shoe. While not quite as lightweight as Mavic’s flagship Crossmax SL Ultimate race shoe, the Crossmax Pro shoe does come in a lot cheaper (£220 vs £309), and it gets more usable rubber tread on the underside of the Contagrip outsole.

Compared to the XA Pro shoes, the Crossmax Pro is much more streamlined with a slim ventilated upper that also uses thermal bonding to bring all the panels together, but eschews some of the protection in favour of lower weight. There are two ratchet dials for making fine-tune adjustments, and the carbon fibre midsole is claimed to have an Energy Transfer rating of 70. We’re not entirely sure what that means, but it’s slightly lower than the Crossmax SL Ultimate shoes (80) and slightly higher than the XA Pro shoes (60).

So there you go.

We’re digging the subtle looks on the new Mavic XA Elite jersey, which is available as a short sleeve and as the long sleeve hoody you’re gawking at here. There aren’t loads of details on this one, aside from Mavic listing it as being made from a technical fabric of some sort, and will be available in three colours (Lime, Black, Blue/Grey). Price is £53 for the short sleeve, and £65 for the long sleeve.

To go with the new XA Pro helmet and shoes, there’s some XA Pro apparel too, including these new not-so-baggy baggy shorts. They’re finished off with a thin, flexible but abrasion resistant fabric that has been drilled for ventilation. These aren’t up on the Mavic website yet, but we can confirm that pricing will be £85 in the UK.

And no doubt the highlight of the 2018 Mavic apparel range for us are these dashing Deemax Undershorts. With a print like that, these are fit for the more daring mountain bikers out there. Mavic calls these a ‘technical second-skin boxer’, which means they’re very thin, breathable and flexible. There’s a chamois in there, but it’s a minimalist Ergo SL pad that we’re guessing is more suited gravity riding than all-day XC pedalling.

And last, but certainly not least is the new Deemax Belt. It’s kind of like a pared-back fanny pack that’s designed to hold the bare essentials for those who ride with loose-fitting flappy jerseys that don’t have pockets. There’s a stretchy pocket for a water bottle, and some zippered pockets for your phone, keys, and spares. The waist strap is soft and elastic, which means it should adapt to pre and post-pub visitations. £44 for this one.

Mavic.com 

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