Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Back to REVIEWS
review
Tyres
Mavic Yksion Elite Guard tyresMavic Yksion Elite Guard tyres

Mavic Yksion Elite Guard tyres

8
by David Arthur @davearthur
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Jan 26, 2015

1
£35.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Fast, grippy and hard-wearing tyres, good for winter
Weight: 
0g
Contact: 
www.mavic.co.uk
How we test

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

What the road.cc scores mean

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

  • Exceptional
  • Excellent
  • Very Good
  • Good
  • Quite good
  • Average
  • Not so good
  • Poor
  • Bad
  • Appalling

For the last four years Mavic have been producing tyres as part of their wheel and tyre systems, and you can also purchase the tyres separately. These Yksion Elite Guard 25mm tyres are made for endurance cycling and the tread is very durable and hard-wearing, yet provides good traction in a range of conditions, from dry to slick wet roads.

The tyre uses a single compound which Mavic describe as 'super sticky' and they did indeed provide good grip during testing. Mavic have given the tyre a light tread pattern at the edge which they claim optimises the tyres' performance in the rain, but in the real-world any difference over regular slick tyres was indistinguishable.

Mavic use a 120 tpi (threads per inch) construction for the tyre casing which makes them feel quite supple over the road. Combined with the larger volume that the 25mm width provides, they're a comfortable option and ideal if you want to upgrade from a narrower tyre.

A bead to bead nylon breaker provides resistance to flats that seems to work well. I didn't suffer any flat tyres during testing, even riding along lanes strewn with freshly trimmed hedge cuttings. As lucky as I was not to suffer any punctures, the tyres also show good resilience against cuts and being speared by thorns and flint, and still look in good condition after a couple of hundred miles.

Mavic recommend inflation pressure between 100 and 120psi. I ran them at 100psi with good results and even at lower pressures, as low as 85psi, they provided a nice blend of speed, comfort and bump absorption.

The single compound doesn't offer quite the same high level of speed and traction of more expensive dual and triple compound tyres, but these are good winter and commuting tyres that will go the distance, which also makes them a good choice for Audax and touring also.

Verdict

Fast, grippy and hard-wearing tyres, good for winter

road.cc test report

Make and model: Mavic Yksion Elite Guard tyres

Size tested: n/a

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

The new Yksion Elite Guard is the perfect blend of superior grip and high cut and puncture protection. Its tread pattern improves water evacuation to perfectly compliment its sticky compound. Its casing is reinforced from bead to bead by a strong nylon protection. The perfect training tyre.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Use:

Road

Wheel size:

700c

Tyre width:

25c

Casing:

120TPI

Compound:

Single Compound

Protection:

Superior Nylon, bead to bead

Front/Rear:

Dual

Weight:

230g

Notes:

This tyre has a minimum pressure of 100 psi and a maximum pressure of 130psi

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

Single tread compound provides ample grip and 120tpi construction keeps them supple, resulting in a nice road feel.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

Reasonably fast and good levels of grip for the price, and hard-wearing and not prone to flats.

Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10

Cope with crap roads and bad conditions and wear rate is good.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
8/10

At 236g they're not exactly light but not much heavier than all-out race tyres so considering they extra protection they offer, it's a reasonable weight.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
8/10

The large volume provides nice comfort over bumpy roads and the carcass has a nice supple feel.

Rate the product for value:
 
9/10

Looking at the road.cc tyre review archive these Mavic tyres strike a good price.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very good for endurance and winter riding, with the reliability and long service intervals you want at this time of year.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Nice smooth road feel and decent puncture resistance.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Not quite as grippy or fast-rolling as some tyres, but these are well priced though.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Yes.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.

Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?

The single compound doesn't offer quite the same high level of speed and traction of more expensive dual and triple compound offerings, but these are a good winter and commuting tyre that will go the distance, which also makes them a good choice for Audax and touring also. Very good for the price, but there are a lot of good tyres at this price

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 31  Height: 180  Weight: 67

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, touring, mtb,

 

Mavic Yksion Elite Guard tyres
Mavic
David Arthur @davearthur

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes. 

Add new comment

1 comments

Avatar
simondbarnes | 9 years ago
0 likes

These sound pretty good but is a couple of hundred miles enough to assess puncture resistance / durability / wear rates?

Latest Comments