Mavic Comete Road Tubular Rim Brake Wheel

The Mavic Comete Road Tubular Rim Brake Wheel has a lineage built entirely around the clock. Time trial and triathlon racing demand a specific kind of honesty from equipment — there are no wheels to shelter behind, no drafting dynamics to blur the numbers. Every second is yours to gain or lose, and the wheel beneath you either helps or it doesn't. Mavic built the Comete around that reality: a full carbon tubular designed for riders who measure performance in split times and treat aerodynamic efficiency as non-negotiable.

The deep-section lenticular profile is the defining structural choice here. That shape — thick through the centre, tapering cleanly at the tyre bed — is optimised to reduce aerodynamic drag at the cross-wind angles most commonly encountered during actual racing conditions, not just tunnel-ideal zero-yaw testing. The rim is constructed from 100% unidirectional carbon fibre, which orients the fibre strands for maximum stiffness along the load path. Under hard sprint efforts or sustained time trial power, that translates to direct energy transfer — the kind of rigidity where the power you put down goes forward rather than being absorbed by lateral flex in the rim.

What makes the Comete genuinely distinctive among deep-section tubular options is Mavic's Exalith 2 brake track — a surface treated through laser ablation to create a microscopically textured finish. The result is meaningfully improved braking in wet conditions compared to a standard carbon brake surface, along with greater long-term durability. For triathlon and time trial competitors running rim brake equipment, this matters. Conditions change during a race and confidence in the braking zone — especially on technical descents between efforts — is part of the overall performance picture. The Comete doesn't ask you to trade that confidence for aero gains.

Mavic Comete Road Tubular Rim Specs at a Glance

• Rim Material: 100% unidirectional carbon fibre
• Rim Profile: Deep-section lenticular
• Brake Surface: Exalith 2 — laser-treated carbon for improved wet braking and rim longevity
• Tyre Compatibility: Tubular
• Brake Compatibility: Rim brake
• Drivetrain Compatibility: HG11 — Shimano / SRAM 11-speed
• Intended Use: Time trial, triathlon, road racing
• Discipline: Aero performance riding

Design Benefits

1. Lenticular Aero Profile: The full lenticular rim shape is designed to minimise aerodynamic drag across a range of real-world yaw angles. In time trial and triathlon contexts — where sustained speed over distance is the objective — this profile is intended to reduce the effort required to hold race pace, letting you direct more of your output into the clock rather than into overcoming air resistance.
2. Unidirectional Carbon Construction: Building the rim from 100% unidirectional carbon fibre means the material is oriented to handle the specific stress paths generated during hard pedalling and sprinting. The structure is designed for stiffness without unnecessary weight, so the rim responds immediately to power input rather than storing and releasing energy — an important quality for time trial efforts where consistent, measurable output matters.
3. Exalith 2 Brake Track: Laser ablation of the carbon brake surface creates a texture that improves friction between pad and rim, particularly in wet conditions where standard carbon can feel inconsistent under braking. The process also reduces the surface wear that can compromise rim integrity over time, meaning the Comete is designed to hold its performance characteristics across extended racing seasons — not just race day.
4. Tubular Tyre Platform: Tubular construction allows for lower tyre pressures relative to the rim weight, contributing to ride quality that remains responsive without harshness on longer efforts. The tyre-to-rim interface on a tubular setup is also inherently secure under lateral load, which matters in criterium and circuit racing where cornering forces are a factor alongside outright speed.

Final Take

The Comete is built for the rider who competes against the clock — triathletes, time trialists, and circuit racers running rim brake setups who need a deep-section tubular wheel that holds up in variable conditions and delivers under real race pressure. The Exalith 2 surface removes one of the traditional compromises of carbon rim brake wheels, and the lenticular profile does its job without ceremony. If you race on a rim brake groupset and aerodynamic efficiency is the priority, this is the wheel Mavic designed with that brief in mind.