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Lightweight taps into disc brake market with new Meilenstein C Disc Wheels

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Lightweight Milestein disc brake carbon wheels clincher-2

Just by looking at Lightweight wheels, it’s hard to imagine they have rather humble beginnings in someone’s garage. In the 90’s the wheels were quite revolutionary, enough so that pro teams were buying the wheels out right to use in the biggest races. Eventually, the company was sold to Carbon Sports in 2003 which is part of the Wissler group. Known for much more than just fancy bike parts, the Wissler Group has their hands in Aerospace, Communications, Healthcare, and even Military applications. Combining the knowledge of their 20 engineers and technology supposedly not available to most wheel companies like access to the most advanced carbon fiber which requires aerospace certification, Lightweight has been able to produce some of the most ridiculous wheelsets on the market.

Continuing with their quest for superlatives, the new Meilenstein C Disc wheels claim to be the lightest and stiffest disc brake wheel on the market. After riding them, that may not be far from the truth, but depending on your use, you might just want to hold out for a bit…

Lightweight Milestein disc brake carbon wheels clincher-8

Lightweight Milestein disc brake carbon wheels clincher-3 Lightweight Milestein disc brake carbon wheels clincher-4

Built around a 47mm carbon clincher rim, it turns out that this is the same rim used for their Meilenstein rim brake clinchers. Not only does that mean the rims still have a brake track, but it means the rims have a fairly narrow profile at 20mm external, 17.8mm internal. However, Lightweight says they will have a wheelset with a wider and shallower rim coming near Eurobike. The rims are not tubeless ready, though without spoke holes you might be able to make it work.

Lightweight Milestein disc brake carbon wheels clincher-5 Lightweight Milestein disc brake carbon wheels clincher-6

Like other Lightweight wheels, the spokes are bonded into the rims and hub shells to offer a massively stiff wheel. New to the disc wheels though is the pentagon hub which uses a hub shell with 5 sides instead of one that is round. This is said to be make the hub stronger since the hub shell is held in place not only with the bond of the epoxy, but also with a mechanical bond of the flanges around the pentagon shell. It was important to make the hubs stronger and safer due to the fact that braking heat is now concentrated at the center of the hub rather than at the rims.

Lightweight Milestein disc brake carbon wheels clincher-7 Lightweight Milestein disc brake carbon wheels clincher-11

Sold with DT Swiss 11 speed hub internals, the wheels can adapt to most standard road and cross thru axle standards with end caps from DT Swiss. All hubs are Centerlock but will ship with an adapter to run 6 bolt as well.

Weights for a complete set are claimed at 1390g which includes the integrated computer magnet in the rim. Wheels will be available in the White and the upgraded Black edition which includes a Ceramic Speed bearing upgrade from the standard industrial steel bearings. U.S. pricing is TBA.

Lightweight Milestein carbon disc brake wheels-2

Lightweight Milestein disc brake carbon wheels clincher-10 Lightweight Milestein carbon disc brake wheels-4

In spite of the miles of Sedona singletrack that was beckoning upon arrival at Magura’s press camp, I was convinced to hop on this Pinarello Dogma F8 disc that was absolutely loaded for a 40 mile spin around Sedona. It turned out to be a great call – there were plenty of fun roads and amazing scenery, and even a mid-ride off road adventure to the creek which required wading through to get to the other side!

The Dogmas were outfitted with the Rotor Uno hydraulic group and the Lightweight Meilenstein C Disc wheels. In spite of how narrow the rims made the Vredestein 25mm tires feel, they provided a feel unlike any other disc brake wheelset I’ve been on. Other than carrying a few extra grams compared to their rim brake models, the disc brake hoops seemed to be every bit as stiff offering knife edge precision. Obviously, one ride is hardly a durability test but I wasn’t easy on the wheels as I wheelied, bunny hopped, and generally hooned around on wheels that are surely more expensive than many bikes. What it did show is that these aren’t going to break at the first sign of abuse – which is good news for anyone dropping this level of coin on a set of wheels.

If your plans are specifically for a set of disc brake wheels for the road these look like a good choice. But if you’re looking for the benefits of a wider tire for mixed terrain, we suspect that the wider versions coming this fall will the be ones to get.

lightweight.info

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Comrad
Comrad
7 years ago

“Combining the knowledge of their 20 engineers”

Engineers that still insist on using narrow profiles and an incredibly outdated V shape

Dave
Dave
7 years ago

@Comrad. My question is have you ever owned or ridden for an extended period time Lightweight or the Reynolds RZR or the Corima MCC wheels? All I can tell you is even thought all of these are a more narrow profile they all handle very very well and are very fast.

Veganpotter
Veganpotter
7 years ago
Reply to  Dave

I’ve ridden thinner RZR wheels and they suck.

Comrad, you’re right. They’re only narrow to save weight. They’re optimized for narrow tires which saves even more weight but make your bike suck.

dave2
dave2
7 years ago
Reply to  Dave

the difference in drag is something that can’t be felt by anything except sensors in a wind tunnel and your watt input proportionality to time. the stall is going to be significant here vs a shape based on an air foil were separation is minimized.

dkrenik
dkrenik
7 years ago

In present form, these are a “fail”. Will be interesting to see what the “wider” version will look like.

Warren
Warren
7 years ago

I imagine the outdated narrow V rim is still in use due to a huge back stock, rather than the choice of the 20 engineers lol. Go on Weight Weenies forum to see this topic dissected. They’re out of date.

Allan
Allan
7 years ago

20mm is so passe!

James.
James.
7 years ago

Just to “pile on” – there is no way they are 20mm external and 17.8 internal.

rollin
rollin
7 years ago

when a company releases a fancy new disc brake wheelset, and the rims still have a brake track i just see it as lazy and frankly i would not buy them as it id indicative of lack of investment.

kestrel
kestrel
7 years ago

I own a set and have since 1996. Honestly, they are the fastest stiffest wheels you can ride. The power transfer is insane. Nothing compares to them.
Are they narrow, yep.
Maybe a bit outdated also.
But honestly I wouldn’t trade them for anything. And they look crazy cool.
And mine were the first pair in North America. Lance hadn’t even gotten them yet. I got mine from the Cofidis Team.
If you haven’t ridden a set, you really can’t compare them.

Veganpotter
Veganpotter
7 years ago
Reply to  kestrel

Actually, they’re famously slow in the wind tunnel. You’re simply taking your own placebo since you wasted so much money on these

kestrel
kestrel
7 years ago
Reply to  Veganpotter

Hardly a placebo if time and distance are better.
In terms of flex, there is none. So it’s all power transfer.

Also, I didn’t buy them. They were given to me by the Cofidis Team.

VaegarVelo
VaegarVelo
7 years ago
Reply to  kestrel

Time and distance are better compared to what? And they might have great “power transfer” but if they are so stiff they ride like a grocery cart – you will lose a fair amount of that in transfer between the tire and the road. Smooth is fast.

Veganpotter
Veganpotter
7 years ago
Reply to  VaegarVelo

They’re still slow and take more power to hold at speed, like a mini parachute

kestrel
kestrel
7 years ago
Reply to  VaegarVelo

Have you ever ridden a set?
If not, then you have no clue how they ride or to their advantages or disadvantages.

I have owned or do own currently the following:
Zipps-3 pair
Edge/Enve-2 pair
Mavic-6 pair
Lightweight-2 pair
J-Disc-2 wheels
Accel Sports Falcon Disc
Campagnolo-3 pair
Mercury-3 pair
Shimano-3 pair
Velocity-3 pair
Rolf/Rolf Prima-2 pair
Reynolds-3 pair incl. RZR
Xng/Lew-1 pair
American Classic-8 pair
Ritchey-3 pair
Custom wheelsets-too many too count.

The Lightweights are still the best i’ve ever ridden. Fast to get up to speed. Easy to keep at speed. Corner incredibly well. Never had an issue in braking in wet or dry weather. Never had an issue with them durability wise or mechanically. They transfer tons of power. And I have never known them to be overly harsh-Not any more than many others out there. And the set i have is a Gen 1 with a Shimano Freehub Body and standard threaded axle. Both switched out to a ti version. Oh and they look badass.

Veganpotter
Veganpotter
7 years ago
Reply to  VaegarVelo

Kestrel, yes I’ve ridden them. They’re stiff, light and slow

Alvis
Alvis
7 years ago

20 Engineers? Is that a spoke each? Monkeys and type writers? Maybe with 25 they could have got rid of the brake track.

Alvis
Alvis
7 years ago

I call BS on the carbon fibre; access to the most advanced carbon fibre that requires ‘aerospace certification’ is contradictory. The certification process takes so long it is very unlikely that ‘certified material’ is the most advanced. Now if they’d said so new the aerospace industry hasn’t even qualified it yet…

Kernel Flickitov
Kernel Flickitov
7 years ago

We sell a few Lightweight sets every year. The customers are showing off their more money than sense at the cafe because I NEVER see them out on training rides or at the races.

Durian Rider
Durian Rider
7 years ago

Ive got the latest Meilenstein clinchers and they are nicer than I thought they would be.

For disc bike though I do prefer the wider feel of my Zipp 202. Ive got a few sets and they feel more comfy.

I will get a set of the wider Lightweights when they come out and because I buy them, I can give an honest review. The pre Gen 4 ones were hella dangerous in the wet. Stopping power was drastically reduced.

flx
flx
7 years ago

Are Lightweights vegan?

Patrick
Patrick
7 years ago

Good grief. Kids at my school are less beetchy than road riders…

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