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Lightweight EVO wheels evolve w/ disc specific, tubeless ready carbon wheels for road, CX & Gravel

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Over the years, Lightweight wheels have become an icon of world of carbon wheels. Having seen it ourselves, their production facility in Germany is impeccable with state of the art equipment and manufacturing techniques. And now, Lightweight is ready for their next evolution. Or Generation EVO to be more precise.

Starting with a new carbon layup that is more robust, Lightweight now states that all of their EVO series wheels are approved for gravel and CX use. That same layup is also said to include a better blend of different modulus carbon fibers to create a more comfortable ride – something you’re going to want if you’re riding these wheels off road.

Also important for offroad use is the ability to run tubeless tires. It’s not clear if the rims will use tape for sealing or if they’ll have a solid rim channel, but given the wheels’ construction, we’d bet on the latter.

A sign of the times, all of the EVO wheels are disc brake only. Together, there are four wheels in the EVO line, the Meilenstein EVO, Wegweiser EVO, Fernweg EVO 63, and Fernweg EVO 85.

Lightweight EVO wheels evolve w/ disc specific, tubeless ready carbon wheels for road, CX & Gravel

The Meilenstein EVO is still an all around wheel design with a 48mm rim depth, and 18.2/24mm rim width – at $7000 / 4690€. Built with 20/20 spokes, the wheels have a recommended tire width of 23-32mm and a claimed weight of 1,380 for the set.

Lightweight EVO wheels evolve w/ disc specific, tubeless ready carbon wheels for road, CX & Gravel

The Wegweiser EVO is a lower profile rim with a 36mm depth, and the same 18.2/24mm rim width – at $5000 / 3500€. Also built with 20 spokes for each wheel, the wheelset actually weighs a bit more than the Meilenstein EVO at 1,450g according to the specs posted on the website.

Lightweight EVO wheels evolve w/ disc specific, tubeless ready carbon wheels for road, CX & Gravel

The deepest wheels in the EVO family, the Fernweg comes in both 63mm and 85mm depths – both sets at $9250 / 6890€. This rim is slightly wider externally at 25mm, but has the same 18.2mm internal width. Using the same 20 spoke construction, the wheels weigh in at 1,695 for the 63mm and 1,765 for the 85mm.

The Meilenstein & Fernweg wheelsets are also available in upgraded all-black Shwarz editions with CeramicSpeed bearings for ~450€ extra.

All of the EVO wheels are said to be available starting November 1.

lightweight.info

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Klaster_1
Klaster_1
5 years ago

Why prefer this over lighter, cheaper and wider options? The stiffness?

VeloFreak
VeloFreak
5 years ago

Probably the best wheels of the market, if money is no boundary, but not these versions. If you are gonna buy a LightWeight wheels. Or let’s say, if you get onew for free, you want them with tubulars with organic, cotton, structure and latex tube. No tubeless, no clincher, and of course no disc brake.

Buying these wheels in clincher or for disc brakes, it’s like buying the best red wine ever, and mixing it with cola and ice. Yes, that’s what consumer demand; the best wine ever, to then mix it with ice and cola… triple facepalm.

K-Pop is dangerous to your health
K-Pop is dangerous to your health
5 years ago
Reply to  VeloFreak

(deleted)

Huffagnolo SuperMagna
Huffagnolo SuperMagna
5 years ago

(deleted)

Philip
Philip
5 years ago
Reply to  VeloFreak

Never felt my Meilenstein clinchers wanting in any regard save winds at some yaw angles. Tubulars clinchers or tubeless, apart from the pro riders, I’m venturing my neck out to say perhaps quite a number of us enthusiasts will not be able to heavily discern ride feel differences between these variations.

I ride disc brakes now, and will never go back to rim. I do climb and descend. And sometimes it pours and that’s when I love my bike being more safely managed by my disc brakes. Looking forward to a disc brake, wind tunnel tested Meilenstein.

PNFguy
PNFguy
5 years ago

Has Lightweight ever addressed the impact properties of their carbon spokes? Seems like a big risk using these in a ‘cross race, where one pedal entanglement could make for a destroyed wheel.

Philip
Philip
5 years ago
Reply to  PNFguy

Don’t think they need to – no wheel manufacturer does – because a bad crash will inundate any spoke whatever the material – there’s no bomb-proof spoke – and never will be. With our wheels, TLC is needed. The construction of a bladed Lightweight carbon spoke and how it is bound to everything else so beautifully in the rim inspires confidence and exudes quality. They are thick, stiff and quite frankly just a sight to behold, especially to us Lightweight owners.

I don’t think there ever will be a wheel that will pander to everyone’s likes. Whatever rocks each of our boats.

Josh
Josh
5 years ago

“Gravel” rims with a 19mm inner width? Pass.

I mean, it’s cool that they updated the construction and layup. But they should have updated the design.

K-Pop is dangerous to your health
K-Pop is dangerous to your health
5 years ago
Reply to  Josh

(deleted)

Eggs Benedict
Eggs Benedict
5 years ago

Sweet wheels! I’d love to have a set of these.

TimE
TimE
5 years ago

Nice but still the same dated aero profiles

Philip Pang
Philip Pang
5 years ago

The new Fernweg features Lightweight’s latest, updated wind-tunnel-tested rim profile with a more rounded rim profile and no longer keeps yester-year’s v-shaped rim profile. Should be interestingly quick on flats though the sub-1700g the 63mm “base” pair don’t seem so “Lightweight” anymore. However, speed needs adequate rotational mass weight with just finely-tuned and correct lay-ups during manufacture for momentum and inertia, so it would be anaemic if we ventured to judge the new Fernweg on weight alone.

The proof is in (test-)riding the new wheels for extended periods of time, for the fortunate few of us who can muster the courage to spend this tiny fortune.

I was waiting for the new Meilenstein to feature the same wind-tunnel-tested rim bed profile and now that the Evo Version has just debuted, am a little disappointed it seems to still feature the same v-shaped profile, but now “toughened” for gravel and CX use…. I rode my rim brake Meilensteins with relish the past 5 years but the wind would get to them undoubtedly – their Archilles heel.

The wait for wind-tunnel tested Meilensteins continues…. with abated breath. Did anyone catch a faintest glimpse of the cows?

Cheers and have a good ride, everyone.

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