Lightweight Meilenstein Obermayer £4,969 These wheels are incredibly light, incredibly stiff and incredibly expensive. The clue is in the name: at just 935g per set (tubular) these are the ultimate in light weight. In fact, the legendary German brand, whose wheels were the secret weapons of both Jan Ullrich and Lance Armstrong and many pros since, says this is the lightest and most rigid wheel on the planet. Lightweight’s wheels are not built in founder Heinz Obermayer’s tractor garage in Munich any more, but they are still handmade in Germany, and the ones that bear Obermayer’s name are the most exclusive models in the range. The Obermayers weigh a full 170g less than the ‘normal’ tubular Meilensteins, which are still ridiculously light at 1,105g. The Meilensteins have been in
an awesome level of stiffness at such a Lightweight’s product line-up for a while low weight. but the front hub was recently redesigned, As a wheelset for hill-climbs the losing 25g and doubling its rigidity value Lightweights would have to get full according to Lightweight. marks. Yes, the price is Surprisingly, for such light Weight astronomical but they’re the wheels they’re also very strong best there is. Judged against with a maximum system weight — other wheels for all-round use they rider and bike — of 90kg. wouldn’t score so highly: the rim What makes the Meilensteins so is 47.5mm deep but its stiff is that the flat spokes are V-shaped profile is not as bonded directly into the rim and BEST ON aerodynamically advanced as hub to line up directly with the TEST that of other wheels that are angle of the V-shaped rim wall, so designed to reduce wind drag at a that when you’re putting out a lot of range of yaw angles. However, since this watts you don’t feel any flex at all. test is all about climbing, they get a Our tester used these Meilensteins to perfect 10. build an ultimate hill-climb bike at the end Rim width: 20mm of last year and reported that in terms of Spokes: 16 front/20 rear lightness and stiffness nothing comes close www.vielosports.co.uk to them. They do an incredible job retaining
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Cycling Weekly | July 19, 2018 | 57