Lightweight’s new Meilenstein ART wheels showcase a new aerodynamic profile, new aluminium hubs and a whole new construction method.
After four years of development, can the new Meilenstein ART wheels return Lightweight to its once-held status as a premium builder of cutting-edge, desirable road wheels?
The original Lightweight wheels will bring back fond memories for riders of my age. Back in the late nineties and early noughties, these handmade carbon wheels were mythical in their performance.
They were the brainchild of Lightweight founders Heinz Obermayer and Rudolf Dieri, with a weight well under 1,500g when the competition generally weighed more than 2kg a pair. These were the wheels the pros craved and were prepared to pay to ride.
The new wheelset has a claimed weight of 1,109g, with an eyebrow-raising price of €6,550 for the standard wheels and €6,990 for the Schwarz ED edition.
Tour-winning wheels
When Jan Ulrich won the 1997 tour, he did so rolling on Lightweight wheels, albeit with stickers of his sponsor covering the German brand's logo.
In the epic battle between Lance Armstrong and Ulrich in 2001, the unifying factor between the two was that both, despite who they were sponsored by, chose (and, rumour has it, bought themselves) Lightweight wheels for the tough climbing stages.
Even in the dying days of rim brakes for pro racing, back in 2019, the likes of Ineos still turned to Lightweight when they were looking for a competitive edge in the mountains. The previous generation of Lightweight wheels, with Tune hubs, was claimed to weigh less than 900g a pair.
In recent times, however, the once cutting-edge Lightweight range had started to look a little dated. With the advent of larger tyres and ever wider rims, Lightweight’s slender proportions have looked somewhat dated.
The ART of the new
The new Meilenstein ART wheels come not only with an updated profile, they also have an entirely new patented construction and new aluminium hubs.
The Penta Fly hub system takes the signature Lightweight bladed carbon spokes and bonds them to a precision-machined oversized hub flange.
Lightweight claims this design boosts both the lateral and torsional stiffness of the wheel, meaning this 1,109g wheelset isn't only for bantamweight climbers. With a generous weight limit of 120kg, the new wheels should be suitable for heavyweight sprinters, too.
The hub shape was developed and tested in the wind tunnel and features a reduced central diameter to reduce drag.
Rim and spoke integration
The new DRS (Drag Reduction System) rim and spoke design eliminates spoke nipples and any deviation in the spoke shape because it is bonded and anchored inside the rim.
The rim construction, called ART or Alpha Rib Technology, is completely different from any rim we’ve seen. Instead of a traditional hollow structure, the ART rim is sectional with a series of integrated ribs.
Lightweight says this rib structure dramatically increases the lateral stiffness by reinforcing the cross-section against side loads. It claims this improves handling for the front wheel and power transfer at the rear.
With the spokes anchoring on the tyre bed and bonded directly to the ribs, it’s also claimed that by eliminating any directional changes in the spoke fibres, it maximises the tensile strength and reduces material fatigue, making for a stronger, longer-lasting wheelset.
Lightweight tells us each wheelset uses more than 70 individual carbon fibre pieces, amounting to more than 500 metres of material.
Aero-mass tested
Rather than just provide drag figures, Lightweight has used an aero-mass index. This is a metric where the drag at 45kph is multiplied by the system weight. This index, Lightweight claims, gives a better indication of real-world performance.
The Meilenstein ART in this test was proven to be 20% more efficient than the previous wheelset. It also beat out the Partington MkII R39; Mavic Cosmic Ultimate; Reserve 52; DT Swiss ARC 1100; DB50 and CRC 1400 Spline 45; Zipp 454 NSW and 303 Firecrest; Newmen Advanced SL R.50 and Cadex Max 40.
Pricing and range details
The Meilenstein ARTs come in two versions: the ‘Standard’ wheel with white-silver logos and stainless-steel bearings, and a Schwarz ED version with stealth black decals and CeramicSpeed bearings.
Both wheelsets are shipped with tubeless valves, tyre levers and lockrings.
They have a 120kg maximum system weight and a five-year warranty.
Spec details
- Wheelset weight: 1,190g (+/- 3%) - 550g front, 640g rear
- Rim depth: 45mm
- Internal rim width: 22.9mm
- External rim width: 28.6mm
- Rim design: 700c, hooked, closed rim bed
- Optimised tyre size: 28mm+
- Tyre type: tubeless-ready
- Spokes: 20 full-carbon front/rear
- Hub: Penta Fly | DT Swiss EXP 180
- Freehub systems: Shimano | SRAM | Campagnolo
- Brake system: Disc, Center Lock
- Spacing: 12x100 | 12x142
