(‘TOUR’ is
Europe’s largest bicycling publication.)
Summary
‘TOUR’ magazine’s large comparison test
of high-end road wheels shows Lightweight Wheels at the top
of the heap. They are still unmatched in their combination
of low weight, excellent aerodynamics, and stiffness. Wherever
all of these three characteristics are called for, Lightweight
Wheels are the hands-down winner in our opinion.
Zipp wheels might be a tad lighter, for example, but our wheels are
44% stiffer. The only wheelset coming close in stiffness are the Mavic ‘Cosmic
Carbone’: They reach 77% of the Lightweights’ stiffness, but
at the same time they weigh a whopping 801 grams more!
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The test
TOUR magazine,
Europe’s largest cycling mag, has put our wheels through
the paces several times already. Their last large comparison
test of high-end wheels was in the June 2002 issue. For the
first time they tested not only stiffness and weight but also
aerodynamics, taking drag under cross winds into account as
well (see below).
Weight
The illustration shows the sensationally low weight of our
wheels. Also compare stiffness at the same time to fully appreciate
Lightweight’s extraordinary combination of properties.
(only the 20-spoke front and Shimano 9/10-speed rear wheels
were tested. The other wheels are shown for comparison.)
Acceleration
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| » 2002 Pro Worlds. |
The energy required to accelerate a wheel depends not only
on the weight of the wheel. In addition, the distribution
of the mass is important. The farther away from the center
of the wheel the mass is the harder it is to accelerate the
wheel. The picture below shows the excellent acceleration
of our wheels. We would like to add that an acceleration from
40 to 50 kph or from 20 to 35 kph, as seen in a breakaway
in a flat section or on a climb would be more a realistic
representation of real-life racing situations than the acceleration
from 0 to 30 kph shown here. Due to their superior aerodynamics,
Lightweight Wheels have an even greater advantage when compared
at higher speeds.
Stiffness
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| » Tour de France 2003. |
Wheel stiffness is the key to safe descents and turning,
and it is needed under hard acceleration. Soft wheels waste
energy and cornering precision. In addition, soft wheels deform
laterally when climbing out of the saddle, making the brake
pads drag on the rim. According to the experts at ‘TOUR’ magazine,
at least 40 N/mm are recommended. Designed to be the ultimate
competition wheels, Lightweight Wheels are among the stiffest
wheels ever built. Even our 12-spoke would have been among
the stiffest wheels in this group.
Luftwiderstand
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| » 2003 Tour de France. |
Lightweight Wheels offer unmatched
aerodynamics. Thus they are the obvious choice for flat, fast
courses. The measurements quoted from the test are given as
gravitational forces. The gravitational force must be overcome
to move the wheel forward at 45 kph. The number shown is the
average of several wind angles: The wheels were slanted away
from the wind in 5° increments to simulate cross winds.
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