Lightweight Meilenstein Clincher Review

Posted in: Blog, Cycling | Mar 27, 2016 at 11:40 AM

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INTRODUCTION

I have always been curious about the Lightweight Meilenstein (LWM) wheels. People who have ridden it swear by it that it’s the best wheelset you can ever get on the market. The only problem is, a new set will set you back for AUD$6000! Due to this I have always put that curiosity to bed. Until one day I browsed through Gumtree and I stumbled upon an ad for LWM 2012/2013 model that sells for AUD$2000 – which was also owned by a female racer and has only been used for racing only. Apparently, it has also never seen rain. So my curiosity suddenly sprang out again! I quickly gave her a call and long story short I ended up purchasing it.

In this article I would like to share with you my initial and short term review of the wheel. So far I’ve used it for commuting as well as doing a short hill ride. Strava ride is as follows for the hill ride:

https://www.strava.com/activities/527743292/overview

Wheel spec is 16 spokes front and 20 spokes rear. Hub is DT Swiss that has been upgraded from 10 speed to 11 speed.

INITIAL REVIEW

When I first installed it on my bike, my bike weight dropped from 8.4kg to 7.5kg! Yap…it’s that much! Previously I was using my trusted Ursus Miura C38 which has taken me to finishing Peaks Challenge Cradle Mountain and Peaks Challenge Falls Creek. I just couldn’t believe how light it was! The rim was also a lot shallower than the Miura so I needed to adjust my brakes.

Installing tires were also easy-peasy on the LWM. I’m currently running Schwalbe One 23mm 700×23 clincher.

So here I was commuting to work on LWM for the first time. Man……oh I wish I could tell you how I felt….the wheel – due to its weight – was just flying when you sprint it! Then on the flat – due to its depth – it just holds speed really-really well. I can easily ride at 20watts more on this wheel. I normally commute at ~140w but now I up it to ~160w and still feel as fresh. Holding speed is no problem with the LWM.

With its depth I would be worried about being pushed by crosswind. But in reality, this is not the case! Compared to my Ursus Miura C38 (38mm depth), the LWM was probably only about 5%-max less stable. There were no surprises whatsoever whenever the crosswind blows. And here in Perth, crosswind gust speed is about 25-40km/h daily.

LWM is definitely stiff. You can feel it especially when you ride standing trying to attack a hill or undulation. There is no wobble whatsoever. My brake pads are very close to the wheel and there is no rubbing whatsoever. Near my house there is this 8-12% 600m stretch which I have to go through every time I commute back from work in the evening. Sometimes I would spin but often I would be standing on using 34-28. Power will be about 220-240w. I can tell you that on LWM it feels about 10-20% easier. Am I faster? Absolutely not. But am I able to push bigger gear? Absolutely!

People often think that riding a lighter wheel or more expensive wheel will make you faster. That’s not the case obviously. It all comes down to the amount of power your legs can generate. What makes the difference in my opinion though is on endurance and how your legs can spin better especially on wheels like LWM. Therefore, for a long ride like Peaks Challenge (235km with 4000+m climbing), I can see the benefit of riding this kind of wheel. My Miura definitely felt a lot heavier so on a steeper climb 10-14%, you can definitely feel the weight.

With braking I can’t really say because during commuting I rarely brake; and my speed is not that fast either. So far it has always been sunny, too so braking is still performing well. I’m using a Lifeline Blue pads. Oh, one thing about the LWM braking compared to Miura, it is a lot noisier with LWM. Miura was definitely a lot quieter; and I’m using exactly the same pads.

Compared to my Miura, for commuting, ,LWM is definitely at a different class.

SHORT HILL RIDE REVIEW

I also had a chance to take the LWM to short hill ride around Gooseberry Hill and Kalamunda. The weather was also drizzling so it’s a good way to test the braking. Also, I would be going through a steep descend to I can also test it for crosswind.

Long story short, it spins well (as per my initial commuting review). And stiffness is also amplified especially during the very steep section of the hill. Gooseberry Hill Rd is 10-16% gradient and can stretch to as far as 2.8km. But for today the total length probably about 2km as we started from Watson Rd. Still, we rode the 10-16% gradient.

I for one broke a lot of PR for today. Thanks to the lower body weight (I’ve lost about 7kg compared to last time I rode Gooseberry) as well as the LWM! Sitting or standing, stiffness is just top notch. It felt easier climbing Gooseberry compared to my Miura. Like I mentioned before, with LWM, as it’s a lot lighter than my Miura, it allows me to generate more power. It simply spins better.

Talking about braking, it’s as good in the drizzle as it is in the dry. I still want to test it when rain is pouring down and see how bad the braking can be. As with any carbon wheel, when it’s soaking wet, braking can never be as good as alloy. My Miura for one, the braking is still very good in the wet. It’s good enough for me anyway. So next time it’s soaking wet, I’ll go out and ride the LWM to give you proper braking review.

Finally, on descending, the LWM just simply flew! It’s NOT affected by crosswind whatsoever. If anything, it’s as good as my Miura – and I know my Miura is not affected at all by crosswind during descending. In fact, if you look in Strava, for that Welshpool Rd East descend (about 6-10% gradient), I was faster on LWM compared to Miura.

SUMMARY

In summary, I would totally agree that LWM is by far the best clincher I’ve ever ridden in my entire cycling life! I’ve tried Dura-Ace C24, Enve 3.4 SES, Zipp 303 Firecrest, Zipp 404 Firecrest and many others; and definitely nothing beats the LWM.

You may argue that the Dura-Ace C24 would be as stiff going up-hill. It’s true. But it won’t be as good during flat especially for holding speed.

I mean, even the C24 is not as light as the LWM. This wheel is just at a totally different level.

If I can give you advice, save for Lightweight. Rather than spending money on Zipp or Enve I would go with Lightweight at anytime.

Have a great day,

Tommy

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