Lightweight wheels for not so lightweigt

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Zen Cyclery
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by Zen Cyclery

HammerTime2 wrote:Why should a light rider not be able to buy a product designed for his/her weight, as opposed to for the heaviest imaginable possible rider? Even products without a stated weight limit have an implicit (unstated) actual limit, even if very high.


Oh for light riders, the LWs are fine. However, when charging such a horrendous premium for a wheelset, I don't think having such a discriminatory weight limit is acceptable. Yeah, for 95% of riders, these wheels would do just fine. But I don't think it is fair to simply disregard riders who are a bit heavier than most WW's consider acceptable. Just because I'm a fat ass, doesn't mean I should have less options.

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fa63
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by fa63

I don't think you can blame CarbonSports for having designed such a light wheel that is suitable for use by a vast majority of cyclists, not to mention probably 99%+ of its intended clientele (I think it is fair to say there's a good chance you're somewhat serious about cycling and are in some what decent shape if you're considering their wheels).

With that said, at 90kg I wouldn't worry about them at all.
Last edited by fa63 on Tue Oct 02, 2012 3:19 am, edited 1 time in total.

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sedluk
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by sedluk

I would recommend the 20 spoke front and the 24 spoke rear for you. They make them in different spokes for different folks.

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tommasini
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by tommasini

Zen Cyclery wrote: .....Oh for light riders, the LWs are fine. However, when charging such a horrendous premium for a wheelset, I don't think having such a discriminatory weight limit is acceptable. Yeah, for 95% of riders, these wheels would do just fine. But I don't think it is fair to simply disregard riders who are a bit heavier than most WW's consider acceptable. Just because I'm a fat ass, doesn't mean I should have less options.


Lightweights and others in that league are premium racing/performance wheelsets. As such they can charge a premium for what they have to offer the INTENDED customer - racing/performance cyclists. HEAVY or OUT OF SHAPE riders who want to buy them to think they've signicantly helped their total weight equation or just to "look cool" need to first ride themselves into shape (i.e get out and REALLY ride).

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CarbonSportsGmbH
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by CarbonSportsGmbH

reggiebaseball wrote:[...]LW do not come with weight limits, they come with incredibly conservative, suggested rider weights for optimal performance.[...]

=> don't want to argue with you, but that's definitely wrong. We define a specific weight limit for every model. Sometimes a hobby pilot may bring much higher loads on a wheel than a powerful pro!
(And yes, I CAN say that, cause i've ridden many sets of different Lightweights during the last few years :wink: )


Zen Cyclery wrote:[...]a wheelset in this price range shouldn't have a weight limit.[...]

So you think "toughness" (is that the correct word? I think you know what I mean) follows price? Wrong thinking. Price comes from used materials, handwork, engineering, molding etc... Even if we produce wheels not only for pro riders and races, you have to respect that material built up to the technical limit has it's restrictions. Not only our wheels - every stuff you can buy. Of course we could build wheels that suit even heavier riders...but where to draw the line? At 150kg? 200?
And what do you think will all the lighter riders tell us, if the wheels then become 100g or 200g heavier? No...that would be the wrong way...
There are companies that offer special "heavy duty" stuff to the heavier customers. That's not discrimination, that is only to respect the special requirements for a different environment.
Now you may ask "and why don't you do so?" => simple answer: it'd be too expensive. What do you think a 130kg guy would buy? The wheelset with 1100g, made for 120kg max or the wheelset with 1250g, made for 150kg max? :wink: Right...
So we'd sell only a few sets of these heavy duty wheels... even if they had the same price.
Andreas Schiwy, CarbonSports GmbH
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by LionelB

This makes sense to me.

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by LionelB

BTW, I wonder why the ventoux has a higher weight limit than the standard. I am using the old names because I cannot remember the new ones :D

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CarbonSportsGmbH
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by CarbonSportsGmbH

LionelB wrote:BTW, I wonder why the ventoux has a higher weight limit than the standard. I am using the old names because I cannot remember the new ones :D

The weight limit for Gipfelsturm is in between the weight limits for Meilenstein T:
  • Meilenstein (T) 16/20: 100kg
  • Gipfelsturm: 110kg
  • Meilenstein (T) 20/20: 120kg
Andreas Schiwy, CarbonSports GmbH
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by LionelB

Thanks. Is the meilensten 20/20 using a different rim or the weight limit difference is just coming from the fact that the front wheel has 4 more spokes (but the rear does not change).

CarbonSportsGmbH wrote:
LionelB wrote:BTW, I wonder why the ventoux has a higher weight limit than the standard. I am using the old names because I cannot remember the new ones :D

The weight limit for Gipfelsturm is in between the weight limits for Meilenstein T:
  • Meilenstein (T) 16/20: 100kg
  • Gipfelsturm: 110kg
  • Meilenstein (T) 20/20: 120kg

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by bricky21

So just to be clear. The guy who is 115kg(all muscle :mrgreen: ) butt naked at 6.00 a.m. will be over the weight limit after he eats, puts all his riding gear on, and jumps onto his 6-7 kg bike loaded down with 2 waterbottles, and a seatbag, and so is not advised to seek higher performace threw super light racing wheels.

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by LionelB

bricky21 wrote:So just to be clear. The guy who is 115kg(all muscle :mrgreen: ) butt naked at 6.00 a.m. will be over the weight limit after he eats, puts all his riding gear on, and jumps onto his 6-7 kg bike loaded down with 2 waterbottles, and a seatbag, and so is not advised to seek higher performace threw super light racing wheels.

you got it :D

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CarbonSportsGmbH
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by CarbonSportsGmbH

LionelB wrote:[...]the front wheel has 4 more spokes (but the rear does not change).

correct.
Andreas Schiwy, CarbonSports GmbH
http://www.lightweight.info
support[at]lightweight.info

LionelB
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by LionelB

CarbonSportsGmbH wrote:
LionelB wrote:[...]the front wheel has 4 more spokes (but the rear does not change).

correct.

I understand that but was not sure how 4 spokes only in the front makes the max weight limit change by 10kg with no change to the rear wheel and no change to the rims ?

sungod
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by sungod

the system weight limit, front+rear, is determined by the wheel with the lower limit

if the rear wheel had a limit of 200kg, and the front 100kg, the system limit would be 100kg

the extra 4 spokes raise the front limit, hence the higher system limit (maybe there are also changes to the rim)

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by elviento

Shouldn't be a matter of discrimination but more a matter of balancing between different features and characteristics of a product as well as commercial practicality.

Not making size 68 frames isn't discrimination against 7 footers either.
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