The Uber Lords of carbon fiber at Lightweight have launched their latest set of wheels dubbed the Meilenstein ART, featuring the German brand’s newly patented Alpha Rib Technology (aka ART) construction and Penta-Fly alloy hubs that tip the scales at a feathery 1190 grams.
According to Lightweight, instead of a traditional hollow structure, the ART rim is constructed in sections that feature a series of integrated ribs that dramatically increases the lateral stiffness by reinforcing the cross-section against side loads. Moreover, the spokes are bonded directly to the ribs, thus eliminating any directional changes in the spoke fibers and maximizing tensile strength to reduce material fatigue.
To accomplish this, Lightweight says each wheelset uses more than 70 individual carbon fiber pieces, amounting to more than 500 meters of material.
Not surprisingly, the Meilenstein ART has also been treated to a wider 23mm hookless rim, which is optimized for 28mm tires, but can accommodate much larger rubber.
Aerodynamics also played an important role when developing the Meilenstein ART, involving extensive CFD profiling and wind tunnel testing over a four period, resulting in a claimed 20% more efficiency than the previous wheelset, as well as surpassing the aerodynamic properties of the Partington MkII R39, Mavic Cosmic Ultimate,Reserve 52, DT Swiss’ ARC 1100, DB50 and CRC 1400 Spline 45, Zipp’s 454 NSW and 303 Firecrest and Cadex Max 40 wheelsets.
“The goal was clear: maximize aerodynamics, minimize weight, and deliver the stiffness needed for precise control. Achieving it meant rethinking the rules. Cyclists once had to choose between aero efficiency and ultralight design. As performance demands, these elements must work together. While stiffness-to-weight remains the benchmark for lightweight components, and aerodynamic drag is measured in watts, there has been no unified metric for evaluating both. So we created one.The Aero-Mass Index (Watt × kg) measures the relationship between weight and aerodynamic resistance. Calculated using air resistance at 45 km/h and the component’s weight, it gives equal weight to both values, and ultimately, delivers a clear, comparable benchmark for high-performance design. A lower index means a more balanced, high-performance design,” boasts Lightweight.
The Meilenstein ART is offered to two versions, the “Standard” with white-silver logos and stainless-steel bearings and the “Schwarz ED” with stealth black decals and CeramicSpeed bearings, while both wheelsets come shipped with tubeless valves, tire levers and lock-rings for a staggering 6550€ and 6990€, respectively.
Specs:
- 45mm deep x max 28.6mm wide aero carbon rim
- 22.9mm internal width, for 28mm and larger tires
- 20 continuous full carbon spokes tied & bonded to machined alloy hub shells front & rear
- proprietary Penta-Fly alloy hubs with DT Swiss 180 Ratchet EXP freehub internals
- centerlock disc brake only for 12mm thru-axles with tool-free end caps
- Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo freehubs available
- 120kg (265lb) max rider+bike system weight
- 5-year warranty, plus free minor repairs for life
- each is protected by molded-in, individually-numbered microchip
