Lightweight Rear Tubular Disc DT
This is not just a lightweight disc wheel – this is the Lightweight disc wheel. At 820g for the rear road version, there isn’t another disc near it for weight, and that individual quality transcends to its instantly identifiable (and slightly hypnotic) looks.
Apart from being round, a rear wheel has two further properties: it must transfer rotational forces from the hub to the rim, and lateral forces from the rim to the hub. In a normal wheel the spokes do that, but most carbon wheels are made from carbon-fibre mats, where few fibres are oriented in the direction of these forces. In turn, a lot of material is used to compensate, resulting in a heavy wheel. Lightweight use their carbon fibres like spokes and only run them tangentially from the hub to the rim, so they use less material. The result here is an ultra light, very strong disc that mimics a spoked wheel.
We used the wheel with a Campagnolo Chorus 10 drivetrain and found it ran smoothly and slippery – fast through the air, with the low weight meaning that faster acceleration and quicker climbing are thrown into the deal as well. Road shock was absorbed well, indicating the disc would be suitable for long as well as short events.
Handmade in Germany, the finish and workmanship are also superb. If you have the cash, these are world-class.
Contact : Wiggle www.wiggle.co.uk
Matt Baird
Editor of Cycling Plus magazine 
