I've got some bad news for you.
Si's away.
But on the up side, we have still got
an incredible unboxing for you.
If ever there was a brand that reduces die-hard cyclists
to a slobbering mess at the mere mention
of their name, it is Lightweight.
These German engineering experts were carbon pioneers,
and now 20 years later, they still lead the way
in all things well, Lightweight.
Now, you can probably guess what is inside this box
and incredibly, they are up for grabs.
You have the chance to win this box and its contents
and I'll let you know how to enter a little bit later on.
But firstly, let's take a look inside.
(cardboard cutting and scraping)
Lightweight accessories.
And in here, Lightweight Meilensteins.
They are so distinctive, you can tell
these puppies a mile off with these broad carbon spokes
that are bonded both to the hub and the rim.
What else is inside?
Well, we have a heavy-duty wheel bag
for your Lightweight wheels.
And then, this is the rear wheel.
Now, you might think that given this famous silhouette
that these wheels have not moved on with the times.
But you would be wrong, because Lightweight say
that many, many things evolved
in these wheels over the years.
They've got a different foam core,
different carbon fibres, and different spoke composition.
And in 2016, they underwent a cosmetic facelift
that actually requires an extra hour
of skilled labour to achieve.
But do they live up to their name?
It's time to get onto the scales.
It is the moment of truth.
Zero the scales, start with the front.
484 grammes.
And then straight onto the rear wheel.
642 grammes.
That really is quite incredible.
It means that you pair of these carbon clinchers
tips the scales at just 1126 grammes.
Interlude.
Also included in the contents of the box
is this nice little bag.
Inside the bag, the all-important instructions
for care of your wheels, some special SwissStop brake pads.
Also, all-important quick releasers,
Lightweight, as you might expect.
Lovely little package here.
We have got valve extenders, special tyre levers,
and a pump adapter as well as grease for your free wheel.
And finally, some special cleaner
for your carbon braking surface.
There is no doubt then, that these wheels
do indeed live up to their name.
But believe it or not, these are not even
at the lightest in their range.
Oh no, these are apparently all-rounder wheels.
So we have 20 spokes here at the rear, 16 spokes here
at the front, a rim depth of 47.5 millimetres,
and apparently, the best
stiffness-to-weight ratio out there.
How have they achieved all this?
It's quite a closely guarded secret.
So perhaps then, we should take a closer look
at the company itself.
Lightweight, which at the time consists
of Heinz Obermayer and Rudolf Dierl
started making disc wheels in 1990.
And in 1996, they started making their
first spoked carbon wheels.
Accordingly then, they were some of the first
deep section carbon wheels to be used in the Pro Peloton,
and a certain Johan Museeuw bought a pair of these.
That's right, he bought a pair of these
and used them to win the World Championship
in Lugano in that same year of '96.
Also in that year, Bjarne Riis used these
to propel himself to Tour de France glory,
as did his teammate, Jan Ullrich in 1997.
And also, Lance Armstrong was known
to use these through his time.
In 2003, Lightweight was acquired by Carbon Sport,
which is part of a larger group of carbon fibre specialists,
which includes those from the medical
and aerospace industries.
This interstellar link means that Lightweight
have access to materials ordinarily
only used in the aerospace industry.
In fact, across those companies
they will be working with over 50 different types
of carbon fibre.
The exact recipe of the carbon fibre
within these wheels is a secret known
only to a handful of people.
A little bit like a very, very high-end Coca Cola.
Less tasty perhaps, but way better to ride.
Why then, why are these wheels so nice to ride?
Well, Lightweight claims it's down to that combination
of super light weight, as well as super high stiffness.
Much of which, is down to their super secret
carbon construction techniques, which we just talked about.
Actually, do you know what?
If you come in a bit closer, I'll let you know.
I have absolutely no idea.
No matter how much I demanded, they wouldn't
let me into their secret.
All they did say is that the V shaped profile here
is an intrinsic part of it, that the
incredibly efficient power transfer
is down to the straight angle between the hub
and the rim of the spoke.
Over here, the internals of this part are DT Swiss.
In other words, durability and dependability.
And in a nice little move, they actually have
a magnet hidden inside there.
Great for those of you who prefer the extra accuracy
of a speed sensor vs. a GPS unit.
Now, Lightweight have also spent a lot
of time developing their braking surfaces.
So, in 2012 we had Generation 4,
in 2014 added an extra carbon layer to give eight in total,
and they've since been working
on a special carbon fibre matrix,
which has increased the heat acceptance
of the rim braking surface by a full 100%.
Now, each set of Lightweight wheels takes 20 hours
of skilled craftsmanship, which takes place
in southern Germany, and I'm now going
to tell you how you might get your hands on these wheels.
To enter the competition, you will find a link
in the description below this video.
Click on it, and you'll be on the competition's site,
and all that leaves me to do is wish you the best of luck,
because I know all of you would love
to get your hands on a set of these.
We will be announcing the lucky winner of these wheels
in a future GCN show, so stay tuned for that.
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be interested in now, is our Lightweight Tech feature
which came from this year's Tour de France.
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on the bottom right corner.