Thinking about Lightweight Meilenstein

[Lionel]

Here we go, now that I got the F8 I need wheels for the incoming Aerotack. My default choice is Bora ultra 50 because they are awesome. I have 6 campagnolo wheelsets right now (hyperon, Bora ultra 50, bora 35, bora 35 disc, Shamal tubular and Neutron ultra) so I wondered if I should try something else. I am tempted by the LW Meilenstein. I had LW G3 before and while I liked them quite a bit I preferred the Bora overall.

The G3 were a bit higher than the Meilenstein (53 vs 47) and my main issue with the LW was that the breaking was not great.

Who has ridden the G3 and Meilenstein and can give me some comparaison ?

[sk_tle]

All I know is by all accounts Lightweight wheels are pretty poor in term of aero and stiff stiff stiff stiff. Despite their profile they are more climbing wheels than aero wheels and you either love them or hate them (because of that stiffness). Talk to an owner of a lightweight wheelset, he will tell you they are great. Talk to a former owner of them and he'll say they were too stiff and he sold them because of that.

Given your experience with the F10 that you found less compliant than the F8 I'm not sure these are the kind of wheels you are looking for. I'd stick with the Bora or go with the newer Mavic Cosmic Ultimate. A friend of mine got the Mavic to test recently and he was impressed.



Best way would be to go to the nearest LBS that carry them test ride all three to make up your mind.

[Paul]

don’t get the Lightweights! Boras are better in every way, including price!

[Lionel]

As I said above I had LW wheels standard G3 and liked them except the braking and to some extent the fact that they catch side winds. I am looking for people who rode both the G3 and the new ones for some color on the differences.

[Lionel]

don’t get the Lightweights!

Which one are yours ? Do you still hav them ?

[Paul]

Which one are yours ? Do you still hav them ?

Mine are generation 3’s, I think, or is it g4?
Anyway, they’re the last iteration before they renamed them Meilenstein, but they’re all more or less the same performance wise.

I still have them and they’re fine but everything is so much better with the Boras or Hyperons - the most important thing being that the bike handles better!

[Lionel]

Yeah when i had mine I felt the same way you do. I just wonder if there is a difference.

[happycampyer]

I think the Achilles heel of Lightweights are the spokes. Even the Ventoux catch sidewinds like a deeper profile wheel. On a calm day they’re great, and nothing really rides quite like them when conditions are optimal. Note: my experience is with Gen 3s, but the spokes are the same.

My favorite wheels are still the Bora 35s and the Hyperons. The braking is better on the Campy wheels than on the Gen 3 LWs, but that is likely an area that Lightweight improved (each previous generally has gotten better than the one before in this regard). You know that you want them, though, because nothing looks as good as Lightweights...

[Paul]

Yeah when i had mine I felt the same way you do. I just wonder if there is a difference.

I doubt it, they’re all the same basic shape and construction.

Do you have the wider Bora 50’s or the ultra 2?

[RichTheRoadie]

The shape and design didn’t change, so they're essentially the same wheels with different graphics. Even the new ‘24E’ are the same shape just with a wider rim bed.

Looks-wise, there a few wheels on the market that hit the mark quite so well; but, as was mentioned above, I sold mine because they were too stiff - by which I mean they create a harsh ride (let’s face it, lateral stiffness is never a bad thing).

I want a set of the new Wegweiser disc wheels because they look so damn good, but they’d be going on my Domane so the frame would offset the harshness.

[Lionel]

I doubt it, they’re all the same basic shape and construction.

Do you have the wider Bora 50’s or the ultra 2?

I have the older narrower Bora ultra 2.

[Paul]

I have the older narrower Bora ultra 2.

Voila, decision made - Bora Ultra 50!!!

[Lionel]

Voila, decision made - Bora Ultra 50!!!

This is the obvious choice for me as I like these wheels so much. Somehow I have the Meilenstein hitch right now. I basically never ride my alum wheels any more.

[Lionel]

You know that you want them, though, because nothing looks as good as Lightweights...

Well, there is that.

[sk_tle]

I'd say spec wise the Melenstein is closer to a bora ultra 35 wheelset than the 50.

[dgaddis]

Just buy the effin' things, that's what you're going to do anyways.

[joosttx]

Lionel don’t do it. They are not as good as boras .

[Lionel]

Lionel don’t do it. They are not as good as boras .

Not as good all around for sure. If my memory serves me correctly they were really good at climbing and accelerating. If the braking has improved it would be good.

Still waiting to hear from someone that is actually riding them rather than speculating !

[Toddykins]

I can’t compare Gen 3 to Meilensteins - but I can compare Meilensteins to recent generation enves, zipps and Mavics. Unless something has changed from my first gen Meilensteins the braking is not as good as recent generations from the aforementioned wheels. I remember being impressed relative to my first gen edge (enve) braking when I got them, but that gave way to being disappointed relative to more modern brake tracks.

As per everyone else, they sure look neat - but I am happy to have sold mine for a reasonable price given poor performance in crosswinds, ‘harshness’, narrow width, etc. Among my least favorite of wheels I have used.

[Lionel]

My preferred combo for my LW was on the Spectrum, they went together really well.