Lightweight, the German carbon fibre specialists most well known for its high-end wheels, is generally considered to sell the most expensive road wheels in all of cycling. Well, it just released a new wheelset that takes that to a whole new level.
The new Lightweight Obermayer Evo Signature Gold Edition wheelset is adorned with 23-carat gold leaf, uses graphics by design house Rie Sel design, and will set you back, wait for it, £7,700 / $9,850 We can't think of many wheelsets, if any, that cost more than this. We recently reviewed the £5,499 Partington R Series wheels but Lightweight products tend to sit out front in a price bracket of their own.
The wheelset is said to be a tribute to Leightweights founder Heinz Obermayer and Lightweight says the gold leaf is a nod to the upcoming Paris Olympics later this year, as well as the current reigning Olympic road race champion Richard Carapaz's victory on Lightweight wheels at the Tokyo Olympics back in 2020.
The Obermayer Evo wheelset features CeramicSpeed bearings and is limited to 99 pairs worldwide. Lightweight says 33 pairs will go to Europe, 33 to Asia and the Pacific and 33 sets will be earmarked for the Americas, so you better move swiftly if you want to treat yourself this year.
The Obermayer wheel, named after the brand's founder has been a constant in the Lightweight range for many years in various forms. Lightweight wheels have often been seen in the pro peloton over the years, appearing in high mountain stages, World Championships and Olympic road races.
It was rumoured Lance Armstrong paid for his own Lightweight wheels during the mid-2000s, and Team Ineos used them at the Tour de France in 2019 and for many other races.
The Obermayer Evo wheels weigh a claimed 1,230 grams per pair. The wheels are handmade in Germany and use Lightweights all carbon construction with a foam rim core and twenty spokes front and rear.
