What it takes to go this light

As a sprinter who consistently pops out 1800–2000 watts for fun, I usually gravitate toward durable, ultra-stable wheels—not featherweight climber sets. So when I first got the new 36mm disc wheels at just 1100 grams, I was sure they’d feel flimsy and unsettled under real power. I couldn’t have been more wrong

Cutting grams is easy. Cutting grams without cutting corners is the work. Here’s what’s actually involved.

• Targets first

We set goals for stiffness, impact resistance, fatigue life, and serviceability — then we chase weight after those boxes are checked.

• Rim architecture

The rim’s strength comes from shape, not just material. Spoke bed structure, bead walls, and local reinforcement are designed to handle tension and real-world hits.

• Layup strategy

Every carbon ply has a job. We use fiber orientation and placement to put material where loads live — and remove it where it doesn’t. Aerospace grade carbon fiber is used in strategic areas to increase strength and impact resistance while allowing the weights to be minimized.

• Dimensional control + QC

We inspect bead seat, ERD, and critical interfaces so every build starts true and stays that way.

• Spoke and tension plan

Ultra-light wheels require disciplined tension strategy. We choose spokes for long-term stability — not just the lightest spec sheet. We choose nipples that help keep your wheels running true, yet allow for easy adjustment if you ever need.

• Handbuilt, stress-relieved, re-tensioned

The build process matters as much as the parts. We use multiple tension cycles, stress relief, and final balance checks. Your wheels will remain running true.

• Validation

Impact testing, fatigue testing, tire pressure testing. . . over and over again. Plus real riding on rough pavement/real gravel — because spreadsheets don’t win races.

• Final inspection

Runout, dish, tension balance, hub function, and tubeless setup check — then it ships.