Lightweight debuts Pfadfinder Evo gravel wheelset
Carbon, disc brake wheelset can accommodate tyres up to 40mm
Lightweight has today announced an all-new gravel wheelset. The Pfadfinder Evo gravel wheelset, which is fully carbon, disc brake only, 36mm deep and features an internal width of 24mm.
Constructed from special high-modulus CFRP fibres, the brand claims that the carbon layup has been optimised for increased robustness. It is also tubeless-ready and has low sensitivity to crosswinds.
Since the gravel market is trending toward wider and wider tyres, the Pfadfinder Evo wheelset can accommodate 700c tyres up to 40mm in width. Both the front and rear wheels use 20 spokes apiece, and they are compatible with SRAM, Shimano, and Campagnolo groupsets.
Manufactured by hand in Germany, this wheelset is loosely based on the brand's Wegweiser Evo road wheelset but optimised for gravel, and Lightweight is marketing it as an all-around gravel wheelset.
The wheels are also available in the Schwarz ED version, which features black spokes, rim and logos, as well as CeramicSpeed bearings.
Despite the weight of wheels being a less important consideration among the best gravel wheels, with a name like Lightweight, the number on the scale is always going to be a topic of conversation, and the Pfadfinder Evo doesn't fail to live up to its brandname. Configured for SRAM 12-speed, the wheelset weighs 1430g. Made up of 670g front and 760g at the rear.
They are available from Lightweight.info, as well as at selected retailers. Lightweight is yet to publish pricing, so in keeping with the Lightweight reputation, don't expect them to be cheap.
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Ryan Simonovich has been riding and racing for nearly a decade. He got his start as a cross-country mountain bike racer in California and quickly learned how fun road cycling can be. He has dabbled in road, criterium and cyclocross racing as well. He lives in Durango, Colorado, where there are endless mountain views and hilly gravel routes.