Lightweight Pfadfinder EVO Disc Gravel Tubeless Wheelset

The Lightweight Pfadfinder EVO Disc Gravel Tubeless Wheelset is built in Friedrichshafen, Germany, by carbovation gmbh — the company behind the Lightweight name for decades. Every wheel leaves the workshop having passed through the hands of engineers who build them one set at a time. At $5,000, the Pfadfinder EVO is not a wheel for the hesitant buyer, but it answers a specific and legitimate question: what does the best possible gravel wheelset actually feel like? The answer is 1,430 grams, 36mm of rim depth, and a spoke architecture that has no parallel in the industry.

R2R Design: Rim-to-Rim Carbon Spokes

The defining technology of the Pfadfinder EVO is Lightweight's R2R design — Rim-to-Rim — a proprietary carbon spoke system in which each spoke runs as a single, uninterrupted fiber from rim to rim, passing through the Pentagon SL hub without bends, breaks, or mechanical connectors of any kind. Traditional wheel builds rely on metal spokes that terminate at threaded nipples — components that introduce weight, allow flex under load, and require periodic re-tensioning as they work loose. The R2R design eliminates all of it. Fibers remain under continuous, uniform tension, permanently bonded to the hub with high-performance adhesive. There is no spoke tension to chase, no nipple to round off, no point in the system where energy is lost to mechanical play. The wheel that leaves the factory is the wheel you'll be riding in year five — its stiffness and precision haven't moved. The Pfadfinder EVO runs 20 full-carbon spokes front and rear, a count that keeps rotational weight low while maintaining the lateral stiffness gravel demands.

LCC Carbon and the Rim Profile

The rims are built with Lightweight Custom Composite — LCC — a proprietary layup developed in-house that targets the specific structural requirements of a gravel wheelset. Gravel demands lateral stiffness for cornering and acceleration across loose or rutted surfaces, combined with enough vertical compliance to manage sustained roughness at speed. The 36mm rim depth keeps aerodynamic drag low on unpredictable terrain without the crosswind sensitivity of a deeper profile. Internal rim width is 18.2mm; external is 24mm — dimensioned for tubeless tires in the 32mm to 40mm range that define modern gravel riding. The hooked rim bed and closed rim well make tubeless setup reliable, and the 700C format is compatible with standard 12x100 through-axle up front and 12x142 at the rear. Maximum system weight is 120kg.

Pentagon SL Hub and DT Swiss 240

Lightweight developed the Pentagon SL hub specifically for the R2R spoke architecture. Its five-sided cross-section distributes braking forces from the disc rotor across the carbon structure without stress concentration at the spoke-to-hub bond points — a geometry choice that matters most on long descents where braking is sustained and repetitive. The DT Swiss 240 freehub brings the ratchet engagement and bearing precision that riders expect from a gravel wheelset they're trusting far from a shop. The Pfadfinder EVO is available in two versions: the Standard, with Lightweight Silver decals and steel bearings; and the Schwarz ED, with Lightweight Black decals and CeramicSpeed bearings for those who want the absolute minimum rolling resistance the platform allows.

Compatibility and Craftsmanship

RA Cycles offers the Pfadfinder EVO with your choice of freehub body: Campagnolo, Campagnolo N3W, Shimano/SRAM HG11, or SRAM XDR — covering every serious drivetrain on the market. The 5-year warranty is longer than what most carbon wheel brands offer and reflects Lightweight's confidence in a construction method that relies on bonded composite rather than components that wear and loosen. Each wheelset is handcrafted in Friedrichshafen, where production volume is intentionally low enough that quality remains personal. These are not wheels that come off an automated production line. They are made the way high-end cycling products used to be made before scale became the priority. For the gravel rider who has decided that weight, precision, and long-term reliability are worth optimizing for — the Pfadfinder EVO is the wheel.