Lightweight Obermayer EVO Disc Tubeless Black Edition Wheelset

The Lightweight Obermayer EVO Disc Tubeless Black Edition Wheelset is what $8,695 buys you in carbon wheels: 1,230 grams for the pair, 48mm of rim depth, and a construction method that no other manufacturer uses. Lightweight has been handcrafting carbon wheels in Friedrichshafen, Germany since the early 1990s — they were among the first to take carbon fiber seriously as a wheel material — and the Obermayer EVO represents the current expression of that three-decade development. The Black Edition adds CeramicSpeed bearings throughout and a full stealth finish, distinguishing it from the standard silver-decal build.

The engineering story of any Lightweight wheel is the R2R spoke architecture — Rim to Rim. Rather than using conventional metal spokes tensioned between a hub flange and a rim bed, each carbon spoke in the Obermayer EVO runs as a single continuous fiber from rim to rim, passing through the hub without bends, breaks, or mechanical connectors. The spokes are permanently bonded to the hubs using high-performance adhesive, maintaining consistent tension without the spoke nipples and threaded interfaces that can introduce flex or require re-tensioning over time. Twenty full-carbon spokes front and rear. The result is a wheel that transmits pedaling force directly — there's no mechanical linkage to absorb or deflect energy before it reaches the rim.

The rims themselves are built from Lightweight's LCC (Lightweight Custom Composite) carbon with an Active Foam Core construction: high-modulus CFRP fibers in a proprietary layup that optimizes stiffness, responsiveness, and long-term durability in a closed hooked rim bed. The 48mm depth sits at the intersection of meaningful aerodynamic benefit and practical climbing weight — deep enough to provide aero advantage at race speeds, light enough that the 568g front wheel doesn't become a liability in crosswinds or on sustained climbs. Internal width is 18.2mm (24mm external), accommodating tires from 23 to 32mm and centered on the tubeless tire widths most road and gravel racers run. The Pentagon SL hub design — running DT Swiss 180 EXP internals at the rear — reduces hub weight while the polygonal shape improves braking heat dissipation under heavy disc use. CeramicSpeed bearings in the Black Edition contribute measurably lower bearing friction than steel across temperature ranges and over extended service life.

At 1,230 grams for the set, these rank among the lightest disc brake carbon wheelsets at this rim depth from any manufacturer. The front is 568g; the rear is 662g. For a rider doing math on what they're paying per gram saved, the number is high — but weight isn't the only thing the Obermayer EVO sells. The R2R construction delivers a ride quality that conventional spoke wheels at any weight don't replicate: immediate response to power input, a stiffness that doesn't come at the cost of road feel, and a high-speed stability that Lightweight attributes to the consistent spoke tension their bonded construction maintains over time. Maximum system weight is 100kg — these are purpose-built race wheels.

Design Benefits

1. R2R carbon spoke architecture: Continuous carbon fiber from rim to rim — no metal spokes, no mechanical connectors, no spoke nipples. Permanent adhesive bonding maintains consistent tension across the wheel's life. The direct fiber path from rim to rim is why Lightweight wheels transmit power with an immediacy that conventionally-built wheels don't match.
2. LCC with Active Foam Core construction: Lightweight's proprietary carbon layup integrates a foam core into the rim structure, allowing precise control over the rim's stiffness profile and dampening characteristics. High-modulus CFRP fibers are layered to optimize the balance between lateral stiffness and vertical compliance.
3. 48mm depth at 1,230g: The combination of meaningful aerodynamic depth and genuine lightweight construction is the point of the Obermayer EVO. At this rim depth, most disc wheelsets weigh significantly more. The weight savings are real — 568g front and 662g rear — and they compound over a full race or long climb.
4. Pentagon SL hub with DT Swiss 180 EXP internals: The proprietary Pentagon SL hub shape reduces weight while improving structural rigidity and brake heat dissipation under heavy disc use. DT Swiss 180 EXP internals at the rear provide ratchet engagement precision and long service intervals.
5. CeramicSpeed bearings (Black Edition): Lower rolling resistance than steel bearings across temperature ranges, with extended service life under race conditions. The Black Edition's CeramicSpeed spec is a functional upgrade over the standard version, not just an aesthetic one.

Final Take

The Obermayer EVO Disc Black Edition is for the rider who has decided that wheels are where the money goes. The R2R construction, the German handcraft, the CeramicSpeed bearings, and the 1,230-gram total weight are not marketing claims — they are the product. If you're racing seriously and you want the lightest, stiffest, best-built disc wheel available, this is the answer.