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Review: Light Bicycle AR465 Wheelset - Jan 2024

You may never have heard of Light Bicycle or perhaps get it confused with Lightweight wheels. Light Bicycle (LB) is a Chinese-based company that sells wheels around the world - either with several pre-made configurations from warehouses in North America, Europe and Asia, or custom made to your specific order from the factory in China. 

Based on the recommendation from a Cat 1 racer, I chose to build a custom wheelset during their annual Black Friday sale and am extremely pleased with the results. 

Typically, custom-built wheels are expensive, but LB delivers custom-built wheels for a very competitive price compared to other major wheel manufacturers such as Hunt, FFWD or Scribe. And while some people will say Chinese quality is not good, the fact is several LB rims/wheels, including the AR465s, are certified by the UCI international cycling federation as just one indicator of their quality. 

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Close-up of the finish and cool aero wave on the AR465 rims.​

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The Build

​For a custom-built wheel, you start by selecting the rims you want. I chose the AR465s for their aero shape and great combination of weight and depth. After that you select from a wide variety - in manufacturer, quality and cost - of hubs and spokes. You then can decide on finish of the rims and whether you want holes to access the spokes and for drainage. You can even select if you want photos of your wheels sent to you during production - although LB points out that could cause delays. 

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Video of unboxing the AR465s​

 

Installation

​I chose to go tubeless with the wheels made particularly easy since you can order the wheels with tubeless rim tape installed and purchase matching valves which are quick to install. 

I went with Vittoria Corsa Pro 28mms. They went on easily and the hooked rim seated quickly with a fast shot of air from my compressor. The combination held air well even before adding some Orange Seal tubeless sealant

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AR465s and Vittoria Corsa Pros on a 2021 Aethos Pro​

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The Ride

In short, the ride on these wheels is outstanding. For me, they are an ideal combination of low weight - perfect for reasonable climbs - and aero - providing extra speed on flats. They spin up quickly and are relatively immune to strong cross winds. 

Combined with the tubeless Vittorias (my first ever set), the ride is absolutely sublime - like you're riding on clouds. They corner extremely well even in wet conditions. I should note I have not ridden the combination in heavy rain, standing water. 

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The Con

I did have one pretty significant issue with the combination of the AR465s and tubeless Vittoria Corsa Pros. While they generally held air during long rides with zero issues, a few times - often the day after a ride - I would find a tire completely deflated. Not slightly deflated, I mean flat. And interestingly there was no evidence of sealant having leaked on the rims. After a lot of research and asking for inputs from others, I concluded that the culprit was the VERY subtle, high thread count of the tires. The sidewalls and hooked bead may just be so soft that some pressure on the sidewall allows air to escape. Frankly I am planning to wait until these tires wear out and try another Vittoria or another brand to see if I have the issue. I know it's not the valves but there is a possibility it's the rim tape or the factory installation. I'll update here when I have new information. 

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Bottom line

Overall, I think the Light Bicycle AR465s are fantastic wheels with a great price that can be configured in just about anyway you want. For the full custom option from the factory in China, the only major downside is the wait. It will literally take a month to ship. That said, if you're not in a hurry, I absolutely think these should be near the top of your consideration. 

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Light Bicycle AR465 Wheelset
2020 Specialized Aethos Pro with Light Bicycle AR465 Wheelset
Riding down a country road

The technical stuff...

Cycling is an inherently dangerous sport. Before starting to cycle or do any exercise activity, check with your doctor or health professional. Most importantly, be safe out there. This site and its authors are not liable for your personal safety. 

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