User manual of wheel building, tire mounting, stikcer installation when receiving LB products.

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WARNING

***Important, please read carefully!***

WARNING

• Check the condition of product as soon as you receive it

If the product is significantly damaged during shipment, please contact us within 7 days after signing and keep the original waybill, packing boxes, etc. If the product does not match your order, please contact us within 7 days after signing for the package.

• Avoid Improper Storage and Transport

Make sure to transport and store the rims away from extreme heat. If you are transporting the bikes on a rear mount vehicle, make sure the wheels are not in the line the exhaust fumes from your car. This heat can damage the resin in your rim and is not covered by warranty.

• Choose the right spokes

DO NOT use the straight gauge 2mm or thicker in diameter spoke when building the wheel. Doing so will void the warranty. Straight Gauge spokes are too stiff to build with LB carbon rims and can cause the rim to crack prematurely. The thickest spokes that can be used on our rims are double butted 2/1.8/2mm. For more issues regarding warranty please visit our official website.

Wheel building tips

• Make sure your new rim(s) built by certified or experienced carbon wheel builder.

A professional carbon wheel builder will use a tension meter and ensure that the wheels are built with a very even tension and are properly stress relieved.

• Follow the spoke direction shown on arrow sticker.

The rims have angled nipple holes that alternate left/right/left. Please lace spokes in the correct direction to avoid spoke hole damage. The direction is shown on arrow sticker near the valve hole.

• Asymmetric rims building tips.

For asymmetric rims, there are shorter and longer arcs. When viewing from the rim channel, it's easiest to find the shorter side and longer side by looking at the valve hole in relation to the nipple holes. Please make sure the rim is in correct orientation - It is different for front and rear wheels!

Front Wheels: shorter side for drive side, longer side for non-drive (disc) side

Rear Wheels: longer side for drive side, shorter side for non-drive (disc) side

• Build the wheelset with the suitable spoke tension.

Bring the spokes to an even tension, with a maximum tolerance 5% for all drive side and all non-drive side. For our recommended spoke tensions, please see the chart below. During and after building, have the wheel stress relieved properly. If a spoke develops a sharp bend in it while building, please replace the spoke.

We apply the following spoke tension range while building wheels. The following spoke tension chart is for your reference.

	front wheel non-drive side	rear wheel drive side
MTB/road disc wheelset	120-130 kgf	120-130 kgf
road non-disc wheelset	100-110 kgf	125-135 kgf
fatbike wheelset	100-110 kgf	100-110 kgf

*It is better to make sure the max spoke tension less than 135 kgf while building wheels.

Tips on tire mounting

Custom carbon rim color painting in white

Put either side of the tire bead COMPLETELY into the deep centre (quite important to ensure gap space for smooth mounting), then push the other side of the tire into the rim deep centre. And then go on.

Check out how to install a tight tire on our YouTube video.

Before reaching out to us for more assistance, please double check:

A) Recommended tire width?
B) Intended tire (Tubeless/Tubed)?
C) Too thick tubeless rim tape?

• Max tire pressure. For hookless rim, DO NOT inflate the tire to more than 40 psi, or it may result in the tire blowing off. Light Bicycle hooked rims are recommended less than 120psi.

• Use a plastic tire lever. We recommend using a plastic tire lever. DO NOT use any stronger (metal) tire lever as that may lead to rim damage.

• Tubeless compatible wheelset set-up. All of our wheelsets are tubeless compatible with the addition of tubeless rim tape, a tubeless valve stem, sealant, and a tubeless compatible tire. To set up the wheelset tubeless, you will need to install tape, install the valve, mount the tire, add sealant, and inflate. The rim must be completely cleaned and dried before installing rim tape. Apply 1 or 2 laps rim tape and be sure the nipple holes are well covered. The rim tape should be overlapped about 2 inch from where you started.

How to video

Having trouble mounting your tires

Installing road tires on tubeless compatible rims can seem like a challenging task, but the use of proper technique makes the job significantly easier. To learn the technique we used to mount a Continental Gatorskin, a tire infamous for being a challenge to mount, without the use of tire levers, please have a look at our tire mounting video.

If you are still having a problem mounting your tires on our rims it may because you are using regular tires that are intended for use with tubes. Our rims are designed for tubeless tires and, as a result, the tolerances are a little bit tighter. Non-tubeless compatible tires usually have less consistent tolerances on the bead diameter so it is really hit and miss on how they will fit on a tubeless rim. Some might work, but generally they will fit too tight and it will be a challenge to mount the tire. If that is the case, we recommend using a tubeless compatible tire and you could still use a tube in those if you want.

Schwalbe Tire Test

We wanted to ensure that our rim tolerances did not make mounting tires too much of a challenge, so we sent a number of rims to Schwalbe to be tested. Each one of them came back rated as "Simple, By Hand" when it came to mounting the tire.

Tubeless Tire Pressure Recommendations

We have divided our rim models into three categories based on their most common use: 1) smooth roads, 2) gravel/rough roads, 3) mountain/plus/fat bike. Please refer to the charts based on your weight and the tire size you are to mount to find the right psi. Use the recommended psi as a starting point and make small adjustments to better suit your needs.

Please note that the maximum inflation pressure for AR-rims (except AR24) is measured with 25c tubeless tires, and WR-rims are with 28c tubeless tires. Do not exceed the max pressure. If the recommended pressure is near or over the max, it is suggested to move up in tire volume.

Read the full article here.

Smooth Roads

RIM WIDTH TIRE SIZE RIDER WEIGHT	R (25, 35, 45, 55, 65, 88) / AR (35, 36, 45, 46) 17.9mm-21mm			AR56 23mm
RIM WIDTH TIRE SIZE RIDER WEIGHT	23mm	25mm	28mm	28-30mm	32-35mm	35-38mm	38-42mm
100lbs/45kg	61	52	44	39	35	33	29
110lbs/50kg	66	55	48	41	37	35	32
120lbs/54kg	70	59	51	44	39	38	35
130lbs/59kg	75	64	54	46	42	40	36
140lbs/64kg	80	69	58	50	44	42	38
150lbs/68kg	86	72	61	53	47	44	42
160lbs/73kg	89	75	64	55	50	47	44
170lbs/77kg	93	80	67	57	52	49	45
180lbs/82kg	97	82	70	61	54	52	47
190lbs/86kg	102	85	73	62	56	54	49
200lbs/91kg	104	89	75	64	58	55	50
210lbs/95kg	107	90	77	67	59	56	52
220lbs/100kg	109	91	78	68	60	58	53
230lbs/104kg	111	94	80	68	61	59	54
240lbs/109kg	112	95	81	69	62	60	55
250lbs/113kg	113	95	81	69	62	60	55
Maximum Pressure	R-rims: 120psi AR-rims: 110psi (70psi for hookless)			AR-rims: 110psi (70psi for hookless)

Gravel/Rough Roads

RIM WIDTH TIRE SIZE RIDER WEIGHT	AR (35, 36, 45, 46) 21mm		AR (24, 28, 36 (650B), 56) 22mm-23mm					WR (35, 38, 45, 50, 65, 35 (650B)) 25mm
RIM WIDTH TIRE SIZE RIDER WEIGHT	28-30mm	32-35mm	28-30mm	32-35mm	35-38mm	38-42mm	42-45mm	28-30mm	32-35mm	38-42mm	42-45mm	47-50mm
100 lbs./ 45Kg	31	28	29	26	25	23	20	29	26	22	19	15
110 lbs./ 50Kg	33	30	32	28	27	25	22	31	27	24	20	16
120 lbs./ 54Kg	36	32	34	30	29	27	24	33	30	26	22	17
130 lbs./ 59Kg	38	34	36	33	31	29	25	34	31	27	24	18
140 lbs./ 64Kg	39	36	37	35	33	30	27	36	33	29	26	19
150 lbs./ 64Kg	42	38	40	37	35	32	28	39	35	30	27	20
160 lbs./ 73Kg	44	40	42	38	37	34	30	41	37	32	28	21
170 lbs./ 77Kg	46	42	44	40	38	35	31	43	38	34	29	22
180 lbs./ 82Kg	49	44	46	42	40	37	33	45	40	35	31	23
190 lbs./ 86Kg	51	46	47	43	41	38	34	46	42	36	32	24
200 lbs./ 91 Kg	52	47	49	45	43	39	35	48	43	37	33	24
210 lbs./ 91Kg	54	48	50	46	44	40	35	49	44	38	34	25
220 lbs./ 100Kg	55	49	51	47	44	40	35	50	45	39	34	26
230 lbs./ 104Kg	55	49	52	47	45	41	36	51	46	40	35	26
240 lbs./ 109 Kg	55	50	53	47	45	41	36	51	46	40	35	26
250 lbs./ 113Kg	56	50	53	47	45	41	36	52	46	41	36	26
Max Pressure	AR-rims: 110psi (70psi for hookless)		AR28/AR36 650b: 110psi (70psi for hookless) AR24: 50psi (hookless-only)					WR-rims: 80psi (50psi for hookless)

MTB/Plus/Fat

RIM WIDTH TIRE SIZE RIDER WEIGHT		29C06, 650BC09, 26C02, 29C19, AM724, XC925, XC725 22mm-25mm				26C03, AM927, AM727, AM728, EM928, 29C07, 650BC05, AM930, AM730 27mm-30mm			26C05, 650BC13, 29C14, EN932, EN732, AM933, AM733, AM735, AM935 31.6mm-35mm			26C06, AM740, 650BC14, 29C15 40mm-45mm		RSNOW03 60mm	RSNOW05 70mm	FAT680, FS680 80mm
RIM WIDTH TIRE SIZE RIDER WEIGHT		2	2.1	2.25	2.4	2.35	2.4	2.5	2.5	2.6	2.8	2.8	3	3.8	4.5	4.5	5
120 lbs. / 54Kg	F R	18-21 19-22	17-20 18-21	16-19 17-20	15-18 16-19	16-19 16-20	15-19 16-19	15-18 15-19	14-18 15-19	14-18 15-19	13-17 14-18	12-13 13-15	11-12 13-14	5 5	3.5 3.5	3 3	2 2
120-140 lbs. / 54-64 Kg	F R	19-22 19-23	18-21 18-22	17-20 17-21	16-19 16-20	16-20 17-20	16-19 17-20	15-19 16-19	15-19 16-20	14-18 15-19	14-17 14-18	12-13 14-15	11-12 13-14	6 6	4.5 4.5	4 4	3 3
140-160 lbs./ 64-73 Kg	F R	19-23 20-24	18-22 19-23	17-21 18-22	16-20 17-21	17-20 18-21	17-20 17-21	16-19 17-20	16-19 17-21	15-19 16-20	14-18 15-19	13-14 15-16	12-13 14-15	7 7	5.5 5.5	5 5	4 4
160-180 lbs./ 73-82 Kg	F R	20-24 21-25	19-23 20-24	18-22 19-23	17-21 18-22	18-22 19-23	18-21 18-22	17-21 18-21	16-21 17-22	16-20 17-21	15-19 16-20	13-14 15-17	13-14 15-16	8 8	6.5 6.5	6 6	5 5
180-200 lbs./ 82-91 Kg	F R	22-26 22-27	21-25 21-26	19-24 20-25	18-22 19-23	19-23 20-24	19-23 19-24	18-22 19-23	17-22 19-24	17-21 18-23	17-20 18-22	14-15 16-18	13-15 16-17	9 9	7.5 7.5	7 7	6 6
200-220 lbs./ 91-100 Kg	F R	23-28 24-29	22-27 23-28	21-25 22-26	20-24 21-25	20-25 21-26	20-24 21-26	19-23 20-24	19-24 20-25	18-23 19-24	18-22 19-23	15-16 18-19	14-16 17-18	10 10	8.5 8.5	8 7.5	7 7
220-240 lbs./ 100-108 Kg	F R	25-30 26-31	24-29 25-30	22-27 23-28	21-26 22-27	22-27 23-28	22-26 22-27	21-25 22-26	21-26 22-27	20-25 21-26	19-23 20-25	16-18 19-20	16-17 18-19	11 11	9.5 9.5	9 9	8 8
Max Pressure		MTB rims: 40psi										Plus rims: 35psi		Fat rims: 25psi

Installation Steps

1.Read all of the instructions first before starting the application so you understand the entire process.
2.Clean the rim with isopropyl alcohol and let it completely dry before applying the stickers.
3.You can count your spoke holes and divide by 4 in order to figure out the 90 degree orientation to the middle of the sticker. If you have a 32h rim, the middle of the sticker should be 8 counts from the valve sticker.
4.You can fold the sticker in half to double check where the middle is, just be sure not to press down to hard to avoid making a crease.
5.Leave a 1.5-2mm gap along the outside of the rim.
6.Pull the sticker off the backing and apply from the outer diameter first so that you get the correct gap along the outside of the rim. Smooth the sticker on with your finger going back and forth across its length and work your way to the inner diameter.
7.Watch out for any air bubbles as you apply. If a bubble forms, gently lift the sticker to open up the spot with the bubble, and apply pressure to work it out. Do not handle the sticker too aggressively or it can stretch out.
8.Be sure to use clean hands when working with stickers, and if you must touch the back (sticky part) then it is best to use a piece of the wax paper so you do not contaminate the sticker.
9.If there is a contaminant on the back of the sticker, you can try a drop of water on that spot to work the debris off of it. If left on, it may show through.

light bicycle sticker application instruction

How to video

Which direction does the grooved rim brake wheel rotate?

The grooves help evacuate the moisture between pads and brake track during rides in the wet and thus improve the braking performance - only when you attach the wheels to your bike in the right rotation direction which is where the grooves curving outwards, as the illustration below shows.

Four causes of leaky tubeless wheels

First, the rim tape could be disturbed during tire mounting, usually from applying too much force with a tire lever. Remove the tire, clean and retape the rim to form a good seal. Second, your tires could be tubeless incompatible or too tight to get seated well on the rims. Third, your valve stems are not seated adequately or get overtightened. Remove the valve to get a closer look and re-tape the rim if needed. Lastly, the sealant is not enough. Check this blog to learn why your tl wheels are leaking air and how to fix it.

How-to video: Apply tubeless rim tape

COMMENTS

Terence 2020/08/13

Hello, I currently have a gravel bike with quick release (QR) skewers. If I purchase a wheel set with QR, in the future can they be easily converted to thru axle if I get a different frame?

LightBicycle 2020/08/14

Hi Terence, Normally, they are convertible. You just have to buy the convert kits from QR to 12*100mm/12*142mm. Thanks, Lightbicycle

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Clemens 2020/06/15

Hello, my rims have arrived today. thank you what spoke length and which nipples do I need? I read that they can help with this problem. Rear wheel: https://r2-bike.com/DT-SWISS-Hinterradnabe-350-Straightpull-Disc-6-Loch-fuer-12x142-mm-Steckachse-Freilauf-SRAM-XD Front wheel: https://r2-bike.com/DT-SWISS-Vfrontradnabe-350-Straightpull-Disc-6-Loch-15x100-mm- thru axle Rim: 650B EN740 28H centered matte UD sincerely yours best regards Clemens Germann

LightBicycle 2020/06/16

Hi Clemens, I am glad that the 650B rims arrive safe and sound. Of course, we can make the calculation of spoke lengths for you. The length is 276mm for both the drive side and the non-drive side of the front and wheel. Built with 3X lacing. Thanks, Lightbicycle

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Jonte 2020/01/19

hello there I have a flyweight RM29C06 front wheel as my xc race wheel and am looking for another rim to build onto the rear. I race World Cup xc courses so they can be quite technical and I ride a full bus and am 73kg. would I get away with a flyweight for the rear or should I stick with a standard? these are used for racing only. regards Jonte

LightBicycle 2020/01/20

Hi Jonte, Thanks for your reaching out!If you ride technically in XC race, we really recommend rear standard version. It will be more durable and safe for you. You can order front flyweight and rear standard for your 29er XC wheelset, but light hubs. It will make the wheelset weight light. Thanks, Lightbicycle

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Robert 2019/12/05

Do you have spoke count recommendations for rider weights for your road rims?

LightBicycle 2019/12/05

Hi Robert, The stiffness of different rims are different, could you pls let me know your weight/riding style and your ideal road bike rim 700C? I could recommend a suitable spoke count for your ref. Thanks, Lightbicycle

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Marcus 2019/11/25

looking to build a wheel set with existing dt240s I am looking at your AR28 rim. I am trying to determine the spoke length with only calculators. Since you offer this option, what spoke length are you using please? thank you

LightBicycle 2019/11/26

Hi Marcus, We can do the spoke calculation for you if you like. Could you please provide the details of your wheel build? And, which DT hub model that you use exactly? Note that our ERD measurement is measured from the nipple bed on one side of the rim to the nipple bed on the other. Thanks, Lightbicycle

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James 2019/10/26

I'd like to build a wheelset using your tubeless rims, without rim bed nipple holes. I use 2mm Sapim CX-Ray spokes and brass nipples. Do you recommend a magnetic nipple insert for assembling the nipples? Does one of the Fulcrum Racing tools fit 2mm nipples? This will be my second Light Bicycle wheel build this year. Excellent product! Thank you, Jim

LightBicycle 2019/10/26

Hi Jamies, We published a little article around tubeless rims 700c . Also mention the wheel building tips, you can check it out at https://www.lightbicycle.com/newsletter/TUBELESS-READY-OR-TUBELESS-RIMS--WHAT-S-BEST-FOR-ME.html . And, you are right, you should use magnetic nipples. Please let me know exactly what specs you looking for buying, Do you like 700C disc or non disc rims? Thanks, Lightbicycle

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Kendall 2019/10/17

I just purchased a pair of WR50 rims and noticed you have an ERD that does not consider the nipple. I plan to use the standard Sapim 16mm nipples you use and recommend. What is the proper adjustment to the ERD with that rim and nipple combination that I would put into a spoke length calculator? Thanks.

LightBicycle 2019/10/18

Hi Kendall, Nipples with standard heads - Most online calculators can use our standard ERD dimension to get an accurate spoke length. Round up to the nearest mm when the calculator gives you the spoke length. Nipples with raised heads (Hex, Squorx, Double Square etc.) - Add 2mm to our ERD dimension. Round up to the nearest mm when the calculator gives you the spoke length. Or you can let us know your hubs specs on WR50 32mm wide wheelset, then we can get the spoke length accordingly for your reference. Thanks, Lightbicycle

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Timothy 2019/07/22

I own RRU35C02 rims with grooved graphene brake track. Which direction should the grooves face, with closed end or open end toward the direction of rotation?

LightBicycle 2019/07/31

Hi Tim, We sent the instruction through email to you. And we will take your advice and add it in our user guide ASAP. Thanks, Lightbicycle

Tim 2019/10/24

I am looking for this info as well, what direction should the grooves face

LightBicycle 2019/10/25

Hi Tim, We sent the groove face direction picture of road rims with rim brake to your email. Please check. Thanks, Lightbicycle

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rino 2019/07/04

salve posso sapere se ci sono spese doganali??

LightBicycle 2019/07/05

Hi Rino, Where would be your destination of shipping? If you purchase from our Global warehouse, there will be customs fees in most cases. But what we usually do is to lower the declared value so you can pay less tax. There is also TPD delivery. It is tax included, you will not have to pay tax. For TPD delivery, it is USD89 for 2 rims and USD155 for one wheelset. Thanks, Lightbicycle

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Rick 2019/04/28

What does weight limit mean? Total weight of bike and rider on two wheels or weight limit per wheel?

LightBicycle 2019/04/29

Hi Rick, The weight limit refers to the rider weight without gear. What's your weight? If you are a heavy rider and worry about the weight limit or wheel strength, we can customize a heavy duty version for your profile. Don't you worry about it. What rims/wheels you got your eyes on? Could you tell me more about your profile so I can make some recommendations for you? Or check if the rims/wheels are a good fit for you. Do you like road rims/mtb wheels 29er? Thanks, Lightbicycle

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