The weight of a carbon fiber wheelset is determined by three components: the rims, the spokes, and the hubs. Among these, the rim is the single biggest variable in weight reduction—it accounts for the highest proportion of the total wheelset weight and presents the greatest challenge to materials science and manufacturing craftsmanship.
Spokes can be lightened by using carbon fiber spokes, and hubs can be machined with cutouts to shed grams. But lightweighting a rim involves a far more complex system of trade-offs: carbon fiber material selection, layup design, molding processes, and structural reinforcement strategies. One misstep, and the pursuit of lightness comes at the cost of strength and durability.
Today, we're starting from the rim itself to break down the three core technologies behind Light Travel Cycling's ultra-light carbon mountain bike rims: one-piece molded spoke holes, the blending philosophy of high-grade Toray carbon fibers, and the application of high-toughness new materials.

Spoke Hole Forming Technology

Traditional carbon rims are manufactured as a complete hoop first, and then the spoke holes are drilled using a post-machining process. This approach cuts directly through the carbon fibers, compromising the integrity of the overall carbon layup structure.
By contrast, our factory has developed proprietary molds that form the spoke holes integrally during the molding process—no fibers are cut or damaged, resulting in rims with superior strength and crack resistance.
This technology significantly enhances the tensile strength of the spoke holes, typically exceeding 300 kgf. In ultimate pull tests, we've observed that the spoke itself breaks while the spoke hole remains completely intact. This demonstrates that the hole's load-bearing capacity and tear resistance far exceed that of the spoke itself, fundamentally eliminating the risk of rim blowouts (spoke hole failure).

Spoke Hole Tensile Test

In terms of durability, once the nipple is seated into the hole, the entire contact surface is fully conformed and completely enveloped by the carbon material, ensuring stress is distributed evenly across a wide area. This uniform load distribution greatly enhances long-term durability.
The spoke hole angles are precisely pre-set during the design phase. Once assembled into a wheel, the spoke, nipple, and rim hole naturally form a straight line. This ensures that the force is transmitted along the intended axis without any lateral or oblique pulling forces that could create unwanted torque. The result is a more stable ride and reduced wear on components.

The Critical Role of High-Grade Toray Carbon Fiber in Carbon Wheelsets

T700 and T800 carbon fibers are the primary materials for Light Travel Cycling's standard-version mountain bike rims. T800 is a higher-modulus carbon fiber, meaning it is stiffer and lighter than T700 at the same weight. However, using T800 exclusively makes the rim excessively stiff, which compromises ride comfort and makes the material more prone to fracturing under impact.
To address the brittleness of T800 and the weight penalty of T700, we have sourced T1000 and T1100 grades, and our R&D designers have developed a sophisticated blended layup scheme, primarily applied to our lightweight (Flyweight) rims.
Material blending: By combining multiple layers of low Fiber Area Weight (FAW) T800, T700, and T1100 carbon plies, we reduce the modulus differential among the three maerials, ensuring that carbon plies of varying moduli bond tightly together.
 
Precision reinforcement: Additional reinforcement is applied to critical stress-concentration areas such as spoke holes, maximizing weight reduction while maintaining strength.
Stepped lapping: Carbon plies are joined with staggered, step-like overlaps, minimizing overlap area to reduce weight while preserving dynamic balance.
Thinner, lighter plies: We use thinner and lighter carbon plies to enable more precise tuning of product performance.

Product Models & Versions: LT XC-31 Disc - 29er Carbon Rim Ultralight with IW/Depth 31/22mm(Flyweight Version)

High-grade Toray refers to the premium carbon fibers produced by Toray Industries, Inc. of Japan. In the cycling world, the familiar designations T700, T800, and T1100 all belong to this family, characterized by being lighter, stronger, and stiffer.

Our designers approach the use of T700, T800, and T1100 in mountain bike rims not as a simple stacking of materials, but as an engineering philosophy that pursues performance balance. The core idea is to find the optimal equilibrium between stiffness, weight, toughness, and ride comfort by blending these three carbon fiber grades.

Product Models & Versions:  LT XC-30 Disc - 29er Carbon Rim Ultralight with IW/Depth 30/22mm(Standard Version)