Custom Carbon Wheelsets Built for Your Riding

A custom carbon wheelset brings the rim, hubs, spokes and finish together around your bike and the way you ride. At Light Travel Cycling in Xiamen, China, we build wheels for road, gravel and mountain biking, with component choices and graphics agreed before production.

The starting point is your riding: the climbs you tackle, the surfaces you ride, the tires you use and the load your wheels carry. Those details help us recommend a build that balances weight, handling, durability and maintenance. You can arrive with a complete specification or simply tell us what you want to improve.

Start with the rim and your riding

Rim selection shapes the rest of the build. We consider wheel size, rim depth, internal width, tire compatibility and intended use together. The right choice for a climbing bike can be quite different from the right choice for loaded gravel riding or downhill use.

Road and climbing wheels can be configured around low weight, everyday versatility or deeper rim profiles. Share your usual terrain and how you feel in crosswinds, as well as your racing goals. The WR25-38, for example, is a 38 mm deep road wheelset with a 25 mm internal rim width.

Gravel wheels need to suit your tires, surfaces and luggage. The WG32-45 wheelset uses a 32 mm internal rim width, but a wider rim is only useful when the tire is approved for that rim and the inflated tire clears your frame and fork.

For mountain biking, tell us whether you ride XC, all-mountain, enduro or downhill. An XC race build and a gravity build face different impact demands. Wheel diameter, tire volume and the intended riding category take priority over chasing the lowest quoted weight.

Choose the right carbon construction

Carbon layup is the arrangement and orientation of the carbon layers inside the rim. It helps determine how the rim balances weight, stiffness and impact resistance. A visible UD carbon finish describes the surface appearance; it does not, by itself, tell you how the rim is reinforced.

We match the rim version to the intended use and can review requests for changes to the layup. Availability depends on the model and engineering requirements. Tell us your rider weight, bike weight and carried gear so we can check the relevant load limits. A lighter rim version still needs to suit the complete build and riding conditions.

Match the hubs and spokes as a system

Hub selection

Depending on the build, options may include Light Travel hubs, DTSwiss180 SL or DT Swiss 240 EXP. The exact hub model must match your frame and fork axle standards, brake system, cassette freehub interface and spoke arrangement. Send your bike model and cassette model if you are unsure of the specifications.

Beyond weight, consider engagement, bearing service and access to replacement parts. Hub color and logo options depend on the selected model; custom marking is not available on every third-party hub.

Spoke selection

We offer steel spoke options from Sapim and Pillar, carbon spokes and BERD spoke builds. Each option has different fitting and service requirements. The final choice depends on the rim, hub, spoke count and intended use.

Make the finish and graphics your own

Choose a restrained UD carbon appearance or discuss a painted finish and custom decals to complement your bike. Available finishes, colors and graphic placements depend on the rim and hub model. Personal names, team graphics and logo placement can be included in the specification where supported.

Send your artwork, color references and preferred logo size and position with your request. We agree the design details before production so the appearance is part of the build specification from the start.

Get the tubeless details right

Valve length needs to leave enough usable stem for your pump. As a starting point, estimated valve length is rim depth plus 15–20 mm. A 50 mm deep rim therefore gives a calculated range of 65–70 mm. Confirm the actual valve base, exposed stem and pump fit using our Presta valve length guide.

For a tubeless build, the tire, rim, tape and valve must work together. We can suggest a starting tire pressure based on your setup, rider weight, carried load and terrain. Stay within the applicable rim and tire limits, including any size-dependent restrictions; the maximum permitted pressure is not a recommended everyday setting.

How your custom wheelset is built

Once the specification is agreed, it becomes the reference for production and assembly. Our process connects the choices made during consultation with the finished wheelset.

1. Share your requirements. Tell us about your bike, riding conditions, weight, budget and preferred components or graphics. If you have no specific model in mind, start with your riding goals.

2. Confirm the specification. We review compatibility, the rim version, hubs, spokes, finish and graphics. Agree the quoted price, expected build timing and delivery arrangements before production.

3. Build and tension the wheels. Our builders hand-lace the wheels, bring the spokes to the appropriate tension, true the rim and check dish, which centers the rim relative to the hub end faces. Seating and stress-relief procedures follow the chosen spoke system.

4. Inspect before dispatch. We check radial and lateral trueness, dish, spoke tension and finish before packing. Tension should be consistent within each side; the two sides can require different tension because of the wheel geometry.

Our in-house testing page explains development and production-sample checks, including impact, stiffness and spoke-hole pull-out tests. These are separate from final inspection of each wheel. Test results should be read with the relevant model and test conditions.

Custom wheelset questions

Can I choose my own hubs and spokes

Yes, within the compatible options for your chosen build. Send the exact model names so we can check the interfaces and spoke arrangement. Carbon and BERD spoke systems need particular attention to their connections and sizing.

Is the lightest configuration right for racing

The right race build depends on the course, rider load and demands such as sprinting or repeated impacts. Share those priorities when requesting a quote. Weight alone does not establish stiffness or durability, and the complete configuration needs to suit the intended use.

How long does a custom wheelset take

Our standard hand-build timeframe is 15 days. Confirm the current production estimate for your order, especially for special components, paintwork or layup requests. Shipping time is additional and depends on the destination and service.

What warranty applies to a custom build

Our warranty covers rims for 5 years, spokes for 1 year, and hubs for 2 years. Bearings are considered wear-and-tear parts, and their lifespan depends on the riding mileage. The warranty provides free replacement for defects in materials and workmanship. Check the warranty policy and the coverage of the selected hubs and spokes when confirming your build.

Can teams and brands request custom wheelsets

Yes. Team graphics and compatible component choices can form part of a custom build. Private-label ranges, new rim shapes and broader product development are handled through our OEM and ODM service, with project scope, quantities and timing agreed separately.

Request your custom wheelset quote

Send the following details to sales@lighttravelcycling.com, or use our customization request guide:

· Your bike model, wheel size, axle standards, brake type and cassette model.

· Your riding discipline, typical terrain, rider weight, bike weight and carried load.

· Your tire model and width, preferred components, and what you want to improve over your current wheels.

· Your budget, quantity, delivery country, target date and any finish or artwork requests.

You do not need to know every technical detail before contacting us. A bike specification link and a description of your riding are enough to start the conversation. We can then help turn your priorities into a compatible wheelset specification and quote.