Test Leeze AC 25: Leeze from Münsterland has an aluminum wheel set on offer whose data make you curious: So cheap, so light? The test shows: The Leeze AC 25 is as good as you could wish for.
Lightweight construction is actually only exciting with a limited budget. A 10.000 euro bike that weighs six kilos - so what?! It gets interesting when you have to budget with a third of this sum or even less, because then the long search for light but affordable material begins.
If you want to do your own research, you should leave this page now, because what follows are the basic data for the lightest wheelset that we know of in the price range under 500 euros. Leeze, the young supplier from Münsterland with the innovative centering machine, is offering its Leeze AC 25 for 499 euros - a wheelset that weighs exactly 1.330 grams on the editorial scales, including rim tape and plus 120 grams for the supplied clamping axles.
This is impressive at first, but immediately raises further questions - for example about the design of the rims, because in this weight class there are always untimely narrow specimens that can only be driven with 23 mm tires. But with the Leeze AC 25, the Munsterlanders do it differently: With an internal width of 16 mm, the 25 Contis are stretched to a full 27 mm and are accordingly full on the road. With these tires – a little wider is of course also possible – the Leeze AC 25 can also cope with bad roads up to gravel paths, which makes it an all-rounder for every purpose. But here the next question is already approaching: how stiff and robust can an aluminum wheelset be in this weight league?
The high tension of the 18/24 Sapim spokes, which are crossed twice at the rear right, otherwise radially spoked, is striking. This is where the previously mentioned centering machine from Holland Mechanics comes into play, quite a rarity in wheel construction that Leeze is really proud of: It centers extremely evenly, which is said to bring high stability and durability. On the rear wheel, an asymmetrical rim and flanges of different heights also ensure balanced spoke tension.
In the case of the test wheels of the Leeze AC 25, this means: Even after several hundred kilometers, the concentricity is tip-top, and the lightweight wheel set also proves to be appealingly stiff. Neither powerful steps nor quick changes of direction make him falter; when pedaling out of the saddle and when going downhill at high speed, it seems very reliable. Only at slow speeds of up to around 25 km/h does one feel the low rotating masses in the form of reduced directional stability. According to Frank Decker from Leeze, the fact that you can feel the rim joint when braking is an isolated case; in any case, this does not lead to an unpleasant pulsation of the brake. In conjunction with the blue Swissstop pads, the deceleration effect on the 21 mm wide, quite narrow braking surfaces is very high; Leeze supplies its own gray pads that are a bit narrower. A wear indicator approx. 1,5 mm deep indicates the confidence-inspiring material strength.
When it comes to aerodynamics, you shouldn't expect miracles from 25 mm deep rims; with a rather narrow flange distance and the small number of spokes, the Leeze AC 25 are not "displacers" with a braking effect at high speeds. They are neutral in cross winds anyway. If you let it roll, the bright whirring of the freewheel can be clearly heard; When mounting the cassette, the steel rails on the aluminum body are noticeable, which prevent the sprockets from digging in. The quick releases prove to be very functional - they can be operated without much effort and hold the wheels securely in the dropouts.
Lightweight wheels - that sounds like expensive, sensitive material that is only mounted on the wheel on special occasions. The Leeze AC 25 are none of that: In the test, the 500-euro bikes proved to be robust and laterally stiff; they are just as suitable for everyday training as for alpine tours, where they ban the specter of tube bursting thanks to their tubeless compatibility. Only a rider weight limit of 100kg excludes a small fraction of potential users. An all-rounder without weaknesses that outstrips many a more expensive and heavier wheelset.
