I Raced the Lightest Wheels I Own up a SAVAGE 24% UK Hillclimb
Tom Bowers Cycling
July 07, 2026
Friday night hill climb racing, and this is the queen stage: Pym Chair. 12% average, ramps of 24.3%, and barely four minutes of pure suffering. So tonight the QuickPro AR:One has gone on a diet.
The Arcaris climbing wheels are finally making their race debut: under 900 grams for the pair. Add a 1x conversion, a featherweight ZTTO cassette I'm testing, and some frankly ridiculous 82g rotors, and the whole bike comes in at 5.83kg ready to race, pedals, cage and Garmin mount included.
Then it's the small matter of the fastest field of the series, a certain Jack Morris, and a personal battle with the four-minute barrier.
The gap at the top of this series has been 30 seconds, then 20. Stick around for where it is now.
The Bike I'm Racing
QuickPro AR:One: https://www.pandapodium.cc/product/quickpro-arone-carbon-road-bike-frameset/?ref=25637
Arcaris climbing wheels via Panda Podium: https://www.pandapodium.cc/product/arcaris-8848-climbers-wheelset/?ref=25637
ZTTO Cassette: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c4pE2a9H
Wheel and tyre choice: did I get it right? And what should I run at the Etape du Tour, light or aero? Recommendations below.
Chapters
00:00 The queen stage: Pym Chair
00:38 Putting the Quickpro on a diet
01:05 Arcaris wheels: under 900g a pair
01:36 ZTTO cassette, 1x, and 82g rotors
02:56 The weigh-in
03:42 The climb: 24.3% of nastiness
04:15 The plan: PB or bust
05:33 At the start line
07:03 Race POV: the full effort
10:45 The finish
11:56 The result
13:07 What's next (and a big decision)
#hillclimb #cycling #pandapodium #quickpro #bikeracing
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FrameQUICK PRO AR:One
Created: February 04, 2026The reviewer discusses using the QUICK PRO AR:One bike for a hill climb race, noting it has been modified to be extremely lightweight, weighing under 6 kg with pedals. He praises its performance on steep gradients, especially with ultra-light wheels and tires.
AI-Summary
Pros
- Very lightweight, under 6 kg with pedals
- Performs well on steep gradients
- Accelerates quickly with ultra-light wheels
Cons
- Not discussed in detail; no explicit cons mentioned
MyBikeParts
QUICK PRO AR:One Carbon Road Bike Frameset - US Warehouse Clearance
WheelsArcaris 8848 Climbers Wheelset
Created: February 04, 2026The reviewer praises the Arcaris 8848 Climbers Wheelset for its extremely low weight (under 900g for the pair) and responsiveness on steep climbs, noting that it accelerates effortlessly when climbing out of the saddle. He finds it ideal for hill climb racing where aero is less important than weight savings.
AI-Summary
Pros
- Extremely lightweight: under 900g for the pair
- Excellent acceleration and responsiveness on steep gradients
- Feels effortless to pick up speed when climbing out of the saddle
Cons
- Not aerodynamic, but this is acceptable for slow-speed climbing
MyBikeParts
Arcaris 8848 Climbers Wheelset
CassetteZTTO ULT2 12 Speed 11-30T 34T 36T Road Bike Cassette 11 steel with 1 AL Gravel Ultralight 12S Bicycle Freewheel 12V Sprocket
Created: February 21, 2026The reviewer uses a ZTTO ULT2 12-speed cassette on their lightweight climbing bike, noting it is extremely light and a good compromise between weight and durability, but they need more miles to fully evaluate it.
AI-Summary
Pros
- Extremely light weight
- Good compromise between weight and durability
Cons
- Durability not yet confirmed; reviewer needs more miles to be sure
Where to Buy
