Joe has a Giant bike with a good set of wheels, but he wants something lighter and with more style. He has seen two pairs that he likes from Fulcrum or Roval. We have reviewed Roval in the past, so now we will have a look at Fulcrum and compare them
Question: I just completed my first year of riding with over 1200km of riding. I have a Giant TCRC2 with Ultegra. My current weight is 300lbs. I would like to upgrade my current wheels for a lighter, better-looking wheelset.
I currently have Mavic Open pros laced with 32 DT spokes on Dura-Ace hubs. The two wheels I am considering are Fulcrum Racing Zero or the Roval star (Aluminum rim). What is your opinion on the reliability of these two rims?
Answer:
Hi Joe,
Good choice, the Roval Star wheels we reviewed before if you have not already read it, have a look here. We liked the Roval Star, but we found them a little sluggish on sharp, steep climbs.
The Fulcrum Racing Zero’s, I think, just get the edge in our book. The Fulcrum Racing Zero wheels are the top of the Fulcrum Alloy range; they are durable, and light as the rims have been made thinner where it isn’t important and left thick where strength really matters.
The spokes are 16 on the front, which is becoming the norm and 21 on the back, which is very different, but makes sense when you look at Fulcrums 2:1 spoking pattern. This allows better transmission of effort and balances out the stresses placed on the rim. The spokes are also aero where it matters. The rim itself is balanced to counteract the joint section.
The hubs can be ordered for use with Shimano, SRAM, or Campagnolo cassettes. The hubs are also oversized with the Alloy body and axle. They also have adjustable bearings.
The rims are colored, but leave the braking surface with a raw silver finish for sure braking and won’t get any problems with the braking surface changing color or flaking off.
The really cool thing with the Fulcrum Racing Zero’s is that they come in a red or red and black finish, very cool indeed.
We think you should go for the Fulcrum, the Roval are nice and different, but the Fulcrum is all that, plus they perform that bit better in all circumstances.
