Fulcrum Racing Zero Carbon Road Wheels

Fulcrum has given its flagship Racing Zero wheels a carbon fibre makeover and the result is a much lighter wheelset with excellent performance, especially in the hills, and impressive braking – in the dry.

In the switch from aluminium to carbon, Fulcrum has developed a 30mm-high rim made from unidirectional carbon fibre with a 3K finish for the brake track. The rims have a rounded front section and measure 17mm internally, 24.5mm externally, which provides a good platform for wider tyres; 25mm tyres go very well with these rims.

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The brake track gets the same 3Diamant treatment first seen on Campagnolo wheels a couple of years ago. The name comes from the process that involves using a diamond-tipped tool to shave away resin and produce a uniform surface on the brake track, so the special compound brake blocks are pushed directly against the carbon.

Combined with carbon-specific brake blocks supplied with the wheels, the braking performance is excellent in the dry. Powerful, consistent and predictable, with lots of feel at the lever allowing you to apply just as much force as you need in any situation.

Initially, braking was accompanied by a lot of squealing, but after several weeks' use the noise reduced quite a bit, though they're still not the quietest wheels. What did change over time was an improvement in performance, as the blocks and rims bedded in.

Performance in the wet is a different matter. I've yet to ride a carbon wheelset in the rain that doesn't fill me with dread, especially when riding along busy roads with lots of hazards. Despite the specially produced brake track, braking retardation dramatically reduces when you add water to the mix.

Hub of the matter

Spinning away at the centre of the rims are carbon fibre hubs with aluminium flanges and ceramic bearings, which save a smidgen of weight and are meant to provide improved longevity and smoothness. The rear hub has a dramatically oversized driveside flange to provide greater stiffness, and the freehub is Shimano and SRAM compatible with 10/11-speed cassettes.

It's carbon for the rims, and aluminium for the spokes – big bladed aero spokes. There are 16 radially laced in the front wheel, while the unusual lacing pattern in the rear is due to the 2-to-1 approach, with 7 spokes on the left and 14 on the right, all straight-pull. It's something that parent company Campagnolo developed in an effort to produce a rear wheel that copes with the forces placed on it and provides 'greater reactivity at each pedal stroke' – which essentially means the rear wheel is better at transferring your power to propel you forwards.

To improve wheel stiffness, the rim bed isn't drilled. Installing spoke nipples requires dropping them in through the valve hole and positioning using a magnet – luckily the wheels come assembled as it doesn't sound like a fun task. Fulcrum calls this MoMag and it also means no rim tape is needed. And no, it doesn't mean they're tubeless-ready.

In a spin

Installation of the wheels was a painless process. A pair of new Michelin tyres popped onto the clincher rim with no tyre levers necessary, and with the supplied brake blocks fitted to the bike and a cassette slotted onto the rear hub, it was out onto the open road to put them through their paces.

My first impression was just how precise and direct they feel. These are very stiff wheels. They provided my bike, a Cannondale SuperSix Evo, with a quicker response to input and changes in direction than other full carbon wheelsets I've ridden.

The shallow section rim, although rounded in a concession to smoothing airflow, isn't what you'd called aero, and speed merchants only interested in battering along the flat might want to look elsewhere. The wheels didn't exactly feel slow, but nor did they have that feeling of rapid pace that a deep-section wheel generates at higher speeds.

Where these wheels are right at home is on rolling terrain with lots of hills, short and long, and ever-changing gradients. The low weight provides a helping hand on the climbs and the high level of stiffness delivers very precise handling when weaving the bike through the turns.

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They feel highly responsive when powering the bike forward over a crest and there's no lag when you need a quick burst of speed. The rigidity is highly impressive and I couldn't discern any flex at all, even during all-out sprints or leaning on them really hard through corners. They're forgiving wheels as well, and deal with rough roads and the odd gravel track without problem.

The only place these wheels really come unstuck is in the rain; not such a huge problem on the flat, but if you've got T-junctions at the bottom of very steep and long hills to contend with, it takes the shine off an otherwise impressive wheelset.

Otherwise, the Fulcrum Racing Zero Carbon wheels are lightweight, stiff and durable, with silky smooth hubs. For an all-round wheel, these are a decent choice – provided you don't plan to ride in the rain much.

Verdict

Light, stiff and silky smooth wheels, but wet weather braking performance leaves a lot to be desired