Fulcrum Racing 5

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I purchased Fulcrum 5 rims with a new Storck road bike. Both rims performed well but lost out in the durability dept. At 9,000km both were found to have cracks. To Fulcrums redit however they are replacing them. I will change back to Mavic Open Pro for reliability

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Price Paid:  $0.00

Favorite Ride:
beach road

Bike Setup:
Emc2 equip team. ultegra sl, fsa bits , fizik, look keo sprint

Summary:
The wheels look the part and are very strong and reasonably stiff.( i weigh 85kg/187lbs) However the pair i got had a very poor rim join that was vertically out of alignment and it had to be machined flat as well. one of the big points fulcrum make is how well balanced the wheels are but they arent. they make a pretty obvious out of balance sound(sans tyres) and the bearings are rough as guts. you can feel them crunching(if you spin the wheel in your hands), although the wheels do seem to spin up ok. i was not very happy with the rear wheel. the front is pretty good though.

Strengths:
Price, strength/stiffness and looks. would be good training wheel. bearings could be replaced.

Weaknesses:
Crap bearings( guess you can fix that easy enough), not well balanced and poor rim join.

Similar Products Used:
mavic open pro, ultegra

Price Paid:  $0.00 at Orange Cycle

Favorite Ride:
Specialized Tarmac Expert

Summary:
Fulcrum Racing 5 wheels are not good if you are a heavier rider. I am 285 and have had two rear spokes break. I am not a rough rider. I emailed Fulcrum and Specialized to see if there is a weight limit for riders. Specialized said no but a heavier rider can break things and to deal with a local bike shop. Not much help there. Fulcrum hasn't responded.

Strengths:
Nice looking rim. I think they would be great entry level rims for lighter riders.

Weaknesses:
Spokes break if you are a heavier rider.

Similar Products Used:
I used original Rolf Pro Vector rims on a Trek 5200 until last year and didn't have any problems with those rims.

Price Paid:  $200.00 at Ebay

Summary:
I recently bought this wheelset from Ebay with a ceramic bearing upgrade. I have been pleasantly surprised with this wheelset for the price I paid. I have used it in traing for the past three months and recently took it on a century ride and the wheels have performed flawlessly. I have found that I have easily coasted, rode, and matched other riders who are riding on wheels much more expensive than these. They definately are not race wheels, but for the price, what would you expect.

Strengths:
Smooth, quiet ride. The wheel look sharp and they spin up to speed easily.

Weaknesses:
I wish they the rims had a more aero profile.

Price Paid:  $210.00 at Ebay

Favorite Ride:
Any Ride Where I'm off the Front

Bike Setup:
Use them on a steel Casati during the offseason and for early season epic sessions.

Summary:
This is a follow up review to one that I posted shortly after I mounted the Fulcrum 5's. My impressions are still relatively the same. It is a good, strong, low end wheel that will serve you well for training and recreational riding.

They look good, seem to retain their trueness well, and handle well. I am happy with this wheel on my secondary/off-season bike.

However, since my first review, the wheels have lost some of their quietness. They are still pretty quiet, but not as much as they were 500 miles ago. They are still strong wheels by any account, but they do have a little bit of flex (not enough to be a problem)....but, I'm large/240lbs. They are also heavy wheels, but their shape and strentgh help them spin up O.K.

Would I buy these again? During the first review I would have definitely answered, yes! Now, I guess I'd say, "I would'nt not buy them if I needed a set of strong, inexpensive, wheels that offer moderate performance." During the first review, I thought that they could potentially prove themselves to be more than just a credible set of training and recreational wheels. After about 500 miles, It is clear that they are what they are, and if you're looking for such a wheel, don't hesitate to purchase them. Just don't expect too much from them.

Strengths:
Strentgh, handling, appearance, great low prices...You get more than you pay for.

Weaknesses:
weight, slight amount of flex, a little dead feeling (may have to do with the weight of the wheels. They feel good at speed and change speeds OK when rolling along, but they are not 'spin up quick' wheels)

Similar Products Used:
Campy Proton
Mavic Open Pro/ w Chorus Hubs

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