[longtime81]

Hey everyone! I am looking into getting a new road bike, Cannondale Supersix 5 105, but know I would need to upgrade the wheelset. I am a heavy guy, 285 and have been looking around. I came across the Fulcrum Racing 1's. The reviews look good for heavier people. Anyone have experience with this wheelset? Or can anyone else recommend a wheelset for people around my weight?

 

[PlatyPius]

Hey everyone! I am looking into getting a new road bike, Cannondale Supersix 5 105, but know I would need to upgrade the wheelset. I am a heavy guy, 285 and have been looking around. I came across the Fulcrum Racing 1's. The reviews look good for heavier people. Anyone have experience with this wheelset? Or can anyone else recommend a wheelset for people around my weight?

Here's a topic that hasn't been posted about in at least an hour...

Question: are you insane? Fulcrum 1s when you weigh as much as a Geo Metro? (FTR: I weigh more than you) Have some wheels built. Don't buy low spoke-count wheels. 32 spoke rims with good hubs. They'll last longer and be just as light.

 

[fl8216]

One wheel set comes to mind, Topolino. Strong and light.

 

[Zen Cyclery]

You should go with something that has a higher spoke count than the Fulcrums. A guy of your size should be on a 28/32 or 32/32 setup at least.

 

[Mike T.]

Here's a topic that hasn't been posted about in at least an hour...

Look what happens when I take a 1/2 hour out to do some dusting for Mrs T.

Question: are you insane? Fulcrum 1s when you weigh as much as a Geo Metro? (FTR: I weigh more than you) Have some wheels built. Don't buy low spoke-count wheels. 32 spoke rims with good hubs. They'll last longer and be just as light.

Years ago (ok decades) when I was lighter (I'm 173 today; was 150) and I was blathering about some light bike part in front of my then teenage cycling buddy son, he put it neatly into perspective with a gem I won't forget - "What ya gonna save? About the weight of a good spit?"

To the OP - spokes weigh about 7 grams each. I looked up Fulcrum Racing 1 and found mostly 16/20 spoke wheels. OMFG. Wheels don't come with any less spokes do they? That's 36 spokes total. If I built you a set of wheels (and I don't build wheels for others) I would only recommend 36f/36r. That's an extra 232g (8.9oz) of spokes. Can you imagine the immense extra strength those spokes would provide for a insignificant amount of weight compared to your body & bike weight total? My winter bike (32/32 wheels) doesn't make me ride any slower than my summer bike (24/28) and there is three pounds difference in overall weight.

Please, for the luv of god, be realistic and get wheels that are tailored to your weight.

 

[eric.radhik]

Here is an extremely similar question:
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/wheels-tires/big-guy-wheel-set-question-306424.html

These guys are very "lovable guys" and in honesty... quite intimidating too! #justsayin

If you read that thread... im sure a lot of questions are answered and a lot of different opinions are given. PlatyPius, Mike T, Don4, Sylint and a few others are very knowledgeable forum people and I did heed their advice. Kinda...

TL;DR Is focus on custom wheels versus market wheels and make sure you stay 32 or 36 on both wheels to support the infrastructure of the rim versus our weight.

I settled with a HED Belgium with DT Swiss 240s hubs with double butted DT Swiss Comp spokes and a Conti GP 4ks 700x25 tire. (32f/32R) All of it from their advice. I would have chosen a 36f/36r but I really liked the HED Belgiums and I confirmed that the wheel and specific tire would fit my bike specifically!

 

[vagabondcyclist]

^ What they said.

Worked the mechanical station at a rest stop at century about a month ago. Guy about your size rides in on the SAG vehicle. Had a set of low count spoke wheels. He made it about 20 miles before the rear wheel broke a spoke and wouldn't spin through the frame. Oh and it wasn't the first time he had broken a spoken on that wheel.

Guy drove 4 plus hours to ride this century and only finished 20 of it because of a bad choice of equipment.

 

[Mike T.]

^ What they said.

Worked the mechanical station at a rest stop at century about a month ago. Guy about your size rides in on the SAG vehicle. Had a set of low count spoke wheels. He made it about 20 miles before the rear wheel broke a spoke and wouldn't spin through the frame. Oh and it wasn't the first time he had broken a spoken on that wheel.

Guy drove 4 plus hours to ride this century and only finished 20 of it because of a bad choice of equipment.

^ What he said. Yes, with less spokes, each spoke is having to do the work of the missing spokes and therefore the effect of the breakage of one spoke is far greater than the effect of one broken spoke in high spoke wheels.

At one extreme, the wheel won't turn and the bike can't even be pushed home. At the other extreme, a broken spoke might not be found until the bike is next cleaned.

 

[changingleaf]

I also recommend a custom wheel with a sturdy rim. Not only do you need enough spokes to last many revolutions you need a rim that can handle pot holes. Talk to a builder on the phone about your intended use and he/she will give you the best wheels for your needs.

 

[eric.radhik]

I also recommend a custom wheel with a sturdy rim. Not only do you need enough spokes to last many revolutions you need a rim that can handle pot holes. Talk to a builder on the phone about your intended use and he/she will give you the best wheels for your needs.

TBH... I am SOOOOO glad I started my thread about this subject because local builder/LBS recommended me some stock Zipp 303s and/or Durace C50s? (I forgot the exact letter)

My point being... for the OP, heed the forum advice and grab a custom wheel build. Since you are purchasing a new bike... you may be able to make a deal with the LBS to trade in your stock rims with a nice new custom set. While you are at it... try to get an initial fit (I got a BG fit in the first week) and I ended up swapping a lot of items (seat, seat post, neck, handlebars, peddles and handlebar tape) before I finally got the final configuration.

The fit will make the ride so much more pleasant without the pain of riding uncomfortably. The fit and wheels have been the best advice I received while starting to ride in 6 months. And I have all ready lost 30lbs.

 

[9W9W]

Hey everyone! I am looking into getting a new road bike, Cannondale Supersix 5 105, but know I would need to upgrade the wheelset. I am a heavy guy, 285 and have been looking around. I came across the Fulcrum Racing 1's. The reviews look good for heavier people. Anyone have experience with this wheelset? Or can anyone else recommend a wheelset for people around my weight?

220lbs six footer. Soft, flexy wheels really make your ride that much harder. Rubbing brake track on pads while out of the saddle sucks. Mashing the crank and feeling flex sucks. You are going to feel a lot of suck at your weight. The BEST upgrade you will make to your bike over the next few years, will be a well performing (but maybe not so sexy) pair of wheels. Disregard this at your own risk.

Kinlin 279's (or any other 30mm deep rim)...23 wide rim, 25mm tires and a bunch of spokes for you...

buying those fulcrums (they're as aerodynamic as a brick BTW, those flat top mavic rim designs with wide spokes) will be the worst decision you've made on a bike to date. trust it, from one big guy to another.

 

[mosinglespeeder]

mtbpete nailed it

go with the Open Pro's, at your wt, I would even re: perhaps even 32/36
Custom built is only way to go, and will last miles
DT swiss hubs if you have money to burn, or there are other lesser ones very good too

 

[duffin]

HED Ardenne FR Plus - been running them since grabbing them at Sea Otter and zero flex.

I'm 6'4" and put out a lot of watts and ride steep hills.

Good price point too. Just starting to ship.

 

[dura_ace]

Here's an idea from a forum lurker (for years)...I use a set of Mavic Heliums (clincher and tubular). They weigh 1500 to 1600 grams , and I have new bearings pressed in every 20,000 miles. Some of these older wheelsets are avialble on ebay at very reasonable prices, are very light and totally reliable. My first set of Heliums came on my S-Works M4 Road, same wheelset Festina used on their team bike in 1999 to 2003 (or 4?).

Anyway, if you shop carefully you really don't give up much to the new expensive carbon wheelsets. BTW I'm 220 (100KG) and 6' 3.5", I've rebuilt my Heliums twice now on both clincher and tubular.

So do some reading around wheelsets used on the Tour back in 2002 to 2007, then go looking for them, you only need to mke sure theyre supported and can accept press-in bearings. Personally I like Mavic, but thats my bias.