Cycling

From Bontrager to Fulcrum

Like all Trek Madones, my 2006 5.2 came with Bontrager wheels. Bontrager Race Lites to be exact. Bontrager wheels are found exclusively on Trek bikes and, with the exception of their high-end carbon wheels, are widely considered to be mediocre. The front wheel of the Lite has 20 spokes while the back wheel contains 24, combining for a plump weight of around 1700 grams.

I didn’t feel like my Bontrager wheels were really holding me back, but a few things bothered me about them. First, the front wheel will flex under heavy weight & pressure, namely when sprinting up hills while out of the saddle. And while the wheels have a high number of spokes, each spoke is considerably thinner than a spoke that you’d find on, say, a set of Mavics. At 175lbs, I want a sturdy wheel that reacts well when I apply a lot of torque. Next, the wheel set is built in such a way that the spokes protrude outwardly from the rim of the wheel to the hub. This makes the wheel less aerodynamic and it was particularly bothersome when I encountered a crosswind, at which point I’d easily be blown all over the road. And finally the wheels are ugly and gave my bike no personality. We all know that making your bike look nice is one of the most important parts of cycling! Bontrager wheels don’t start to look nice until you get to the XXX Race Lite set, and even then, they aren’t that pretty. Without breaking the bank, I needed a set of wheels that were less weight, more responsive and stiff, and incredibly sexy. It was time to go shopping.

A few sets of wheels came to mind right away: Mavic Kysrium ES, Mavic Kysrium SL, and Fulcrum Racing 1. Each of these wheel sets are well represented by the Lapdogs, so I had plenty of initial information at my disposal. I searched for more opinions on the web and priced each of these wheels through local bike shops and online retailers. All three of these sets are pretty close to each other in weight, quality, aerodynamics, and price (roughly $1,000 to $1,500 depending on location). I couldn’t find any one thing, however, that elevated one wheel above the others. Then I stumbled upon Bike24.com.

Bike24.com is based in Germany, and for whatever reason, has amazing deals on Fulcrum wheels. The Fulcrum Racing 1 set goes for about $720 Canadian, and a wheel set that had previously been out of my price range, the Fulcrum Racing Zero, sells for about $860. When I realized that the purchase of the Zero was possible, I immediately started research and was quite pleased at my findings. The Racing Zero is lighter than all 3 of the previous sets coming in at 1425 grams for the both wheels. The front wheel contains 16 bladed spokes and the back has 21. Unlike the Bontragers, the spokes start at the rim and go straight to the hub without bending outwards, making the wheel more aerodynamic. This will open up slightly faster descents, allow me to slice through headwinds a bit easier, and hold me in place during crosswind. In terms of their appearance, they are amazing. Every picture I found of them installed on bikes proved that these wheels would immediately give my bike some needed flair.

With my research complete and me feeling pretty satisfied with the price, I pulled the trigger. The shipping from Germany was quick, and I had my wheels in about 10 business days. I was able to put them on just before the Hasting’s Hilly Hundred, and I was immediately smitten by both the color and style of the rim and the increased stiffness of my bike. Through friends and forums, I still haven’t heard bad things about the Fulcrum Racing 1 or Zero wheels (almost identical except for a bit of weight and color). Not only that, but I get a compliment on the wheels almost every time I go out.

Fulcrum Racing Zero                 Fulcrum Racing 1

            

A few more tidbits:

• The Fulcrum Racing Zeros make an awesome sound when slicing through the wind or plowing up hills. You will feel like you can hear these wheels being aerodynamic.
• You will need a campy lockring to put your cassette on the back wheel, even if you are going Shimano.
• The rear wheel’s freehub makes a very smooth clicking sound when you stop pedaling. Either you’ll like this or, if you were using wheels that made no sound, be annoyed by it.
• The spoke blades are very thick which makes mounting your speed magnet difficult. In some cases, you might actually need to use electrical tape to get your magnet on.

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