Fulcrum

Racing Speed Carbon Wheelset - Tubular

It's no secret that Fulcrum is a brand extension of Campagnolo's storied wheel expertise, sharing much of the same Italian panache and many of the same technologies. The Fulcrum Racing Speed Tubular Wheelset is a study in wheel genealogy, as it doesn't sit far from the venerable Bora One in the Campagnolo family tree. After accounting for the fresh graphical print on the Racing Speed, there is really only one notable difference that sets it apart from its well-traveled Bora cousin. Most immediately noticeable is the Racing Speed use of Fulcrum's Two-to-One spoke lacing, compared to the Bora's striking G3 pattern. The Racing Speed also eschews the carbon fiber hub shells and ceramic bearings in favor of aluminum and steel, to offer a more economical alternative to both the Bora, and the Racing Speed XLR, the Racing Speed's big brother.

Culled from the same molds that forged the legendary Bora, the Racing Speed Tubular Wheelset has 50mm-deep carbon rims built with Fulcrum's Dynamic Balance System, in which special layers of fabric are placed in the layup to balance the weight of the valve stem and associated extender. This lets the Racing Speed roll smoothly at any speed, especially on high-speed descents where the dreaded front-end shimmy might manifest itself. One other detail we like is the anti-rotation attachment system for the burnished stainless steel spokes, which assures that they'll always be slicing cleanly through the wind as intended.

The front wheel uses 18 radially laced spokes with the nipples hidden inside the rim for improved aerodynamic efficiency. The rear wheel uses the same hidden nipples, has 21 spokes, and features Fulcrum's aforementioned Two-to-One lacing pattern. This arrangement features seven radial spokes on the rear non-drive side and, on the drive side, 14 tangentially laced spokes anchored to the oversized right side flange on the rear hub. The Two-to-One pattern ensures an instant, positive response to your pedal input and a better balance of spoke tension for greater durability.

The Fulcrum Racing Speed Tubular Wheelset is made for performance. Its aero qualities are self-evident, and while it's light enough to use for hilly road courses, it is also more than durable enough for everything else. The wheels ship with all-weather brake pads optimized for the carbon-fiber braking surface, as well as Fulcrum's new quick-release skewers that offer greater clamping force and more security. The rear wheel is available with a Campagnolo-compatible aluminum freehub body or steel-bodied version compatible with Shimano/SRAM cassettes.