Fulcrum Pair Wheels Racing 5 LG

These really are wonderful wheels. But there are 20 spokes on the rear, 10 each side. That's 1:1 NOT 2:1. And the bearings are Fulcrum/Campy's adjustable (and elegant) loose bearing design, far superior to cartridge bearings which is what "sealed" implies.

Don't know why accurate info is so tough to find, even the Fulcrum site is about half wrong...

Bought these to replace a set of wheels damaged by a pesky pothole. These wheels are great, wider rim profile is really noticeable helping with comfort when used with 25mm tyres, and the hubs run as well as many sets of more expensive wheels. So far after c. 5 rides these wheels seem of a far higher quality than the price would suggest and they are perfect for training / winter use. While not the lightest wheels, they are not heavy and accelerate quickly without any flex in the back wheel when under load sprinting, out of the saddle or climbing hills. They look pretty smart too!

Using the Mavic Aksium as comparison with their similar weights and build, I would rate them about equal where the Mavic's cartridge bearings are definitely superior but the 5's just ride nice and are a better value, even after putting a set of tires on the 5's. I don't like having the OEM force a set of tires on me that Mavic does but at least the tires are adequate if that is all you want. The 5's look good, ride like a much more expensive wheel, and the bearings are adjustable and about as good cone bearings get.

I've been rolling on my stock alexrims for over six years and covered thousands of miles, but after two re-builds and truing, the buckled rear wheel finally let go. Luckily no further damage was done to the bikeand I didn't find myself in a hedge or worse, so I had a long hard talk with my frugal self and finally bought my first real upgrade in this set of Fulcrum 5s. They came highly recommended from a number of friends and reviews so I took the plunge. We're about 200 miles into our journey together now and I'm more than happy with the decision. I'm a 100kg rider and they are putting up very well indeed. They feel stiff, responsive, roll very well and look great. Only criticism would be that the rear wheel valve aperture is drilled slightly off centre which makes the valve bend slightly when tightening the collet. That aside, if you're looking for decent set of wheels as a first upgrade and don't want to break the bank, I would highly recommend these.