Fulcrum Red Wind XLR Dark Label Wheelset

by Simon · 11/09/2013

Cornering was also a more comfortable exercise. The wheels tracked well, not throwing the rider offline, even over bumpy or uneven surfaces. It’s hard to put a value on comfort the same way we can place a value on aerodynamic efficiency, but the stable ride of this set was highly valued by our testing team, particularly when the day’s work included new terrain or uncertain conditions.

The Fulcrum Racing Red Wind XLR rear hub uses 2:1 spoke lacing for extra stiffness

The combination of CULT bearings and the mid-depth wheel made for a fast rolling wheel. It’s hard to quantify the benefit of one wheel over another in differing day-to-day conditions, but they rolled easily and were consistently 1.5-2 kilometers per hour faster than our 32 hole training wheels around our Richmond Park testing ground.

On a flat road, they were discernably faster, encouraging us to get into a race tuck and really turn the dial up the wattage dial. On the climbs, the benefit was less discernable, largely because these are not the most gossamer wheels available. However, the lateral stiffness of the wheel was welcome in both sprints and when honking up short steep climbs.

The Fulcrum Red Wind XLR Dark Label wheels in our Sabbath Mondays Child test bike

The Fulcrum Red Wind XLR Dark Label wheels fitted in our Sabbath Mondays Child test bike

The braking surface is perfect, with no discernable rim seam and a smooth, consistent finish. Full carbon wheels may be lighter than a hybrid aluminium/carbon wheel like this one, but carbon wheels tend to be either more grabby and inconsistent or just not stop well in the wet. These wheels also allow you to run the same brake compound rather than forcing you to switch between pads the way carbon wheels do.