Fulcrum Red Wind XLR Dark Label Wheelset

by Simon · 11/09/2013

Concerns? Depending on goals, lighter wheels are available at a similar price point. Tubular wheels will always be 50-150 grams lighter but there are full carbon wheels of similar design and price that are 100-150 grams lighter. Having seen these wheels first hand, the weight difference is indisputable, but the build quality, materials, and bearing quality cannot compare.

We were also a little surprised by the decal application. Although they were always straight, we didn’t expect the decal to be over the top of the clear coat. For those that like the stealthy look, removing the stickers appears to be easy, giving the wheels a more subtle look sans branding. For those that like the branding, the placement was a little more concerning. However, replacement stickers can be purchased through your local Fulcrum dealer, so all is not lost for those that damage the decals.

Fulcrum Racing Red Wind XLR Dark Label’s decals may allow you to easily go into full stealth mode…

Racing The Fulcrum Red Wind XLR Dark Wheelset

The Fulcrums came into their own at the races. We rode the wheels in 6 races over 5 weekends. Over the rolling courses of southern England, we found them to be a well-matched wheelset, light enough that we didn’t pay a dramatic penalty over the short climbs in the area, but speedy enough for some rapid rides in breakaways.

Although the wheels are not at the high-performance extremes of rim depth, width, or light weight they paid dividends with comfortable ride, braking, and bullet proof structure.

We were most impressed with the lateral stiffness of the wheels under hard acceleration: In the sprints, the wheels stayed on course when we jumped and continued to track well through the entire 15-30 second effort.

After walloping a few large potholes in a local road race, we were sure some truing would be required. We were wrong. The wheels were perfectly true and round.

Final Thoughts

The Fulcrum Red Wind XLRs are not the cheapest carbon fiber wheels on the market, and like other Fulcrum wheels we’ve tested, the wheel’s specs don’t match up to some competing wheels at the same price point.

However, once on the road we were very impressed. Fulcrum has focused on making a wheelset for the real world. We’d highly recommend them for any rider looking for a good race or sportive wheel.