Fulcrum Racing Quattro Long Term Review

By Simon Whiten

Fulcrum Racing Quattro Long Term Review

I promised I’d write a quick update about the Quattro wheels when I had ridden and raced them for a while, so here goes.

It’s strange to think that when I was first handed these wheels by Richard Hallett, who wrote this Preview, I was none too impressed – despite his waxing lyrical about them – surrounded as I was by my own quiver of lightweight, shallow rimmed aluminium wheels (that were plenty stiff enough) and by deeper section, yet still light carbon hoops. I just didn’t get it; surely a deep section aluminium wheelset seemed like a retrograde step, harking back to my wheels of the 90’s?

Fulcrum Racing Quattro, taking us back to the 90’s?

However, living with the Fulcrum Racing Quattro wheels has made me realise just how narrow-minded I was being and lead me writing a largely positive Review. One thing I like above all else is rear wheel rigidity, as rear brake rub, whether uphill or in sprints, is not welcome. Worse case scenario is rub during uphill sprints which seems to happen a lot lately as manufacturers continually strive to shed weight, often from the rim…

Beefy aluminium rims on the Fulcrum Racing Quattro

Not so with the Racing Quattros. The beefy rim is both strong and rigid (and it’s aero), and you can really feel the stiffness when you put the power down. It’s a trait which earn these wheels the label ‘dependable’. In that sense they totally mirror my equipment choices throughout my stable of bikes where reliability is the order of the day, after all I much prefer riding bikes to fiddling with them even if with this job I still seem to spend all day doing the latter…

The Fulcrum Racing Quattro (non-CX specific version) coping with the mud

As we said in the original review the Fulcrum Racing Quattro’s stiffness comes at a small price and that, of course is added weight. However, that hasn’t stopped me leaving my lightweight hoops at home on several occasions and taking the Quattros in their stead. Events like, one of the hilliest sportives in the South-east, the aptly named Kentish Killer, crit racing at the flat Hillingdon circuit, and local cross races have all seen the Quattros in action – and yes, I do know that Fulcrum make a cross specific version of these wheels and no, I have not had any issues as a result of using the less well sealed road version, off-road. As a result the Quattros have been jumped, bashed and abused, but have come out unscathed; the build quality is first rate. These wheels are easy to live with, easy to adjust and maintain, though I have not as of yet had to do anything major despite year round and off-road usage; they are still on the same bearings over a year later.

After racking up a fair few miles together and, given the bargain price of a penny shy of £300, they come highly recommended as a great do-it-all wheelset.

Fulcrum Wheels

Fulcrum Wheels UK (i-ride)

 
[rps-include blog=127.0.0.1 post=29221]