From the makers of some of the best groupsets and bike components in the world – Campagnolo; comes a company by the name of Fulcrum. Fulcrum is fairly new in the market, the company was founded in July 2004 and is based in Arcugnano, Italy. Campagnolo themselves have been making wheels for quite some time and it is the same experience and professionalism of high-end wheel building that they have brought to Fulcrum.
WHY FULCRUM?
So if Campagnolo were already making wheels, why did they decide to start another sub-brand that builds wheels? This was because Campagnolo built parts specifically meant to be paired with other Campagnolo components. In order to compete with other manufacturers such as Shimano and SRAM, they needed to manufacture wheels compatible with products from rival drivetrain manufacturers. This lead to the birth of Fulcrum Wheels.
Fulcrum wheels are immensely popular, both as original equipment on completely new bikes and when bought aftermarket. The range is broad and there’s a lot to choose from. Fulcrum has pocket-friendly options along with some super high-end wheels too. Fulcrum wheels are usually characterized by being incredibly robust and having super smooth, long lasting wheel bearings. It’s a reputation that Fulcrum wheels have carried for a very long time. Many professional riders also swear by Fulcrum wheels because of the performance gains and the durability of these wheels.
FULCRUM TECH
Fulcrum has constantly been innovating to improve their wheels from previous models. Here are a few of Fulcrums’ proprietary technologies that they are famous for.
1. OVERSIZED FLANGE – The Oversize Flange was developed from the need to create a system to transmit every watt to the ground without any loss of efficiency- stiffening the wheel system where necessary, without having to add spokes or superstructures that increase weight.
2. CERAMIC ULTRA SMOOTH BEARINGS – A feature reserved for the performance road wheels in Fulcrum’s lineup. The long-standing reputation for the extremely high performance hubs in terms of smoothness and reliability is thanks to the USB ceramic bearings in the hubs. Hubs with USB ceramic bearings further enhance a road bike wheels’ smoothness and reduce weight and the need for maintenance.
3. 2:1 TWO-TO-ONE – When you push down on the pedals, the rotational force on the sprocket induces a slackening of the freewheel spokes with a consequent loss of rim tension. This results in undesirable flex of the whole wheel and an unavoidable loss of energy. Fulcrum has solved this problem with its 2:1 Two-to-One Spoke Ratio by doubling the spokes in the critical zones.
Like we’ve said before, wheels are one of the biggest and best upgrades to make to a bike. A good pair of wheels make the biggest difference in ride quality, handling, and overall performance.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT CYCLING
I’m an avid mountain biker and I like riding fast and flowy singletrack. As I keep riding, I continuously work on honing my riding skills. I like to ride whenever possible, especially with friends. I also like to influence folk into getting to ride more often.
Working on bicycles has also been a keen interest of mine for quite some time.
DISCIPLINE: Mountain biking and Road biking
CURRENT BIKE: Merida One Twenty 9.600 & Specialized Allez Elite DSW
DREAM BIKE: Santa Cruz 5010
