Fulcrum Racing 5 DB Wheelset

The Fulcrum Racing 5 Disc Brake wheelset is strong and durable, designed for year-round miles. The new wider rims pair nicely with on-trend wider tyres, and they now also come taped ready for tubeless and with valves to boot. They have gained some mass over previous iterations, but they ride and handle well.

Fulcrum's Racing 5s have a solid history of being durable and dependable training wheels, and these new ones aim to continue that tradition. The new wheelset sees a fair share of modifications over the previous iteration that we tested back in 2017, including a new lower-profile 24mm (down from 26mm) U-shaped rim, whose internal width has grown by 3mm to 20mm, with an external width of 25mm.

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This represents a sizeable increase, and results in better pairing with wider tyres, which will be common seeing as the wheelset is designed for 'endurance' riding. I tested the wheels with a set of 28mm rubber which didn't balloon like on skinnier wheels, and the extra rim width should give even wider tyres more support, enabling control at lower pressures.

This seems like a sensible decision from Fulcrum, and brings the width in line with other endurance disc wheelsets.

Out on the road, the 24mm-deep rim is about as unaffected by crosswinds as a wheel could be. The recent storm Arwen provided plenty of opportunity to get blown about and these were as stable as you like.

Like on previous models of the wheelset, the rim is asymmetrical, which is claimed to improve rim tension and balancing the forces from the brakes and cassette.

The wheels are fairly stiff without feeling harsh, so a good balance has been found here. I've been very happy with them for winter training and commuting.

Fulcrum says these wheels weigh 1,660g for the pair, a 50g increase from the previous iteration thanks to that extra width and the accompanying material. On the road.cc Scales of Truth they weighed 1,760g with the tubeless tape and valves installed, which is in line with Fulcrum's claims but still rather disappointing given the shallow depth, even for an entry-level wheelset.

The similar width and depth Mason X Hunt 4-Season Disc wheelset, for example, aimed at the same sort of use, weighed 1,593g (167g lighter) on our scales in a comparable setup, despite being £50 cheaper (now £349).

It's a positive that Fulcrum now ships the wheels taped ready for tubeless use and also includes the tubeless valves and a little concave washer so that they pair nicely with the asymmetrical rims, so thumbs up for that.

You'll find 24 spokes both front and rear, and heavier riders will be glad to see that the weight limit has risen to 120kg. The rounded, straight-pull spokes are laced to the rims with aluminium nipples. I would like to have seen brass nipples for increased longevity, but in fairness to Fulcrum this does seem rare at this price point unless you are custom building.

Unfortunately, upon pulling the rear wheel out the box I discovered that it wasn't running true, wobbling laterally by about 8mm, and with no damage to the quite robust box I can only assume that these exited the factory like this. It's an easy fix if you know what you're doing and have the necessary tools, but isn't what you expect from any new wheelset, even if this was a one-off.

On a more positive note, I am a fan of the new laser-etched graphics, which all the new Racing wheelsets feature – no more peeling stickers!

The hubs are quality affairs and have sealed cartridge bearings which have survived plenty of abuse and rubbish weather. There's still the collar with a tiny pinch bolt to access them, in classic Campagnolo fashion, and the hubs come ready to fit 12mm thru-axle bikes, 100mm front and 142mm rear.

The rear hub has a steel freehub body available in either HG11, XDR, N3W varieties and is made of steel which will resist biting from the cassette better than a lighter aluminium one. If you're a fan of wheels that spin quietly then the Racing 5s won't disappoint: the freehub is almost silent and certainly no louder than the wind noise when out riding, perfect for skiving turns on the front unnoticed.

At £399.99, the wheels aren't overpriced, but it's a very competitive sector. As I mentioned earlier, those Mason X Hunts are £50 less and lighter, and have never caused us any durability issues.

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I also reviewed the Scribe Race-D wheelset, which seriously impressed. They're also lighter, in my opinion ride better, and have even survived escapades off road – and they're £30 less.

Conclusion

Overall, the new Racing 5 DBs include some welcome modifications such as the wider rims and inclusion of tubeless tape and valves. Looking past the trueing issue from the factory, these are durable and solid wheels that will make a decent upgrade to many stock wheelsets. They'll see you through the entire year with their decent bearings, good ride quality and easy handling. On the negative side, they're both heavier and more expensive than the outgoing generation of the wheelset, when competition from other manufacturers has only got stronger. It's not a bad wheelset, it just wouldn't be my first pick at RRP.

Verdict

Solid training wheels but not the lightest for the money