Review 2017 Fulcrum Racing Zero C17 clinchers

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ronderman
Posts: 173
Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2011 10:17 pm

by ronderman

Just took delivery of the new 2017 Fulcrum Zero clincher in the new wide C17 rim profile.

By way of background I am coming off a year of using the 2016 wide Bora 50mm Clincher. I think Bora are, without question, the best wheels around. I plan to go back to Bora in 2017 but in tubular. My winter wheels and rides with some gravel consisted on some hand built DT swiss rims laced to Chris King R45 hubs. I wanted a wheel that I could ride year round and wasn't as, say, "classic" as a pair of handbuilts but had some modern advancements but could handle the pot holes of winter and the occasional gravel road.

Fulcrum Zero C17

I've ridden the Fulcrum One is 2-way before and really, really liked that wheel. I only got rid of it because the 2-way rim profile made mounting a clincher difficult and I liked tubeless but was always worried about flatting (which never happened).

The 2017 Fulcrum has a new rim profile called C17 - basically it's wider than years past. I've ridden some really wide wheels such as Enve 3.4 clinchers and HED Belgium Plus - the C17 isn't as wide as those wheels, but for sure is wider than, say, a mavic Ksyrium. I mounted it with 23mm Vitorria Corsa tires and the 23mm tire width lined up with the rim with no bulge. My guess is it probably measures 24mm - but I don't have a tool to measure - my friend commented that the tires "looked bigger than 23mm" - which is always the case with any wide ride.

The ride on the Zeros was as expected. Awesome. Plenty stiff - I had no brake rub on hard efforts. Plenty comfy - the hubs, like all campy hubs - roll incredibly well. I did my normal route which consists of some decent rolling hills, some flats, a 1k climb and a good descent. These wheels never left me wanting. Sure if I'm pulling on the flats the 50mm Bora really shines, but outside of that the Zero is a perfectly capable wheel that does everything with aplomb. Give the almost 100 gram weight difference between these and the Boras (zeros are lighter) steep inclines went a bit better on the zero. One note: these hubs, for whatever reason, roll silent. You cost and there is literally no sound - unlike most wheels, including the Boras, that when you cost you hear the sound of the pauls clicking over. These hubs along with my EPS shifting meant the bike barely produced any noise - something that was new to me.

Finish - the aluminum silver brake track is what it is - ideally I'd like the nite finish but couldn't justify the price difference. However, it was also a pleasure to go back to standard braking - it just works and it does it great. The finish of the rims is top notch and the wheels just look sturdy and well built. The carbon hubs, though, have a finish that is only OK. There is heavy layer on them that shows a high glossy finish. They are not matte like in years past. I'm OK with it since the colors are different and, frankly, a but muted, but it isn't totally ideal. Also note: for 2017 the wheels came with no wheel bags.

All in all this is great wheel set and should be considered by anyone looking for a good all-around performing wheel.

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by Weenie


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pdlpsher1
Posts: 4020
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2012 6:09 pm
Location: CO

by pdlpsher1

The Fulcrum website lists the weight as 1518g. So I don't see how these wheels can be almost 100 g. lighter than the Bora 50. What's the weight of your set? The Bora 50 One clincher should be less than 1,470 g. The Fulcrum Zero does come in a carbon version with a listed weight of 1358 g. Perhaps you got confused between the Zero and Zero Carbon?

ronderman
Posts: 173
Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2011 10:17 pm

by ronderman

You are correct - and I am, most probably, wring for having said they are 100grams lighter. For whatever reason they do feel a bit better on the steep inclines, but not overly so.

fignonsbarber
Posts: 146
Joined: Fri Jun 25, 2010 10:24 pm

by fignonsbarber

I have about 1000 miles on a set of the new Shamal C17 (basically same wheel). I agree with you, they're great wheels. And you are right, they do accelerate a bit quicker than a 50mm deep wheel, that's probably why they feel lighter. The silence will turn to the familiar "tic,tic,tic" after a few more miles once the grease settles in.

sawyer
Posts: 4485
Joined: Fri Dec 15, 2006 7:45 pm
Location: Natovi Landing

by sawyer

Alu spoked Campag wheels IME generally feel very snappy when climbing and particularly when putting in a big effort uphill. Not sure if they are ultimately better for climbing vs say a Bora, but they feel good yes
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Stiff, Light, Aero - Pick Three!! :thumbup:

robertbb
Posts: 2180
Joined: Thu Jul 23, 2009 3:35 am

by robertbb

Thanks for the write-up.

Question on the colour of the hubs: is that a "shiny" grey in real life, or does the photo make it look shinier than it really is? Would you say that it looks somewhat of a match to the grey-ish Campagnolo chainring under natural light?

ar500
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Apr 23, 2017 11:49 pm

by ar500

I just took delivery of mine and am wondering if any rim tape is needed around the valve hole. I'm guessing I'm fine without but still feels weird to mount up tires and tubes on an untaped rim. Did you do anything for the valve hole on yours?

c60rider
Posts: 872
Joined: Mon Feb 27, 2017 11:12 pm

by c60rider

ar500 wrote:I just took delivery of mine and am wondering if any rim tape is needed around the valve hole. I'm guessing I'm fine without but still feels weird to mount up tires and tubes on an untaped rim. Did you do anything for the valve hole on yours?


If just fitting with a standard tyre and tube you don't need to do anything. Rim tapes are only to cover up the spoke holes but the standard rims and two-way fit (of the shamal ultras I have) manufactured by campagnolo and equivalent fulcrum wheels do not need rim tapes of any description.

jlok
Posts: 2404
Joined: Tue Jun 30, 2015 3:30 am

by jlok

Plenty stiff - I had no brake rub on hard efforts. Plenty comfy

how heavy are you and what tire pressure was used?
Rikulau V9 DB Custom < BMC TM02 < Litespeed T1sl Disc < Giant Propel Advanced SL Disc 1 < Propel Adv < TCR Adv SL Disc < KTM Revelator Sky < CAAD 12 Disc < Domane S Disc < Alize < CAAD 10

morrisond
Posts: 1325
Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2004 8:34 pm

by morrisond

I have Fulcrum Zero Carbon's with the same 17C internal width but identical hub/spoke construction - awesome wheel - very snappy and only 1358 grams making them lighter than 50mm Bora's (I have a set of Ultra 50 Clinchers to compare them too).

rlanger
Posts: 382
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2016 11:53 am

by rlanger

I only have about 5 or 600 kms on my set, but I have to agree with just about everything ronderman has said about these wheels.

I'm about 70 kilos and run 25 mm Continental 4000s @ 80 to 85 psi and with that setup, these wheels roll just beautifully. Climbing out of the saddle feels great, and descending and high-speed cornering is confidence inspiring.

Although they're not the lightest aluminum clincher out there, as an everyday wheel set, I think these would be pretty tough to beat.

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
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