Zipp 404 Firecrest 2018 vs Fulcrum Speed 55C 2018

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poppiholla
Posts: 597
Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2011 1:18 pm

by poppiholla

Which wheelset is the better choice? The Zipp's look great in the black version. The Fulcrum's are new for this year and have a better hub and weight. The carbon rimms are shiny and look less sexy then the zipp's imho.
The Zipp's are 58mm high and the Fulcrum's are 55mm. The Zipp 404 NSW version are out of reach so the Zipp's are the version with the 77/177 hubs.

How are the zipp's in daily use? Stiff enough and ni brake rub? The Zipp's are heavier but can you ride them at hilly stages. It seems that the Fulcrums are more versatile with beter hubs.

Can someone please give me some advise. Thanks.
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pdlpsher1
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by pdlpsher1

I’d say Campy/Fulcrum has the best hubs. A hub is the heart of the wheel. I have two sets of Campy wheels and the hubs are very smooth even after a lot of miles. Very easy to service. The Zipps use sealed bearings and they would have higher drag. The winner is the Fulcrum.


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fordred
Posts: 86
Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2009 4:22 pm

by fordred

poppiholla wrote:
Wed May 02, 2018 9:29 pm
Which wheelset is the better choice? The Zipp's look great in the black version. The Fulcrum's are new for this year and have a better hub and weight. The carbon rimms are shiny and look less sexy then the zipp's imho.
The Zipp's are 58mm high and the Fulcrum's are 55mm. The Zipp 404 NSW version are out of reach so the Zipp's are the version with the 77/177 hubs.

How are the zipp's in daily use? Stiff enough and ni brake rub? The Zipp's are heavier but can you ride them at hilly stages. It seems that the Fulcrums are more versatile with beter hubs.

Can someone please give me some advise. Thanks.
Bearing drag matters little during high speed. At high speed, aerodynamic drag is the most significant and i have little doubt the zipps will have better aerodynamics than the fulcrums due to the depth and shape of the rim.
77/177 hubs do not have freeplay adjustment in them. It's the first decent zipp hubs. Changing bearings is easy and cheap with standard size bearings used.

I would choose the zipps over the fulcrums.

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Beaver
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by Beaver

The 77/177 hubs are all right it seems, no big complaints so far. I had these for half a year on 30 Course wheels, the spinned perfectly. The brake track of the Zipp is a tiny bit better, but that matters only, if you ride a lot in the rain or you are a heavier rider who likes the mountains. BUT if you are concerned about brake rub, the Fulcrums will be the better choice as they are much stiffer. And second BUT: both share a low inner width. If you frame fits 28mm wide tires you should look for 21C rims, put 25mm tires on with low pressure and be happy. ;)

Multebear
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Joined: Sat May 02, 2015 10:11 pm

by Multebear

I'm always a little confused by topics like this. If you look at the specs for both options, you'll get info on weight, depth, width and so on. If the rim shape is reasonably toroidal, the wheels will perform accordingly to the specs. If the specs on the two options are close, I'm pretty confident you wont be able to feel the difference at all, and you wont be able to meassure the difference either.

Just go with what you like to look at.

Pretty sure deep section wheels of 50+ mm wont be flexy, if the nipples are tight enough. At least not unless the spokecount is very low like 16/20 and you are a very powerfull rider.

poppiholla
Posts: 597
Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2011 1:18 pm

by poppiholla

I don;t think that. You can feel the differennce between wheelsets. Fulcrum is well known for its quality. Zipp had a lot of problems with the hubs in the past. The quality of their more recent hubs seems a lot better, but time will tell. Test and information given by other show that Zipp is a little bit more aero, but is heavier and have not the same quality hubs. Fulcrums wheels are stiffer then Zipp wheels so a strong sprinter can feel the difference. The Fulcrums are probably a good compromise between aero and weight.
The Zipps do look more sexy then the Fulcrums wheels, but that is a matter of taste. In the end it comes down to personal preference.
I went for the Fulcrums. Proven tech and their wheels never let me down in the past. It was a hard decison because I like the looks of the Zipp 404 Black a lot.
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Multebear
Posts: 1395
Joined: Sat May 02, 2015 10:11 pm

by Multebear

I'm aware of all the pros and cons to both Zipps and Fulcrums.

I have 15 wheelsets both several carbons and aluminums, both tubs and clinchers. If I could close my eyes while riding, I wouldn't be able to feel the difference between either of the wheels themselves. Tire type, size and pressure is a completely different thing though. Those differences are much more noticeable while riding than the choice of wheels.

And to be able to feel differences between 58 mm zipps and 55 mm fulcrums, two wheelset so close to each other in depth, shape and weight.... Well, if you feel a difference, then I hope you chose the right one.

If you preference comes down to hubs, then I agree with you, Fulcrum hubs are better than zipp hubs....
Last edited by Multebear on Sat May 05, 2018 7:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

TiPX
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2017 9:41 pm

by TiPX

To be fair, I had an issue on the hub of my fulcrum racing zero wheels (broke the thread on the freebody that is used to attach the cassette, no idea how that happened but not because of too much torque).
On the other hand, on my zipp 808 (with previous generation hubs), I once had to tighten the bearing preload system, but that's it. And I remember there was a recall few years ago, and their support was very good when that happened.
That being said, it's a difficult choice, but I think I would go for the zipp because they are fast, feel good and responsive and zipp support was great.

Allen254
Posts: 144
Joined: Sun Feb 07, 2016 3:05 am

by Allen254

Ive tried zipps and they very felxy wheels. Ive also tried fulcrum speed 40T and they are stiff and light wheels plus ceramic and carbon hubs i think fulcrums are the winners and i also feel fulcrum way better quality. Im buying a piar of speed 40t next week cant wait.

rkan
Posts: 65
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2011 5:29 pm

by rkan

Allen254 wrote:
Sun May 06, 2018 4:52 am
Ive tried zipps and they very felxy wheels. Ive also tried fulcrum speed 40T and they are stiff and light wheels plus ceramic and carbon hubs i think fulcrums are the winners and i also feel fulcrum way better quality. Im buying a piar of speed 40t next week cant wait.
Contrary to popular belief, the "flex" which happens is actually indicative of stiffness. A more bendy wheel or rim will bend near the road, but not at the top (brake calipers), a stiffer rim doesn't bend and when the spokes flex like they do with any wheel, the stiff rim touches the brakes..

bruno2000
Posts: 1289
Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2005 4:11 pm

by bruno2000

I believe the new fulcrum with ac3 (like Campagnolo Bora) braketrack is the better wheel on brakeperformance.

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addictR1
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Joined: Sun Jun 10, 2012 1:11 am

by addictR1

Silky question but if looking at fulcrum, why not swing for the fence and go bora? After all they are sister company but may bora cost a bit more?

Just curious


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