Took my new wheels out for a ride today after getting a replacement brifter at the LBS this morning, and all I have to say is.... WOW!!!
These are a STIFF wheelset. I feel no flex at all, and don't find it a problem to sprint to 35mph like I did with my Xero's.
I've tried the following wheelsets and can directly compare them.
Shimano 105 hub/Wolber box-section
Mavic Ksyrium Equipe
Xero XR-1

These wheels, while being about 200g heavier than the [somewhat stiff] Xero's, climb much better, and I barely notice the weight bcause of the stiffness, I didn't know that stiff wheels would make that big a difference.

They're also rock solid when decending, and just brutally fast on the flats. You can also feel how well these are balanced compared to other wheels, instead of the ultra-thin stainless spokes, two round stainless ones are placed around the valve drilling to counter the weight.
Also, the bearings are butter smooth after 65-70 miles, they feel awesome. At first, they felt a little bit lumpy in one spot but that rounded out really nice. And then, another feature that I really like is the steel freehub body, which was one thing I liked about my Mavic's and not about my Xero's. One of the main reasons I got rid of the Xero's was because I was ripping through the teeth in the aluminum body.

So in the end, the wheels were a great buy, and if you get a deal on 'em like me, they're, IMO, a best buy, now I just can't wait to get my hands on the 3's.
If you want more pictures, just ask

Good review. How much $?

Wait, are you suggesting that the important attributes of a wheel isn't how little spokes they have, or how much they weigh, but rather stiffness, reliability, durability, bearing/hub quality, and other such secondary qualities?!

BLASPHEMY! Give me Xero/Shimano Wh550 or give me death!

I weigh about 125. Would I really feel a difference in stiffness between these and the Xero XR-1's?

I'm finding it quite difficult to comprehend how a manufacturer could possibly sell a bottom of the line wheel that is so much better than a top of the line wheel. There must be several others who would completely disagree.

...or are you just saying so considering the cost/value comparison. If that is the case you need to disclose your purchase prices.

BTW,
Thanks for the review I wish we had more of them here. Seems we'd be much more informative than roadbikereview.com if we had a dedicated road review forum section.

...listening Joe?

Thanks for the review. I'm looking into replacing my Dura Ace 7800 wheels with something comparable in weight but somewhat stiffer. I'm thinking the Ksyrium SL or ES but am also looking for other options.

Sweet, I'm about to pull the ... err, let slip the dogs of war on these too! Thanks for the review

The Fulcrum 1's are STIFF. They're a great weapon on race day. My feelings about the Racing 1's are a lot like CK21's about the 5's. I would say, though, that the ride of the racing 1's might be a little too stiff if you're a super light guy or are looking for an all-day comfort wheel.

Friday, I ordered a set from GVHBikes...was told I have to wait two weeks to get them!

Where did you get yours and how much?

I've been looking at the R3's. I printed out the comparison sheet from the Fulcrum website and it seems that the only difference between the R1 and the R3 is that the R3 has stainless steel rather than aluminum spokes. Which apparently accounts for the R3 wheelset being 55g heavier. Plus, I'd think that steel spokes are more compliant than aluminum.

Fulcrum 5 Evo's for the win!



I wrote my review of these wheels a while back, and my impressions are much the same. A very stiff wheel. Which is great for power transfer and climbing, but certainly does nothing to reduce the amount of harshness that is transmitted to my equally stiff frame. Makes for quite the "opposite side of the coin" from my vintage steel frames and 3x 32 spoke wheels that I have!

i had the 5's until my car got stolen

I knew people liked these wheels, but putting them on your car?

how much do you fulcrum 5 riders weigh? i'm 6'4" 200 and flexing my Shimano WH-R561 rear to the point where it's rubbing the brake pad when i accelerate

I am 6'0" and weigh 175 lbs and cannot feel any flxing at all. I have about 1,500 miles on these wheels so far and I have no complaints so far!

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Right now my weight and height are about the same.

are they impossible to get tires on?

I found the Fulcrum 1's pretty easy to mount tires on... I've used Michelins and Specialized with no problems.

I have the say the 7s are pretty bad in that regard.

they were in the trunk of my car after racing and i was tired and and didnt get the wheels out of my car.
few days later to check on my car. it was gone with my wheels in the car

Bumping a relevant old thread rather than just starting a new one.

I have one question about the Fulcrum 5s.....the rim joint isn't welded....does this matter?

I'm comparing the Racing 5 Evo's to some 2008 Mavic Ksyrium Equipes. They looks very similar in most regards, although the Mavics have a welded rim joint which in my limited knowledge is superior to a pinned joint. Also, the 5's aren't machined while the Mavics are....ok....what does this mean in the real world though? Braking shudder?

Thoughts? Experiences?

I just got a set of lightly-used Evo 5s from Craigslist. Nice guy, former Marine with a combat injury to one leg, races in charity-type races, and these were included on a new bike then taken off when he got an upgrade.

Can't say anything about the rim being glued and not welded, but I wonder if they won't succumb to a perpetual clicking like people complain about their Mavics.

The braking surface looks machined just like Ksyriums, and they brake just fine.

I was all hyped about finally changing cassettes myself for the first time, moving the newer SRAM cassette from the OEM Shimano WH-R550s to the Evos and returning the original Shimano cogs to their wheels. BUT, we had a bout of rain, so I didn't ride much apart from going to my LBS to show them off.

First impressions --

They're sturdy, much nicer under my weight than the 16-spoke R550s. I don't hear ping-ing-ing-ing-ing-ing with these when I stand & mash.

The rear hub is LOUD. Makes me feel like a racer (ha!). I might take the bell off the bike and just alert people with the angry bumblebees.

Can't wait to try them out on longer, faster rides.

The R1 uses a different rim and has more machining done to reduce weight.

The same is true of the hub shell.

The internals are mostly the same between the R1 and the R3.

Please report back at 10k miles. I still have my reservations.