FulcrumRacing 3 Clincher Wheelset(Return to Product Page)

Best wheels I've ever ridden! Strong, fast, durable. For a mid range wheel set these can't be beat. I'm 6'2 225 and ride rough roads in Utah. These wheels stay true, hubs are durable and run smooth. If you want a great set of training wheels that won't break the bank (or get even close) Fulcrum 3's are the ticket!

After I wore through the braking surface on my DA C-24 wheels (Bummer), I bought the Fulcrum 3's to replace them. I'm not racing on the road much anymore and at about half the price of the DA wheels and just over 100 grams heavier (DA uses rim strips, Fulcrum does not so beware advertised weights when comparing) I went with the Fulcrum 3's. The Fulcrum 3's are a great buy, especially on sale. I researched lesser models but didn't care for the J bend spokes. The 3's have the straight pull spokes, 21 rear lacing (21 spokes rear and 18 front), 30mm rear rim and 26 front and a larger drive-side flange... should be stiff, and they are. First off I noticed the power transfer accelerating from a stop, these things get moving. Out of the saddle on a climb or field sprint (still have to go for the city signs on team rides) these are WAY stiffer than the DA wheels. I use these exclusively on my road bike (Giant TCR Advance SL with ISP and DA) and have over a year on them. They came well balanced and feel super stable at high speed (had them over 52mph multiple times). They handle well in turns (fast descents or pedaling through a turn in a crit), they are stiff, responsive and light enough for Cat 2 caliber training. If I were racing I'd maybe have a lighter set of race wheels as well, but these will hold their own in any Cat 3 or 4 field, light enough for a road race and plenty stiff enough for a crit. They are aluminum construction so they are very affordable for what you get and you won't have to take out a second mortgage if you crash and destroy them. BTD had them on sale and their shipping is quick and free. Great buy, I'm very happy!

I got the Racing 3's in January '14 to replace the Oval 327's that came stock on my Kestrel Talon. I was looking for light weight, rigidity & strength, decent aerodynamics, and enough rim width for good lateral stability, and I did a lot of reading about wheels before making the purchase.

Now I've got about 5000 miles on them, with Conti 4000SII's, on a wide range of terrain and road conditions, road rides mostly on hilly terrain in SE Pennsylvania, 8 or 9 century rides, weekly crits and practice crits Spring to Fall, and a road race or two.

I loved these wheels the first ride, and nothing has changed. They're very close to the lightest wheels on the market, and yet have a high degree of rigidity and strength that makes for a bulletproof & precise feel that's confidence-inspiring. My wheel worries are gone. Lightest weight for sprinting up hills, precise handling for high-speed cornering and avoiding catastrophe during crits, the strength to fend off a thousand potholes and stay tight & true, quiet & good aerodynamics... These wheels deliver it all.

They've been maintenance-free except for a bearing clearance adjustment on the front wheel after a couple thousand miles (easy to do with a allen wrench). Materials & craftmanship, and looks, are all about as good as it gets.

If I need a aero wheel for TT's or triathlons I might look for a carbon wheel, but for the varied riding & racing I do I'm sold on the Racing 3 as the best wheels I can get for under $1k. For my next set of wheels, I have no reason to search, it's another set of Racing 3's, or if I decide to shave even more weight, the Racing 1's will be mine.

BTD had the best price I could find, and service has been great. Nice job, Fulcrum Racing, and nice job BTD!

Believe the hype!!! I cannot rave enough about this wheelset. I ride a 2010 Jamis Ventura Elite on Vredstein Fortezza Senso 25 tires. This wheelset is amazing!! Very light and well balanced. I bought these wheels because my Reynolds Solitude rear wheel developed a stress fracture after several years of very hard commutes and bad roads. The Solitudes are heavier and have a deeper rim in the front (slightly more aero). These Fulcrums were a significant improvement over the Solitudes (which were a significant improvement over stock ALX wheels). They are just fast. My cruising speed on the flats has improved by over 1 mph on average and that is no exaggeration. My climbing has improved as well. I am a bit of a silent stalker, you can hear the air flow in the rear wheel kind of a constant, soothing hum (flat spokes). The hub is not loud. I don't hear it, though sometimes my riding friends do. My cycling is still a work in progress, but these wheels have helped considerably. Time will tell on the durability, but so far they have been outstanding. I don't understand how BTD keeps them in stock. Awesome upgrade at any price, but sales are always better. It was between these and the Kysrium Elites. Research and some very advantageous pricing at the time led me to the Fulcrums. For me the Fulcrums are amazing!!!

Originally got these as back up wheels for my Reynolds Assaults. After riding them for a few weeks, I switched back to the Assaults for a long long, but went back to the Fulcrums for my next ride, and have kept them on since.

Although our roads here in the Texas Hill Country are beautiful to ride, they do come with many cattle guards, some of which are very rough. These wheels have proven to be very sturdy, excellent for climbing, and just overall nice to ride. The white hubs also turned out to be a perfect match for my frame.

I recommend these wheels, and would not hesitate buying them again.

Upgraded my wheels on a Specialized Roubaix Elite. I am extremely pleased. Lighter, stiffer than the stock wheels, especially feathery on climbs. I would recommend them in a heartbeat! Tested them out by hitting a 4 inch rock at dusk at about 30 mph under an overpass. Wheels are fine, shorts, not so much!

Ordered these from reading a few reviews and was looking for a reliable wheelset to stay true with my body sizeweight. I'm 6' and about 210lbs and ride on a paved trail however, there are a lot of street crossings and intersections regularly on the ride and may are pretty jarring with the poor transitions. I've ridden on these for a month about 60 to 70 miles per week and have hit a number of those side streets pretty hard as a normal course. These have stayed very true to this point! I have a CAAD 8 Tiagra and these feel much smoother and faster, like I'm pedaling in one to two gears lower than my original Maddux 3.0 rims that came with the bike. I believe these have now been discontinued however, if you run across them and are looking for a stable rim for a little heavier rider, I think these would be a great deal for you.

Great hand-built wheels at a good price. They ride nice, they're stiff, very stable at high speeds, and tough. Couldn't be happier.

These are the second set of these wheels I have bought. First ones lasted me about 3 years of hard riding on some fairly bad roads. I do a lot of hills and eventually the braking surface got too thin for my safety. I bought another set as Bike Tires had them at a very good price and I have a spare set of spokes for them that I had purchased when I broke a spoke on the last set. If you are looking for an everyday set of wheels that unless you are super fussy you can race with, (I've won a few with them) at an affordable price, I would recommend these wheels.

Bike Tires Direct honored a price match that made these wheels a super steal.

These are extremely light weight rims (lighter than some CF rims at double the cost) with unique technology behind them. At just over 1600 grams they have no spoke holes in the rims and equal weighting. I have them on my 2012 Trek Madone 4.5 and they make my bike fly up hills. The white hubs also match up perfectly with the black, silver and white color scheme of my Trek. Would highly recommend as an alternative to the other big name brands and CF rims.

Replaced my stock rims on my 2012 Trek Madone 4.5 and these wheels provided a noticeable weight difference. Great design technology and unique in having different rim depths between the front and rear with no spoke holes in the rims. Loved the look of the white hubs against my blacksilverwhite color scheme and the rear has a low volume sound. Have not put a lot of miles yet on them but seem stable. Definitely the best value at the sale price compared to other wheelsets, especially considering the low weight, technology, and being hand built.

I recently downgraded from Fulcrum Zero due to the harsh ride but still wanted tubeless compatibility. So I recently picked up the 2-way version of this wheelset at a discounted price and all I can say is a big difference in ride feel! The bumps get soaked up while the stainless steel spokes makes the ride more compliant compared to the Zero. Yes, the Zero is the lighter wheelset but the difference is only 150 grams (and the USB hub, which I couldn't tell the difference). It's from Fulcrum so you know the reliability is top-notch.

For the price point and mid-range weight, Fulcrum Racing 3 would be a good alternative to Zero.

Setup

Fulcrum Racing 3 2-way

S-Works Turbo tubeless tires 700x24

Orange sealant (no rim tape needed)