Fulcrum updates alloy wheel range with wider rims, tubeless compatibility and faster engaging freehubs

Fulcrum has just refreshed its Racing 4, 5 and 6 DB wheelsets, giving them trendy new wider rims, tubeless compatibility and faster engaging freehubs. 

These alloy hoops are designed with reliability and versatility in mind – gravel and long training miles through the winter are certainly on the cards. But the width, depth and weight of these wheels hints at an impressive level of performance – particularly for the price.

A quick note on the specs of the hubs that are shared across the range. These are – as the “DB” in the title of the wheels gives away – disc brake specific and take centrelock rotors. Hub spacing is the (currently) standard 12x100mm at front and 12x142mm at the rear. Finally, the angle of engagement for the freehub stands at 10°.

Racing 4 DB

These are the range-topping wheels from the new line and are reportedly used by the Cofidis team as part of their training setup.

Starting with the rim profile, the Racing 4 DBs are impressively deep for an aluminium construction, coming in a 34mm – which tends to be a good depth for balancing aerodynamic efficiency with crosswind stability as well asnot letting the weight get out of hand.

In terms of the rim widths, the internal measurement has been increased from 17mm previously to 19mm today. This isn’t anything particularly avant-garde, but it is in keeping with the general trend and should be a good match for modern tyres which are being designed around wider internal rim widths.

It’s widely regarded that for optimum aerodynamic efficiency, the rim should be 105 percent of the width of the tyre, so about 26mm if you’re mounting a 25c tyre or close to 30mm if you’re mounting a 28c.

So, the external measurement of the Racing 4 DB is perhaps still a little on the narrow side, at 24mm – but that’s still wider than a large portion of the competition at this price point.

The spokes are rounded straight-pull items and aluminium nipples have been chosen to save some weight over brass.

The claimed weight for the wheelset is 1,710g and they are available with either a Shimano HG11, SRAM XDR or a Campagnolo N3W freehub. Pricing in the UK stands at £449.99, while in the USA prices vary between $596.00 and $602.00, depending on freehub choice.

Racing 5 DB

These wheels are a little shallower than the Racing 4 DB but on the other hand, they are 80g lighter with a claimed weight of 1,660g. They’re also a fair bit cheaper, standing at £399.99 in the UK, while in the USA the price again varies with freehub choice, between $522.00 and $534.00.

Again, contrasting with the Racing 4 DB wheels, the rims here have an internal measurement 2mm broader, at 20mm wide. This should have the effect of making these rim better suited to the profile of wider tyres.

All this taken together points to these wheels as best suited to rides where high speeds aren’t as important – but a snappy feel is still desired. Rides where the focus is a little more on adventure and exploring.

As with the Racing 4 DBs, the spokes are rounded and straight-pull while the nipples are aluminium.

Racing 6 DB

Cheapest in the range are the Racing 6 DB. These share the rim profile of the Racing 5 DB, making it similarly suited to wider tyres and more adventurous riding.

With the lower price, there has been a reciprocal increase in weight, coming in at a claimed 1,780g for the set. Part of this can be put down to the switch to brass nipples – which although cheaper and heavier, are arguably more robust.

The spokes themselves are still rounded and straight-pull, as with the other wheelsets.