Zipp 303's or fulcrums

mahoney
Posts: 8
Hi all,
I put this on another section of the forum but see that I should've pitched it here...
I've been doing the rounds around local stores to see what wheels might be best to upgrade on my steed!
I've narrowed it down to the fulcrums or 303's I think... I'm mainly gonna be doing the weekend ride to the Surrey Hills, some other sportives and am climbing Alp D'Huez later this summer... so I guess I'm looking for an all rounder... am open to thoughts etc and other alternative's also
Any insights anyone might have would be great!
I put this on another section of the forum but see that I should've pitched it here...
I've been doing the rounds around local stores to see what wheels might be best to upgrade on my steed!
I've narrowed it down to the fulcrums or 303's I think... I'm mainly gonna be doing the weekend ride to the Surrey Hills, some other sportives and am climbing Alp D'Huez later this summer... so I guess I'm looking for an all rounder... am open to thoughts etc and other alternative's also
Any insights anyone might have would be great!
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Comments
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Which Fulcrums? Deep section versions?
I have a set of Fulcrum zeros which are joy for Alpine riding, light and stiff for the climbs and with great braking performance for the descents. For the sort of riding you mention I'm not sure an aero rim will offer you many benefits, for the Alps you'll not need it on the climbs and shouldn't need any help to go faster on the descents! For sportives, bunch riding would also negate the need for an aero rim, unless you like to hammer it out on the front.
If you have the budget and want the bling factor however, hard to argue with the Zipps as a good all-rounder for most circumstances.0 -
I presume you are comparing firecrests with zeros?
In the Surrey hills there is no advantage to running with aero deep section rims - they are steep, generally poor surfaced roads (some exceptions) requiring heavy braking due to frequency of corners on the descents.
The 303 Firecrest rims come with full carbon construction even in clincher form. I nearly bought a pair - got as far as buying the rear and then chickened out and bought a dura ace C35 front wheel to give a bit more confidence for braking on an aluminium surface.
Haven't really used the above wheels as my bike has zero's which I find more than good enough for my level of incompetence!! The zero's are superb - light, stiff and spin forever.
Peter0 -
I’m lucky enough to own both Zeros and 303 FC tubulars. As previously stated the Zeros are excellent wheels. You DO notice the quality ceramic bearings in the hubs and they really stiff and pretty light for an aluminium clincher, so ideal for climbing. My only issue with them is that on poor road surfaces the stiffness can be a bit tiring after a while as you’ll really feel those bumps, even when running a lower pressure in the tyres. They look great – mine are the red spoked version. They were originally fitted on my best bike but that’s now wearing the 303’s – the Zeros have been moved to the training bike i.e. the one that sees the most action.
I came into a bit of money at the end of last year so splashed out on the 303’s – but due to the sh1t weather they’ve yet to be ridden in anger so can’t give a firsthand comment on how they ride. However they’re 303 FC wheels so by all accounts they’re going to be ace ;-) Apart from the obvious pose factor at sportives, these wheels have been purchased for club time trials and hill climbs.0