Fulcrum Racing Zero

Brian1

Been using racing 1s and now need to replace these. About to buy zeros but does anyone have other recommendations. Just ride the the bike for enjoyment and on reasonably flat terrain. Thanks in advance.

sloppyschleckonds

Brian1 wrote:

Just ride the the bike for enjoyment and on reasonably flat terrain.

I've got a set of Campag Khamsins for this sort of riding.

mfin

You can always go for Campagnolo Shamal Ultra, most of the time they are cheaper than Fulcrum Racing Zero for what is a similar wheel (and available for Shimano).

norvernrob

I've got a set of the Zero Nite. Theyre really stiff, light and more importantly look great. The only downside I've found so far is that they need carbon specific pads, not a problem for you on mostly flat but I do loads of climbing/descending and they're absolutely eating through pads. A set of Campagnolo blue on the front has just lasted me around 150 miles. That was in excess of 15,000ft of climbing, but still...wow. Just replaced them with some Swissstop black prince instead.

domgears

I wouldn't bother, they are exactly the same as the R1s just with a blingy carbon hub and USB bearings but the standard cup and cone.

I had a pair of 0s, the bearings ate through the cone, if you were to get the full C.U.L.T set up which includes the hardened cup and cone they would be fine but I find USB not to be woth the additional expense and the cups and cones are actually more than you think to replace.

My cones only lasted 1 year of fair weather cycling in Singapore before they had a nasty rough grove all around them.

Personally, if I was to be in the market for a new pair, I would just go with the 1s, which I am sure you can find a good deal on.

cycleclinic

You can enjoy riding with out spending as much as you are planning. Fulcrum zero are racing wheels with crap seals. You will eat bearings up. Get a cheaper wheelset or get one built. You would get the same fun out ofna set of campagnolo zondo's.

Fine to have nice kit but all the expenvie factory wheels are racing wheels. Shimano dura ace c24 for example have brake tracks that wear out quickly. So bear that in mind before you buy. The bearing issue with the fumcrum racing zero's is a common problem but you should be able to rebuild the hubs with the standard steel bearing hb-re100 service kits but these are £40 per wheel. The usb kits are more expensive still. The lack of grease inside the racing zero nite hubs is also a probable cause of the poor service life.

79543dean

I've done well over 3500 miles on my Racing Zero's and they still run super smooth and true (i'm 79kg). I live in the mountains of South Wales and spend most of my riding either going up or down. These are fantastic wheels.

How Far is too Far

I have recently gone from Fulcrum Zeros to Mavic R Sys Slr and I am very impressed with the Mavic so far. They do look nice as well.

stueys

79543dean wrote:

I've done well over 3500 miles on my Racing Zero's and they still run super smooth and true (i'm 79kg). I live in the mountains of South Wales and spend most of my riding either going up or down. These are fantastic wheels.

Ditto, I've had mine for about 4000 miles with zero mainteance or issues. I'm 78kg, they ride very well and the stiffness makes them a good climbing wheel. I had C24's before and the zero's slightly edge them IMHO

northpole

Stueys wrote:

79543dean wrote:

I've done well over 3500 miles on my Racing Zero's and they still run super smooth and true (i'm 79kg). I live in the mountains of South Wales and spend most of my riding either going up or down. These are fantastic wheels.

Ditto, I've had mine for about 4000 miles with zero mainteance or issues. I'm 78kg, they ride very well and the stiffness makes them a good climbing wheel. I had C24's before and the zero's slightly edge them IMHO

Same here - great wheels which I've used for 3-4 years (generally weekends only). I suspect the rims will wear out long before the bearings give any problems with mine. I also have a pair of DA which some how don't feel quite as full on as the zeros - by that I mean that the zero's are a very stiff feeling wheel, certainly on my bike frame! I suspect as previous post that the shamal ultra's would be just as good. Not so sure about the R Sys - I have a set of the less expensive Premium (I think that's what they're called) which I've never developed proper confidence in the hollow carbon spokes. Others have commented that the bulky spoke profile (relatively speaking!) makes for a significantly less aero wheel - they certainly can be noisy on a breezy day.

Peter

thegreatdivide

Stueys wrote:

79543dean wrote:

I've done well over 3500 miles on my Racing Zero's and they still run super smooth and true (i'm 79kg). I live in the mountains of South Wales and spend most of my riding either going up or down. These are fantastic wheels.

Ditto, I've had mine for about 4000 miles with zero mainteance or issues. I'm 78kg, they ride very well and the stiffness makes them a good climbing wheel. I had C24's before and the zero's slightly edge them IMHO

I rode thousands of miles on my old red spoked version, then sold them to my friend who's done a whole heap more miles on them. In that time they’ve never needed trued or the bearings replaced and they’re still going strong.

I’m now on some Dark Label Zeros but also have RSYS-SLR's with Exalith 2. I've said this in a few similar topics, you will not find a lightweight wheel stiffer than an RSY-SLR. It's incredible and that's where the new Mille and Zero nite get edged out. I'm also dubious about that first generation brake track from Campagnolo but willing to be proven wrong.

cycleclinic – seriously mate, give it a rest ;-)

bobones

thecycleclinic wrote:

Shimano dura ace c24 for example have brake tracks that wear out quickly. So bear that in mind before you buy.

I have a set of Dura Ace C24s that I purchased in February 2012 and the brake tracks are still fine after 12k dryish miles. I do try to avoid riding them in the wet and have other bikes that I'll pick if I know it's going to be raining, but I have been surprised how resilient these wheels have been. I can still clearly see the wear indicators on both wheels and I have never needed to true them or touch the bearings which are still as smooth as the day I bought them. At this rate and with a bit of luck I'll get another 12k miles out of them, but if I don't, I feel I have had my money's worth already. If you ride them all winter, then yes, they could be done in one or two seasons.

Contrast this with the hand-built wheels that I sometimes use on my winter bike. Barely 2k miles on them when the Shimano 105 freehub decides to freewheel both ways leaving me stranded miles from home. I bought a replacement Ultegra freehub for £16.50, but it goes to show that hand built wheels are not necessarily the be all and end all of reliability.

DeVlaeminck

Quite happy with my Zeros - must admit I was wincing a bit though on the Fred Whitton descending 1 in 4 gradient lakeland passes in the wet with the brakes on thinking what it was doing to those expensive to replace rims !

Grill

NorvernRob wrote:

I've got a set of the Zero Nite. Theyre really stiff, light and more importantly look great. The only downside I've found so far is that they need carbon specific pads, not a problem for you on mostly flat but I do loads of climbing/descending and they're absolutely eating through pads. A set of Campagnolo blue on the front has just lasted me around 150 miles. That was in excess of 15,000ft of climbing, but still...wow. Just replaced them with some Swissstop black prince instead.

You're using the wrong pads. The Nites use a specific pad for the PEO coating that is different from the Campag/Fulcrum carbon pad. Probably why you're eating through them.

norvernrob

Grill wrote:

NorvernRob wrote:

I've got a set of the Zero Nite. Theyre really stiff, light and more importantly look great. The only downside I've found so far is that they need carbon specific pads, not a problem for you on mostly flat but I do loads of climbing/descending and they're absolutely eating through pads. A set of Campagnolo blue on the front has just lasted me around 150 miles. That was in excess of 15,000ft of climbing, but still...wow. Just replaced them with some Swissstop black prince instead.

You're using the wrong pads. The Nites use a specific pad for the PEO coating that is different from the Campag/Fulcrum carbon pad. Probably why you're eating through them.

The pads came with the wheels! If they're the wrong ones, any chance you can link me to the correct ones anywhere? I'm currently using Black Prince, I haven't done as much climbing/descending as usual lately but they still produce a lot of brake dust.

Grill

The pads in question are BR-PEO500(X depending on fixing). Should have been delivered withe the correct pads. Haven't heard of premature wear before, so I'd take it up with Fulcrum. I'll let you know how long mine last.

tartysurfer

I too have just got a pair of Zero nites. First few rides have shown them to be excellent (both on rolling terrain and for climbing), especially coming from a set of Mavik Aksiums :-) I'm running them with the supplied pads, and have 2 questions:-
1) Under hard breaking (ie, descending) I am getting a lot of squel, any suggestions to address this?
2) Are the pads specific to the Nites, ie, can I use a set of carbon wheels with the same pads? Failing that, suggestions for a set of pads that will be best for running with the nites and a set of carbon wheels?

Thanks all.

Grill

1) toe in the pads.
2) The pads are specific to the Nites. Don't run one set of pads for both them and carbon wheels unless you want to ruin your carbon wheels.

ugo.santalucia

Tartysurfer wrote:

2) Are the pads specific to the Nites, ie, can I use a set of carbon wheels with the same pads? Failing that, suggestions for a set of pads that will be best for running with the nites and a set of carbon wheels?

Thanks all.

THey sit at the opposite side of the hardness spectrum.

The Zero nite have a hard anodised coat, which means they need harder pads than those you would use for carbon, which is the softest among brake track materials. The one pad fits all approach seems to be catching up these days, as people can't be bothered and some can't even change a pair of pads, but I am not convinced it is the best approach, especially given the cost of these rims

Grill

ASFAIK the only carbon wheels that you can use standard pads and allow you to swap with alu wheels are Xentis. You'll be writing off anything else.

tartysurfer

Thanks all for the replies,

1) will try adjusting the pads and see if that improves the situation
2) will get some pads for my carbon rims and practise getting faster at changing pads when required :-)

blackpoolkev

Am I right in thinking that Fulcrum Racing Zero's are exactly the same wheel as Campagnolo Shamal Ultras?
They look the same, the spec seems identical.
I bought a pair of the Shamal Ultras to replace a set of Mavic Ksyrium Elite's. I didn't initially think that there was much difference, though to be fair it's probably hard to differentiate between two highly competent wheels.
I'm certainly no racer, more of an older casual rider that likes to push hard regularly for 40/50 miles.

I usually ride solo but I'm happy to roll along with similar speed riders that I come across. And here's the point - since I bought the Shamal Ultras, my freewheeling and downhill speeds seem to be way better than the other folk I come across.
Maybe it's just a coincidence and I am crossing paths with rider that have poorly rolling wheels. Or the ceramic bearings in the carbon hubs really do make a difference.

There certainly isn't a huge difference between the two sets of wheels that I have mentioned above, but if you need to change your wheels and are happy to pay for the small improvement, don't let me stop you.

Grill

Yup, same wheel with the exception that the Ultras use the G3 lacing pattern on the rear wheel.

domgears

blackpoolkev wrote:

Am I right in thinking that Fulcrum Racing Zero's are exactly the same wheel as Campagnolo Shamal Ultras?
They look the same, the spec seems identical.
I bought a pair of the Shamal Ultras to replace a set of Mavic Ksyrium Elite's. I didn't initially think that there was much difference, though to be fair it's probably hard to differentiate between two highly competent wheels.
I'm certainly no racer, more of an older casual rider that likes to push hard regularly for 40/50 miles.

I usually ride solo but I'm happy to roll along with similar speed riders that I come across. And here's the point - since I bought the Shamal Ultras, my freewheeling and downhill speeds seem to be way better than the other folk I come across.
Maybe it's just a coincidence and I am crossing paths with rider that have poorly rolling wheels. Or the ceramic bearings in the carbon hubs really do make a difference.

There certainly isn't a huge difference between the two sets of wheels that I have mentioned above, but if you need to change your wheels and are happy to pay for the small improvement, don't let me stop you.

I actually found that my Racing 3s did the same as you describe but not the 0s, although you will most likely find the reason you freewheel faster downhill than another person is due to 2 things, if you are heavier and/or more aero, I don't think there would be a detectable or measurable difference between ceramic or steel bearings.

thegreatdivide

domgears wrote:

blackpoolkev wrote:

Am I right in thinking that Fulcrum Racing Zero's are exactly the same wheel as Campagnolo Shamal Ultras?
They look the same, the spec seems identical.
I bought a pair of the Shamal Ultras to replace a set of Mavic Ksyrium Elite's. I didn't initially think that there was much difference, though to be fair it's probably hard to differentiate between two highly competent wheels.
I'm certainly no racer, more of an older casual rider that likes to push hard regularly for 40/50 miles.

I usually ride solo but I'm happy to roll along with similar speed riders that I come across. And here's the point - since I bought the Shamal Ultras, my freewheeling and downhill speeds seem to be way better than the other folk I come across.
Maybe it's just a coincidence and I am crossing paths with rider that have poorly rolling wheels. Or the ceramic bearings in the carbon hubs really do make a difference.

There certainly isn't a huge difference between the two sets of wheels that I have mentioned above, but if you need to change your wheels and are happy to pay for the small improvement, don't let me stop you.

I actually found that my Racing 3s did the same as you describe but not the 0s, although you will most likely find the reason you freewheel faster downhill than another person is due to 2 things, if you are heavier and/or more aero, I don't think there would be a detectable or measurable difference between ceramic or steel bearings.

Drag yes weight no.

norvernrob

Grill wrote:

The pads in question are BR-PEO500(X depending on fixing). Should have been delivered withe the correct pads. Haven't heard of premature wear before, so I'd take it up with Fulcrum. I'll let you know how long mine last.

Thanks, I'll order some more. The pads came sealed in the bag with the other bits and bobs for the wheels so it'd be strange if they were the wrong ones.

I think it's purely the amount of braking I do. Often over 100ft per mile of climbing, lots of single tracks, often unsighted bends with poor surfaces so you can't let the bike go on the descents.

The last couple of rides I've headed East instead, which is much flatter than the Peaks (50ft per mile average) and I've hardly had to use the brakes so they would last a whole lot longer riding 'normal' terrain.

DKay

thegreatdivide wrote:

Drag yes weight no.

You are forgetting that increased mass also increases momentum.

piersj01

Has anyone had any problems with Fulcrum Racing Zero Nites wearing away the brake track?

Am considering either buying these or Zipp 202s.

Thanks

northpole

I'm afraid that I would not bother with the black brake track rims. Some folks have no problems but lots of others do. Where does that leave you with the laws of probability? I'd rather not get into warranty arguments about where I was riding, how often I clean the brake pads, etc. I've really enjoyed ordinary zeros and others have similar feedback on ordinary rimmed shamal ultras - my advice would be to get the cheaper deal available on either and you'll have a great set of wheels with no worries about the black fading. Something it will do, eventually.

Peter

norvernrob

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19720776#p19720776]piersj01[/url] wrote:

Has anyone had any problems with Fulcrum Racing Zero Nites wearing away the brake track?

Am considering either buying these or Zipp 202s.

Thanks

I have done around 1000 miles on my set. The only damage came when Garmin led us down a track that turned into a mudbath, in pouring rain. I had to keep stopping to poke the mud out of the forks and brakes with a stick, then wash it off in a muddy puddle when we eventually got back to a main road!

I was 50 miles from home at this point and could hear a horrible scratching when braking. I thought the brake track would be destroyed, but it wasn't anywhere near as bad as I feared. A few scratches that you can't see from a few feet away. I did contact the distributor who offered to send them to Fulcrum for warranty replacement but I decided it wasn't worth bothering.

Since then I've been caught in the rain a few times with no further damage, so IME you need to abuse them horribly to actually affect the black coating. I'm still not sure I'd buy them again over the normal racing zero but they do look fantastic.

If you do buy them, look at bike24 and get Wiggle to price match - due to the exchange rate I ordered from bike24 and they cost £690, I didn't realise at the time though that Wiggle list them as one of the shops they will match.

twotyred

I run Racing Ones also. Fantastic, super stiff, great handling wheels that have given me no problems, except for one worn rear bearing replacement, over 4 years. If they needed replacing I'd probably buy another set as I don't think there's anything better out there for the money.