Fulcrum racing 3

mrbrightside
mrbrightside Posts: 214
edited May 2013 in Road buying advice
Local shop to me has a pair of fulcrum racing 3's for sale at £315 which is a pretty good price.

I'm currently using an old pair of askium race wheel and have fancied a new set for a while, weight savIng should be 300g's approx. also of note I'm 90kgs but will never really drop to less the 87kgs.

My riding consists of local flat loops of upto 50miles avg 17+ mph and then sportives as and when. Again flat routes however.

Any views on these wheels good, bad or in different as I'm might pick them up on my way home tomorrow...

Comments

  • jimmybloom
    jimmybloom Posts: 82
    I got a set earlier this year and can't fault them. Bargain at that price too! :)
  • Lifeboy123
    Lifeboy123 Posts: 213
    I had the 5s which are the mavic equivalent as yours on my hire bike in Mallorca , very good.
    The 3s are Fulcrums version of the Mavic Elites, which are £450 so you are getting a good deal.
    I'm tempted by them myself but don't im told its not etiquette to mix campag with shimano :(
    I'm told F1s are the real business with ceramic hubs
  • fc racing 3 are the business! as Lifeboy123 said they're the equivalent of Mavics excellent ksyrium elites. The hub design is far better than their newly introduced dc racing quattro which also costs a great deal less. (almost) comparably I've raced and ridden racing 0 which are 3 times the price you're stating and they are about as much as I could ever desire in terms of wheels. They're in the same league as stans alpha 400, campag shamals or mavic Ksyrium elite slr.

    I recon they're a great gift for yourself as a set of summer (we keep waiting!) wheels, while keeping the askiums when things get cold and dirty!

    enjoy, C!
  • mallorcajeff
    mallorcajeff Posts: 1,489
    I had a set and they are fantastic. I have some elites now and they are very similar.
  • yaya
    yaya Posts: 411
    Care to share the name of your LBS? My 3's are running out of braking surface and I'm after a new set:-)
  • mrbrightside
    mrbrightside Posts: 214
    Ive had a look on their website and it would appear the wheels are not on there website. so they are not available online only in store, they don't even list fulcrum wheels so they must be changing distributors or similar.

    However you can pick up a set from Acycles for £330. In white and black, the set I'm looking at are black red. If they are the two way will fit, I will order from acycles to be sure to get a 2013 set.
  • mrbrightside
    mrbrightside Posts: 214
    Picked up the wheels today as I was coming past on the way back from a mtg.

    Nearly walked away empty handed as the wheels were campagnolo fit, however the mechanic butted into the conversation with a fulcrum/shimano free hub in hand (£59.99!) and saved the day. 5 min wait and they were ready.

    Very happy.
  • yaya
    yaya Posts: 411
    They are fantastic wheels and even though they have relatively low number of spokes they are strong and durable (I'm 93kg)

    Mine has now done nearly 10,000km inc. 3 winters and the only reason I need new ones is because the braking surface is severely concaved so they are likely to break soon...


    I'll probably pick up a 2013 set from one of the German online shops as they are cheaper than UK shops even when you add the shipping costs..

    Just every now and then check that the nipples on the back wheel don't come loose because it's a pain to recover them and requires a small magnet and some patience :-)

    I've only opened the rear hub one! Looked at the bearings, they looked at me, I closed it and never opened it again...

    Enjoy!
  • nobrakes71
    nobrakes71 Posts: 52
    Also have a set and very happy - although havent done many miles on them since purchase due to young children at home. When I was doing my research it seemed a good trade off - value for money + they look alright.

    Very smooth ride compared to my previous shimano
  • careful
    careful Posts: 720
    Just re-greased mine after 5500 miles. No signs of wear yet. Maintenance incl bearing removal is easy but not totally intuitive as there are L/H threads involved on the rear drive side. Good videos on u-tube. Also having had a few sets of various fulcrums, I find the quantity of grease is minimal from new. Worth checking and maybe re-lubing after a year or so. While you are there, a spot of light grease in the freehub might be needed if they have got a bit noisy. Excellent wheels though