In The Know Cycling

The Fulcrum Speed 25 wheelset can serve two purposes for the road cycling enthusiast. It’s light and stiff enough to climb mountain roads, and its low-profile rims make it a suitable all-arounder for those riding in windy areas.

A smooth-rolling hubset, dead-quiet freehub, and ample compliance make the miles I’ve spent on the Fulcrum Speed 25 a real pleasure. My rides on this wheelset are more like low-stress outings than test rides.

High-intensity interval training, or HIIT workouts, seem less intense and less of a workout on this Fulcrum wheelset.  It makes climbing steep mountain roads less about the effort I’m putting into climbing and more about the experience I’m getting on the mountain.

It’s almost as if the Fulcrum Speed 25 is the wheelset equivalent of “comfort food” for climbing and rolling around on my bike on any terrain.

The Fulcrum Speed 25 labeling is modest, consistent with its smooth ride

Yet despite all of the pleasure I get riding the Fulcrum Speed 25 and my evaluation that it performs on par with the average of the climbing wheelsets we’ve tested, it doesn’t stand out for any one or combination of attributes beyond its smooth rolling and riding comfort.

It’s not as stiff as the stiffest climbers or as responsive as the most nimble ones. While this wheelset is certainly light at 1299 grams with a Shimano HG 11-speed hub on my scale, there are lighter and heavier ones in this climbing wheels category. And though my experience is admittedly more anecdotal than scientific, the Fulcrum Speed 25 has never been the fastest wheelset I’ve ridden up long, steep climbs in head-to-head comparisons against other climbing wheels.

Going downhill on the Fulcrum Speed 25 is a blast. With 28mm tires on its 21mm internal width rims, the cornering is confident, the ride comfortable, and the speed is as fast as you want to make it.

Yet at nearly 27mm deep, I’ll guess (since I can’t test) that you can’t go as fast as some of the others in this category that are 10-15mm deeper. On the flats, I don’t feel any aid from this wheelset in maintaining my speed above 20mph/32kph the way all-around wheels with a 45mm or deeper set of rims can provide.

Like all the wheelsets I’ve tested in the climbing category, including the deeper ones, this Fulcrum wheelset isn’t bothered by side winds, either on the flats or in the mountains. On the windiest days, I feel the high cross winds pushing my torso, but not this wheelset.

For some cycling enthusiasts, a light wheelset that climbs well, is unaffected by crosswinds, and is a real joy to ride on any paved road terrain is more important than having the fastest performer. If that speaks to you, this wheelset is worth considering.

With a retail price of US$2600, £2000, €2250 but available for less from some stores, you can order the Fulcrum Speed 25 wheelset at Merlin.

Compare our reviews and ratings of the Fulcrum Speed 25 with competitively performing models in my review of the Best Lightweight Wheels For Climbing.

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