Fulcrum has launched its new Sharq all-road carbon wheelset with a distinctive wavy rim profile designed to make the wheels more aerodynamically efficient in mixed wind conditions.
We’ve seen rim profiles like this before that are claimed to shrug off crosswinds more effectively than standard round rims. Zipp’s Sawtooth profile (as seen on its NSW line of road bike wheels) is arguably the most famous, but other brands, such as Princeton CarbonWorks, have also got in on the act.
The wheelset is claimed to be designed for a mix of riding, covering the wide spectrum between endurance road use and gravel racing.
With a price tag of €2,460 / £2,289 / $2,807, the wheelset is built using much of Fulcrum’s premium-level componentry.
A rim like a shark’s fin
Fulcrum says after reviewing its current range of carbon wheels, the Sharq was designed to excel on mixed surfaces, with particular attention paid to handling stability and reactivity under power.
Using CFD analysis, Fulcrum says it developed seven rim designs and whittled those down to the two best-performing options for aerodynamic efficiency with the help of further wind-tunnel testing.
Given its desire to promote handling stability, Fulcrum claims it focused on performance in yaw angles of up to 20 per cent.
The first proposed design, called a ‘1-Wave Rim’, used a symmetrical waveform – 47mm deep at the spoke nipples, before shallowing out to 42mm in between.
The second design, called a ‘2-Wave Rim’, makes the rim appear uniform when viewed from the side (two-dimensionally), but with a visible depression in the rim when viewed at an angle – this is the design Fulcrum settled on.
These slants are effectively smoothed-out cutaways, which in theory help to keep air attached to the rim for longer at greater yaw angles.
In contrast, viewed directly side-on, SRAM’s SawTooth profile sees a longer slanted edge before cutting back at a more acute angle, and the NSW rims use a textured surface for aerodynamic gain.
Fulcrum doesn’t say which specific wheelsets it used as benchmarks for its comparative testing, but against a (presumably) uniform rim, it claims the final 2-Way Rim design saves 21 per cent energy at 0-10 degrees of yaw, and 29 per cent at 10-20 degrees.
These results were achieved using a 700x30c Pirelli P Zero Race TLR road tyre.
The rims are hooked, although optimised for use with tubeless tyres, and measure 25mm wide internally. Fulcrum claims the Sharq wheelset can accommodate tyres ranging from 700x29-71c.
Established tech matched to new spokes
Because the rims feature a smooth, undrilled rim bed, rim tape isn’t required for a tubeless tyre setup (or to protect the tube in a clincher setup).
This means the alloy nipples are installed using the ‘MoMag’ technique it shares with Campagnolo. This sees magnets used to orient the nipples into the holes, having been inserted into the hollow rim cavity through the valve hole.
The rims feature Fulcrum’s C-Lux finish, which the brand claims aids easier tyre installation, with the rims exhibiting a matt finish with a mix of lasered and applied decals.
The Sharq wheelset is fitted with new ‘A3RO’ spokes, which are said to be aerodynamically optimised for the rim design without compromising stability.
These are bladed, with a straight-pull interface claimed to match the alloy hub body to ensure they can’t rotate and misalign, according to the brand.
The hubs are made of milled alloy, housing Fulcrum’s cup-and-cone USB (Ultra Smooth Bearing) ceramic bearings.
Like Fulcrum’s other wheels, they continue to use a preload system. The disc brake rotor fits using an external splined interface so you don’t have to remove the rotor whenever you adjust the preload or service the hub.
Inside the freehub is a three-pawl engagement system, with each pawl featuring three ridges on their outside face.
These are intended to spread the engagement forces on the outer ratchet ring’s 36 teeth, equating to a 10-degree engagement angle.
Fulcrum claims the wheelset weighs 1,440g – on the BikeRadar Scales of Truth, they weighed 1,444g with a SRAM XDR freehub body fitted.
The tubeless valves add 5g apiece and the lockrings another 12g each, totalling 1,478g.
Fulcrum Sharq wheelset prices and availability
The Fulcrum Sharq wheelset costs €2,460 / £2,289 / $2,807 and is available from today.
It can be bought with all major freehub body formats: Shimano HG and Microspline, SRAM XDR and Campagnolo N3W.
We’ll be putting it through its paces soon.
