Sitting at the the top of Fulcrum's range of road wheels, the Italian wheel expert has adapted its snappy carbon Speed 40 clinchers for disc brakes.
- Best road wheels - our top picks
- ENVE's all-road wheels get shallower and lighter with the SES 3.4 AR
Fulcrum initially reworked the Speed 40 with disc brakes last year, but it was only available as a tubular. Now, Fulcrum has made a disc version of the clincher.
Fulcrum Speed 40 DB highlights
- Two-way fit tubeless-ready
- Undrilled spoke bead
- 19mm internal width
- 1,470g claimed weight
The rims are finished in the same Gucci-looking twill carbon as the rim brake Speed 40s, but the new Speed 40 DBs now get Fulcrum’s two-way fit, meaning they can be run tubeless — an omission that we knocked the rim version for when we reviewed them in 2017, especially given that they both feature an undrilled rim bed.
With no holes in the rim bed, the Speed 40 DB still uses the MoMag system for placing the spoke nipples. Not only does this create fewer places for air to escape your tubeless setup, but it also means that a standard external nipple can be used in the wheel — Fulcrum also claims this makes for a more robust rim.
Both wheels get the brand's 2:1 spoke ratio, the rear with 14 on the right (drive) side with an oversized hub flange and the front with 14 on the left (brake) side. Fulcrum says offsetting the spoke count on each side of the wheel helps to better distribute the forces coming from the drivetrain and brakes.
In between the tyre bead the Speed 40 DB bumps out an additional 2mm of width, now claimed to measure 19mm, and the external width is said to be 26.5mm. Fulcrum recommends a 28mm tyre for the Speed 40 DB, but the spec sheet claims the rim will support up to 50mm of rubber.
The rim profile appears to be more truncated than the Speed 40s we tested in 2017, and on paper should help with the buffeting in side winds.
Considering these are touted to be some of the Fulcrum's fastest wheels it’s no surprise to see them spinning on USB ceramic adjustable cup and cone bearings, not only for their lack of friction but also easy maintenance.
Claimed to tip the scales at 1,470g that’s only 50g more than the rim brake version, and about 100g more than the tubular Speed 40 DB. They also come with a max rider weight of 109kg.
Set to cost €2,045, the Fulcrum Speed 40 DBs don't quite hit the HALO pricing of offerings from Zipp and Enve, but they ain't cheap either. International pricing is TBC.