Fulcrum Speed 42 wheels review – light, fast and very good in crosswinds

The Fulcrum Speed 42 wheels are a subtly good pair of wheels that are evidently well made and ride excellently. Just be ready to part with a significant figure to get hold of them

Fulcrum Speed 42 wheels
(Image credit: Future)
Cycling Weekly Verdict

These wheels are subtly good, they perform well without ever being showy or loud. They feel very lightweight while riding and coped well in crosswinds too, despite being deeper than their predecessors. The Fulcrum Speed 42s cost a fair bit but the quality that comes with the cost is obvious.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Light

  • +

    Stiff and sturdy

  • +

    Subtle appearance

  • +

    Tubeless ready

  • +

    High build quality

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Joins in the carbon lay up perhaps less tidy than other wheelsets, as fibres became more noticeable over time

  • -

    Expensive

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

According to Fulcrum, the Speed 42 wheels are ‘an evolution without compromises: the new rims – higher, wider, lighter and more aerodynamic – the new hubs and the new spokes come together in a perfect wheel system.’ Now I’m not sure anything is perfect, but once I’d waded through this marketing talk I was inclined to agree that they are, at least, very good.

Out of the box the wheels feel very light and this is clear once they’re in the bike and rolling along. The wheels have a subtle look, meaning they’d suit pretty much any bike, and look all the better when clad in tan wall tires. 

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