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Fulcrum Racing Zero Cmptzn DB steps up the competition in alloy road wheels

Fulcrum Racing Zero Cmptzn DB alloy road wheels, machined aluminum 19mm internal black label CULT ceramic bearing all road bike wheelset
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Fulcrum’s top-level Razing Zero wheel line gets a new, more affordable alloy all-rounder in the new Racing Zero Cmptzn DB. Using the same premium tubeless wheel spec with aluminum spokes, carbon hubs & ceramic bearings as in the top Razing Zero Carbon DB, the new black label Racing Zero Cmptzn rolls out a lightweight disc brake wheelset that’s ready to hit the road at about half the price of carbon.

Fulcrum Racing Zero Cmptzn DB aluminum road wheels

Fulcrum Racing Zero Cmptzn DB alloy road wheels, machined aluminum 19mm internal black label CULT ceramic bearing all road bike wheelset

Fulcrum’s latest top-spec aluminum disc brake Racing Zero wheels take the name Cmptzn, dropping all the vowels out of the former rim brake Competizione version. (Where we’re going, we don’t need vowels!) Besides dropping a few letters, these new disc brake wheels step up the stealth factor in all black-on-black, while retaining the premium tech that makes Racing Zero well suited for everything from road racing to everyday all-road riding.

Racing Zero Cmptzn DB – Tech details

Fulcrum Racing Zero Cmptzn DB alloy road wheels, machined aluminum 19mm internal black label CULT ceramic bearing all road bike wheelset

At the heart of a Racing Zero Cmptzn DB wheelset are the oversized machined hubs, with a carbon front hubshell. Inside of that, the same premium CULT (Ceramic Ultimate Level Tech) ceramic bearings on treated steel races that make Campy wheels spin smoothly are lubricated with oil (vs. heavier grease) for reduced friction & greater longevity. Hubs all spin on aluminum axles for 12mm thru-axles only, with AFS centerlock rotor interfaces, and Campy, HG11 & XDR compatibility.

Fulcrum Racing Zero Cmptzn DB alloy road wheels, machined aluminum 19mm internal black label CULT ceramic bearing all road bike wheelset

The wheels get 2:1 spoke lacing both front & rear to better balance spoke tension from disc brake to driveside. And they use the proven strong flattened aero, double-butted alloy spokes with straight pull heads. Both Campagnolo & Fulcrum talk up this setup for creating a strong & responsive wheel, which I’ve seen proven out on the road. While replacement spokes can’t simply be picked up in your local shop, I’ve had one snapped in a pretty hairy cyclocross pileup that didn’t even knock the alloy rim out of true, then had the spoke replaced two days later.

Fulcrum Racing Zero Cmptzn DB alloy road wheels, machined aluminum 19mm internal black label CULT ceramic bearing all road bike wheelset

The Italian-made 30mm deep 700c aluminum rim itself isn’t to be overlooked either. Fulcrum uses a 6082-T6 alloy said to be “Pre-Aged” for improved strength & resilience. The rims get wide for road 19mm internals (23.8mm external) with 2-Way Fit tubeless-ready hooked beads. Then Fulcrum machines them down in between each of the evenly space 21 spokes front & rear to minimize weight. Fulcrum does not drill the rim bed for each spoke, instead using their Mo Mag tech to guide nipples into place via the valve hole, making for a tape-free tubeless setup and less extra weight at the rim bed.

Fulcrum claims a complete wheelset weight of 1570g for the Racing Zero Cmptzn DB, and rates them for rider+bike+gear of up to 120kg/265lb.

Racing Zero Cmptzn – Pricing & availability

Fulcrum Racing Zero Cmptzn DB alloy road wheels, machined aluminum 19mm internal black label CULT ceramic bearing all road bike wheelset

The ceramic bearing equipped alloy Racing Zero Cmptzn DB wheels are offered in Campagnolo or Shimano HG11 freehubs for $1445 / 1190€, or with a SRAM XDR driver for $1455 / 1198€. All new CMPTZN wheels are available now from Fulcrum dealers. Standard Racing Zero DB wheels with USB bearings & a minor weight penalty are available for 950€.

FulcrumWheels.com

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On_ur_left
On_ur_left
4 years ago

These look great but the price is quite high! I just picked up a pair of Mavic Ksyrium Elite UST rim brake wheels with the same 19 mm internal width, designed for tubeless, 1520 grams, and come with tires and sealant for less than half of the price. The disc brake wheels look the same and weigh 1670 grams and can be had for the same price. Assuming the performance and durability are the same, I wonder what 100 grams and ceramic bearings are worth – $700-$800?

blahblahblah
blahblahblah
4 years ago
Reply to  On_ur_left

they’re just not any bearing they’re “Ceramic Ultimate Level Tech” lol!

drjwbriand
drjwbriand
4 years ago
Reply to  On_ur_left

on ur left,i picked up a pair of the same mavics and i love them too. i don’t even want to tell you what i paid for them but i should have bought 2 sets! i ride them with tubes cuz i’m not totally sold on ust yet,but i weigh 255 lbs and amazingly i’m still in their weight limit! unless somebody is paying me to ride i just can’t see shelling out that much! rockon!

Jason L
Jason L
4 years ago

Yeah, I’m not seeing the value here. The weight isn’t all that competitive for the price. Add to that the proprietary spokes and no access to the nipples and I’m running away.

Greg
Greg
4 years ago
Reply to  Jason L

The lack of access to the nipples is a plus. You can still get to them if needed, say, to replace a spoke. It’s just a little more involved. But corrosion from sealant is much much harder to happen.
As far as value, the Cult bearings are very expensive. As mentioned at the end of the article, the one with USB bearings (also ceramic but less fancy) are $500 cheaper. The Cult bearings, however, are super super durable, unlike a lot of ceramics.

onrhodes
4 years ago

Keep in mind MSRP is $1445. In over 30 years of riding Campy products I have never seen their wheels stay at MSRP for very long. You can usually find a good deal on them unless you have to be one of those early adopter types.

Velobuck
Velobuck
4 years ago

I’ve ridden campy Eurus 2 way fit wheels for about 10 yrs, which are very similar to these.
I installed Hutchinson tubeless tires with a floor pump and road them for a month before I learned they NEEDED sealant! DOH! (This WAS when tubeless road was in its infancy.)
I bought them over the winter for around 40% off retait and I’m glad I did. I find the aluminum spokes and g3 pattern makes for a robust and light pair of wheels. They gave me confidence when railing hard corners, and going up short and steep inclines. The hubs remain silky smooth, and in almost 10 years of regular riding, I’ve only had to tru the front wheel once because a runaway shopping cart.
Even though they were a bit expensive, I still feel like it’s a decent investment.

drjwbriand
drjwbriand
4 years ago
Reply to  Velobuck

velobuck,i think that eurus’ are the best bang for the buck of the campy/fulcrum wheels.agree with your sentiments. rock on!

SoCo
SoCo
4 years ago

Not all rotating mass is the same. Alu rims on light hubs is akin to doctoring the book and just bad engineering. The wheels may sound like they have a semicompetitive weight but will ride with the feel of $400 cosmics. Inertia = mass × radius^2

JBikes
JBikes
4 years ago
Reply to  SoCo

So aluminum rim on heavy hubs?

Dragos
Dragos
2 years ago

These will be my training wheels. Not sure why are the weight weenies trolling. These are not carbon wheels folks! Have rarely see alu with db under 1500g. And while Mavic are cheaper I prefer the campy hubs period!

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