Choosing your bike wheelset is as important as upgrading the car’s wheel because they will affect the bike overall’s performance and when choosing one, it should be matched with our activity as well. For those road riders, Fulcrum Racing 3 Vs Mavic Ksyrium Elite are two ideal options to pick due to their reliable quality but, it is also true that they are a two different sets. Before shopping, see what they can offer below to see if any of them will fit your bike.
In this article, we are going to give you information about:
– Changing Bicycle Wheelset
– How to Shop for a Wheelset
– What are Fulcrum Racing 3 and Mavic Ksyrium Elite
– What Fulcrum Racing 3 and Mavic Ksyrium Elite Look Like
– What Fulcrum Racing 3 and Mavic Ksyrium Elite can offer to you
– How are the Performance of Fulcrum Racing 3 and Mavic Ksyrium Elite
– Fulcrum Racing 3 vs Mavic Ksyrium Elite
Aftermarket Wheelset
Bicycling has been a new trend in many modern cities around the world when there are too many cars on the road and the receding of fresh air quality which is not only sounds bad but actually bad for us who live in the area. It is seen as a new solution to both avoid getting irritated due to jammed road and let the body moves or be active to achieve your new fitness goal. Besides some little disadvantages, bicycling is delivering more benefits for the cyclist.
Before deciding on running the new lifestyle, almost all of us have to consider the gear to have first such as the bike, safety equipment, or even aftermarket accessories to upgrade your bike such as with Shimano A530 Vs M324 hybrid pedal. Bicycle comes with nicely standard accessories or stock set of their model and many of us are fine with them at least until facing some problems or issues that require them to be replaced and one of the most often upgrade parts from the bike is their wheels.
Stock wheels are reliable and many of them do perform very well as much as sturdy but for a more serious cyclist, upgrading to a better or certain model will be more beneficial to fit their activity. However, before shopping for a new one, it is better to look for the one that is compatible with the bike first.
Shopping for Wheelset
The number one step is checking tire dimension and road bike often written with for example 700×23; 700 being the size that correspond the outer diameter of tire in mm and 23 is the actual width of tire. Second is tire type and the most often used is clincher type in which the tube’s valve type, Scrader or Presta have to match with the hole on the wheel’s rim but if tubeless is being used, we also need the one that is suitable with tubeless tires.
Third is brake type and make sure to get the one fits your bike for example Rim brakes will need a wheel with a flat rim sidewall to align with the surface of the brake shoe. Fourth is Axle attachment because there are quick-release and thru axle so check which being used on the bike and make sure to check both front and rear. Fifth is Axle Dimensions and it is compiling both diameter and length because we don’t want to get a wheel that is too wide or narrow.
The last important part to determine first before shopping is the Rear hub type and it is deciding how the rear wheel engages with the cogs in our bicycle’s drivetrain because currently, we have Freehub and Threaded hub in which the latter is often seen on older 5-7 speed bikes.
About Fulcrum Racing 3
If you already check all of these requirements, now is the time to see what the market has to offer since there are lots of them out there and despite having the perfect match, we also still have to consider the price point as well, for not all of us will have the same budget range to spend. Among those many aftermarket wheels manufacturers, Fulcrum is one of the best brands to go because they are shining in terms of reliability and endurance especially the Racing 3 wheels.
This model is described as the all-rounder option for any cyclist but focus more on road riders and even claimed to be the ideal mid-range solution with its advanced shock absorption thanks to its aerodynamic steel spokes. Racing 3 is indeed made for the cyclist who want to train and prepare a better performance on the real game or those enthusiasts who are seeking a better performance out of their bike without sacrificing versatility for everyday ride and comfort.
Fulcrum Racing 3 Design
This wheelset is already very attractive right off the bat because in terms of style, it is quite eye catching but not overly asked for attention. It is subtle but as the name suggests, this wheel is designed to give you an aerodynamic ride as well which is why it is not only made from stainless steel to be durable but also comes with blade shape spokes. As for the braking system Fulcrum Racing 3 is made to be used with caliper or rim brakes.
Fulcrum Racing 3 Tech
As many of you may already know, this wheel is currently not available for tubeless tires and only offered for clincher type so make sure that it suits your bike. Similar to the spokes, Fulcrum Racing 3 rims is also made with aluminum and it is using Fulcrum’s patented technology called ROB Rim Dynamic Balance in which is obtained by using two oversized spokes in the section opposite the joint and it is meant to balance the rotational dynamics. Furthermore they also use 2:1 ratio on required parts.
This is to handle the slackening freewheel spokes induced by the rotational force on the sprocket that result in a consequent loss of rim tension. This issue will introduce flex of the whole wheel and loss of energy. Uniquely, the wheel is made with no holes design on the rim and it means they are uniform at every point and will relief stress as well as weakness zone and since there is no rim tape required, it also means weight reduction.
Fulcrum Racing 3 Performance
Fulcrum Racing 3 is weighed around 1560 grams and it is very light for a wheel in the same price range yet not necessarily the lightest. When used to ride in a friendly environment, they feel very sturdy and doesn’t put much weight despite being ridden by a rider slightly above 200 lbs. and it still fine even after more than 5500 miles. The most often mentioned cons of the wheel is it will need quite the amount of power or good tire tools to mount which is not great for female cyclist.
About Mavic Ksyrium Elite
Racing 3 is indeed a good option and it is a very strong wheel for your daily commuting or for training but, its lack of collection for those tubeless riders can be quite the drawback. If you are not using clincher, there is another nice option that you may want to take a look at and what we mean is Mavic especially the Ksyrium Elite. The model is going with UST today but still have the similar benefit and fit either tubeless or tube.
If you ever use the older version, this new addition is still very similar to its tube set since they also include a set of tires as well. What’s more attractive from Mavic that we can enjoy with the set is they will offer a lifetime of hassle-free installation and maintenance when using the UST tubeless approved products because now the control and manufacturing provides the optimum rim diameter and a precise tire bead diameter.
Mavic Ksyrium Elite Design
When you place the Ksyrium Elite especially the UST version with Racing 3, both of them are similarly coming with blade spokes for better ergonomic and similarly, both of the rear and front axles are using quick release system. The overall material is listed as aluminum both on the front and rear bodies as well as the axle. It is not as heavy as the other wheel because without the tire their cumulative weight is about 1520 grams while the maximum weight is up to 120kg or 264.5 lbs. including the bike.
Mavic Ksyrium Elite Tech
On the technology parts, here we are going to focus on the new models which us tubeless ready and it is improved from those released back then since it is now using Maxtal aluminum alloy and it is claimed to be even higher in strength compared to weight that used to be 6061. The overall body is also made to be lighter by removing the material away from the spoke bed in between the nipples so while it is not looking as aggressive, the final result indeed gives a more wavy appearance.
As for the amount of spokes, the front wheel is kept light with only using 18 spokes while the rear is strengthened with 20 double butted, straight pull, flats or blade spokes with radial pattern. Similar to the older version, its flanges are pretty large and does take the loads as they run, moreover with Mavic reputation of durable performance.
Mavic Ksyrium Elite Performance
Many people who have been trying this wheel doesn’t regret buying them because the money does speak in terms of construction and durability which often land as our first goal when looking for a road wheel. Mavic Ksyrium Elite also doesn’t weigh the bike but can’t be considered light as well and as for the tires, it does improved very well in wet and potholes compared to the older version. The only complaint is it seems Mavic newer products doesn’t feel as durable for prolonged use anymore.
Comparison
Comparing different wheelset we also see different opinion on why people love or despising these two popular models. What set them apart prominently in our opinion is Mavic is tubeless ready and with the set we get a tire in which some probably prefer or not. Overall, their construction and durability for everyday cycling is very similar but Mavic is slightly lighter despite Fulcrum having a little bit less front spokes. However, Mavic is easier to setup if compared to Fulcrum which the process can get quite infuriating.
Fulcrum Racing 3 vs Mavic Ksyrium Elite
Conclusion
Up to this point, we are sure most readers can already decide on which wheel to get between these two versatile, aerodynamic road wheelset because they have different shining part. However, if we are to choose, we do like Mavic Ksyrium Elite better because it is more affordable, tubeless-ready, come with the tire setup, as well as reliable for daily riding.