Fulcrum Speed Team: A Subtle Evolution

Fulcrum, the renowned Italian brand, expands its Speed range in 2025 with the Speed Team 42 and 57, a variant of the Speed 42 and 57 carbon wheels launched in 2023. In the tradition of the old Competizione finishes – boosted versions of the standard models – these wheels combine style and performance. Designed in Italy and made in Europe, they adopt Campagnolo technologies such as the C-Lux finish and USB™ bearings, while drawing on user feedback despite the end of pro sponsorship with Cofidis in 2022. With a dazzling chrome design and technical improvements, these carbon wheels target demanding cyclists, whether they are after versatility or pure speed. But the price gap with the standard versions raises questions. Let’s look at these new models in detail.

The Speed Team range: new features and innovations

The Speed Team 42 and 57 build on the strengths of the standard versions, which had already won people over with their dimensions optimised for aerodynamics – validated in the wind tunnel to minimise drag at high speed. They also keep the Two-to-One spoking system, with 24 spokes arranged to maximise stiffness and balance tension, a valuable asset when climbing or sprinting. The 2-Way-Fit technology, a Fulcrum signature, is also retained: it guarantees an exceptional finish allowing tubeless or inner tube set-up without additional rim tape. This solid base, inherited from the 2023 Speed 42 and 57, remains a strong argument for cyclists looking for reliable, high-performance carbon wheels, whether for hilly routes or fast stages. But the Speed Team go further, incorporating changes intended to refine the experience.

The big new feature is both aesthetic and technical: a C-Lux finish, a mirror polish found on Campagnolo wheels, which gives the rims a distinctive chrome shine. This treatment, applied to high-modulus unidirectional FF100 carbon, is not just about style: it slightly improves surface resistance. On the mechanical side, Fulcrum has lightened the freehub – still Campagnolo, with 36 teeth for fast 10° engagement – and fitted it with USB™ ceramic bearings, reducing friction for greater smoothness. These adjustments allow a modest but real weight saving: 15 g for the 42 mm, 25 g for the 57 mm. Made in Europe and assembled by hand, these carbon wheels display impeccable craftsmanship. Yet at €2,390 against €1,999 for the standard Speed (+€391), the changes remain relatively minor. The base was already excellent: aerodynamics and stiffness have not been revolutionised, and the extra cost seems linked more to the premium design and ceramic bearings than to a step change in performance. The price of style, perhaps, more than a radical transformation.