Fulcrum joined the wavy rims crew with the launch of its Sharq all-road wheels last year, and it has now unveiled higher waves designed to offer a greater aero benefit with its Sharq 57.
The size of those waves? The new rim varies in depth from 57mm to 62mm (so it’s within the UCI’s new maximum rim depth for wheels in mass start races), the idea being to improve airflow and reduce turbulence at high speeds. We’ve seen wavy rims from the likes of Zipp and Princeton over the past few years, which aim to reduce drag while maintaining stability in crosswinds.
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Fulcrum says that its wind tunnel and road tests have shown that with 30mm tyres fitted, the Sharq 57 offers “a 10% improvement in aerodynamic efficiency compared to the Sharq 42, at 45km/h [28mph]; Sharq 57 is therefore faster in real-world conditions”.
The Sharq 42 rim is 42-47mm deep. Fulcrum doesn’t offer aero comparisons with other wheels.
Like the Sharq 42, the Sharq 57 is made from FF100 high modulus carbon fibre and, it says, “The undrilled rim bed maintains the continuity of the fibres, improving both elasticity and power transfer.”
> Fulcrum goes all-road with the wave-shaped Sharq wheelset
Fulcrum reckons that the 2-Wave Rim design – with a central symmetrical wave and two asymmetrical side waves, if you want to get specific – improves control and stability. In terms of handling, Fulcrum says the new wheelset is very similar to the Sharq 42 and better than the Speed 57, which comes with a continuous 57mm rim height.
The rim has an inner width is 25mm, compared with 23mm for the Speed 57, designed for running wider tyres at lower pressures; Fulcrum sees these wheels “at the top of the all-road performance category”.
“In-house tests with 30mm tyres, at pressures between 2.5 and 4.5 bar [36-65 PSI] at speeds between 30 and 40 km/h [19-25mph], have confirmed the greater absorption of the vibrations in all conditions, compared to Sharq 42 and Speed 57,” says Fulcrum.
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Being deeper, the Sharq 57 is a little heavier than the 42 – 1,520g versus 1,440g, according to the Italian brand’s own figures.
Fulcrum says, “According to [our] protocol, which analyses the flexion and torsion based on the energy required to move the wheel, the Sharq 57 registered only -5.6% reactivity compared to the Sharq 42. Whilst seemingly negative at a cursory glance, this is actually an excellent result. This aspect is affected mainly by the slight difference in weight between the two wheels, and this is what allows for the considerable improvement in ride feel, balancing aerodynamics and comfort.”
The Fulcrum Sharq 57 is priced at £2,599.
1 thought on “Fulcrum rides big waves for aero gains with new Sharq 57 wheels”
Not mentioned above but may
Not mentioned above but may be of interest:
They have a “mini hook”. Not quite sure what that means in terms of ISO standards, but presumably a bit more peace of mind compared to hookless.
They use cup-and-cone bearings (with ceramic ball bearings). An interesting choice – most high-end wheels use cartridge bearings nowadays. Although Shimano have long been a cup-and-cone stalwart, demonstrating they can work at the highest level (although AFAIK Shimano use steel bearings throughout their range?)