Fresh off some Kansas gravel racing, Fulcrum officially unveil their all-new Sharq aero carbon wheels. But Fulcrum says theyre not just for gravel, instead designing the Sharqs in their Red Room R&D Lab to make all road riding faster from tarmac to dirt. Not the first to turn to biomimicry inspiration to optimize wheel aerodynamics, the Fulcrum Sharq takes a bite out of the wind with a unique 3-dimensional wavy sharktooth design.Fulcrum Sharq aero carbon road & gravel race wheelsWavvy wheels already stand out from the crowd, but these new Fulcrum Sharq take it to the next level with what they call their 2-Wave design. Instead of just varying the depth of the centerline of the rim like weve seen from other wheelbuilders, these wheels feature a much more complex shape to cut through the wind.Fulcrum Sharq aero wheels Pricing, options & availabilityFulcrums all-new carbon Sharq aero wheels sell for $2807 / 2460, and are available now. Tubeless ready out of the box without rim tape, the wheels come with tubeless valves and wheel bags. (Photos/Fulcrum)Pick from Shimano HG, MicroSpline, SRAM XDR & Campagnolo N3W free hub bodies, then fit them to your road or gravel bike to go faster!FulcrumWheels.comThe post Fulcrum Sharq Takes Bite Out of Gravel Racing on Wild Sharktooth Carbon Aero Wheels appeared first on Bikerumor.

Fulcrum has launched its new Sharq all-road carbon wheelset with a distinctive wavy rim profile designed to make the wheels more aerodynamically efficient in mixed wind conditions.Weve seen rim profiles like this before that are claimed to shrug off crosswinds more effectively than standard round rims. Zipps Sawtooth profile (as seen on its NSW line of road bike wheels) is arguably the most famous, but other brands, such as Princeton CarbonWorks, have also got in on the act.The wheelset is claimed to be designed for a mix of riding, covering the wide spectrum between endurance road use and gravel racing.With a price tag of 2,460 / 2,289 / $2,807, the wheelset is built using much of Fulcrums premium-level componentry.A rim like a sharks finNo prizes for guessing what the Sharq's rim profile is said to be reminiscent of. - Scott Windsor / Our MediaFulcrum says after reviewing its current range of carbon wheels, the Sharq was designed to excel on mixed surfaces, with particular attention paid to handling stability and reactivity under power.Using CFD analysis, Fulcrum says it developed seven rim designs and whittled those down to the two best-performing options for aerodynamic efficiency with the help of further wind-tunnel testing.Given its desire to promote handling stability, Fulcrum claims it focused on performance in yaw angles of up to 20 per cent.The first proposed design, called a 1-Wave Rim, used a symmetrical waveform 47mm deep at the spoke nipples, before shallowing out to 42mm in between.The two-dimensional rim design is symmetrical, but viewed from an angle the cutaways reveal themselves. - Scott Windsor / Our MediaThe second design, called a 2-Wave Rim, makes the rim appear uniform when viewed from the side (two-dimensionally), but with a visible depression in the rim when viewed at an angle this is the design Fulcrum settled on.These slants are effectively smoothed-out cutaways, which in theory help to keep air attached to the rim for longer at greater yaw angles.In contrast, viewed directly side-on, SRAMs SawTooth profile sees a longer slanted edge before cutting back at a more acute angle, and the NSW rims use a textured surface for aerodynamic gain.Fulcrum uses laser-etched decals to highlight the key tech employed in the Sharq wheelset. - Scott Windsor / Our MediaFulcrum doesnt say which specific wheelsets it used as benchmarks for its comparative testing, but against a (presumably) uniform rim, it claims the final 2-Way Rim design saves 21 per cent energy at 0-10 degrees of yaw, and 29 per cent at 10-20 degrees.These results were achieved using a 700x30c Pirelli P Zero Race TLR road tyre.The rims are hookless, locking users into using tubeless tyres, and measure 25mm wide internally. Fulcrum claims the Sharq wheelset can accommodate tyres ranging from 700x29-71c.Established tech matched to new spokesAs with many of Fulcrum's wheels, the rim bed is undrilled, meaning the alloy spoke nipples are drawn into place using a magnet. - Scott Windsor / Our MediaBecause the rims feature a smooth, undrilled rim bed, rim tape isnt required for a tubeless tyre setup (or to protect the tube in a clincher setup).This means the alloy nipples are installed using the MoMag technique it shares with Campagnolo. This sees magnets used to orient the nipples into the holes, having been inserted into the hollow rim cavity through the valve hole.The rims feature Fulcrums C-Lux finish, which the brand claims aids easier tyre installation, with the rims exhibiting a matt finish with a mix of lasered and applied decals.The Sharq wheelset is fitted with new A3RO spokes, which are said to be aerodynamically optimised for the rim design without compromising stability.The wheelset employs ceramic bearings. - Scott Windsor / Our MediaThese are bladed, with a straight-pull interface claimed to match the alloy hub body to ensure they cant rotate and misalign, according to the brand.The hubs are made of milled alloy, housing Fulcrums cup-and-cone USB (Ultra Smooth Bearing) ceramic bearings.Like Fulcrums other wheels, they continue to use a preload system. The disc brake rotor fits using an external splined interface so you dont have to remove the rotor whenever you adjust the preload or service the hub.Inside the freehub is a three-pawl engagement system, with each pawl featuring three ridges on their outside face.Fulcrum's sparing use of chromed decals looks premium. - Scott Windsor / Our MediaThese are intended to spread the engagement forces on the outer ratchet rings 36 teeth, equating to a 10-degree engagement angle.Fulcrum claims the wheelset weighs 1,440g on the BikeRadar Scales of Truth, they weighed 1,444g with a SRAM XDR freehub body fitted.The tubeless valves add 5g apiece and the lockrings another 12g each, totalling 1,478g.Fulcrum Sharq wheelset prices and availabilityThe wheelset comes refreshingly close to its claimed weight. - Scott Windsor / Our MediaThe Fulcrum Sharq wheelset costs 2,460 / 2,289 / $2,807 and is available from today.It can be bought with all major freehub body formats: Shimano HG and Microspline, SRAM XDR and Campagnolo N3W.Well be putting it through its paces soon.

CyclistFulcrum joins the wavy rims gang with its new Sharq wheelsThe new Fulcrum Sharq wheels are a premium aero design for all-road use, with a waved rim profile that varies between 42mm and 47mm in depth. Fulcrum says that this provides aero benefits, but also leads to lower yaw forces in crosswinds, increasing the wheels directional stability.The wheels have a 25mm internal width optimised for 30mm to 42mm wide tyres. They use the Fulcrum 2-Way Fit tubeless/tubed system, new aero bladed spokes and Cult ceramic bearings.The Fulcrum Sharq wheelsets claimed weight is 1,440g and price is 2,460. Related Posts Best tubeless sealant for road and gravel bike tyres Best all-road bikes 2024 reviewed Are wider road bike tyres faster? Road and gravel bike rim width: Whats best and why? Best road bike tyres 2024: 10 of the best tyres for all occasions A new directionOnce, not so long ago, everyone rode shallow, narrow alloy rim brake wheels. Then along came disc brakes. And gravel wheels became a thing to better support the wider gravel bike tyres used off-road. At the same time, road bike wheels are getting ever wider and lighter and both road and gravel wheels are designed to be aero.Now Fulcrum has launched the Sharq, which it bills as an all-road wheelset. According to Fulcrum, principal design features are handling, which it measures as the energy required for a change of direction, and reactivity, the energy lost to wheel deformation during a sprint.That seems to make sense; if youre aiming to take your bike off-road, a wheel thats a bit easier to steer around obstacles is a useful addition to your all-road bike, while a more reactive wheelset is likely to be a benefit on tarmac. While a beefy gravel bike tyre run at low pressure may give you the roll-over to head in a more-or-less straight line, a narrower tyre on a bike designed to give extra speed on road might not be as happy taking a direct line over a rock, so a wheel that helps you to steer around said rock a little more easily may be an advantage.Wavy rimsThe brand says that as it was looking to produce a wheelset suitable for all-road use, that meant going wide the Sharqs use a 25mm internal width to suit wide road tyres up to racier gravel options, but also not compromising on aerodynamic performance. With straight line speed relatively easy to achieve in modern rim shapes, Fulcrum says it concentrated on a less appreciated facet of going fast, ie, stable handling, which is what drove the development of the Sharqs staggered profile.After being whittled down from seven initial versions via computational fluid dynamics testing, the rim varies from 42-47mm deep, which is to a similar degree as its wavy rival models from Zipp and Princeton Carbonworks, but the actual shape of each fluctuation is unlike either competitors designs. Taking each nipple bed as the starting point of each wave and following the direction of rotation, the nose of the rim dips and pinches in sharply, before more gradually tapering up and back towards the next nipple bed.This architecture has apparently been successful, as Fulcrum claims a 29% reduction in energy required to control the front wheel in wind angles from 10-20. Naturally, when tested against unnamed (but easy to guess) similar competitors Fulcrum suggests the Sharq wheel offers lower drag and more stable handling too, to marginal extents. All wheelsets were tested at 45kmh and with 30mm Pirelli P-Zero Race TLR tyres.Fulcrums new A3RO spokes are also claimed to improve the wheels performance. Rather than a round anchor at the hub, they have a flanged one which meshes with hub drillings to keep the hub end of the spokes from rotating, which Fulcrum says maintains their long-term performance. Theyre tightened with external alloy nipples.The spoke lacing follows Fulcrums usual 2:1 pattern and the rim bed uses the undrilled, tapeless Fulcrum 2-Way Fit system with mini-hooks which can be run tubeless or with tubes.The 25mm internal width rim is designed to work optimally with tyres from 30mm to 42mm wide, for use on tarmac and fast gravel, although Fulcrum claims compatibility with tyres from 29mm up to 71mm wide.The hubs run on Fulcrum USB ceramic bearings.For more information on the Fulcrum Sharq wheels, visit fulcrumwheels.comFulcrum Sharq wheel specsWheelset weight, claimed: 1,440gWheelset depth: 42/47mmRim internal width: 25mmTyre compatibility: 29mm to 71mmSpoking: 24 2:1 front and rearFreehub options: Shimano HG11, SRAM XDR, Shimano Micro Spline, Campagnolo N3WPrice: 2,460Looking for a bike to put your new Fulcrum Sharq wheels on? Check out our guide to the best all-road bikes. Related Posts Best tubeless sealant for road and gravel bike tyres Best all-road bikes 2024 reviewed Are wider road bike tyres faster? Road and gravel bike rim width: Whats best and why? Best road bike tyres 2024: 10 of the best tyres for all occasions The post Fulcrum joins the wavy rims gang with its new Sharq wheels appeared first on Cyclist.

The feeling was, that the stage 4 individual time-trial would prove as the first general classification test at the 2024 Criterium du Dauphine and a chance to see the pre-Tour de France level of the likes of Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic. In terms of Evenepoel most notably, things look good.Powe...

"San to San" is a film by videographer Patrick McGrady as he tackles his first big bike ride, a 650-mile cycling adventure up the coast of California from San Diego to San Francisco. Watch it here and find a recap from Patrick.The post San to San (film) appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Its been over a decade since we last wrote about the Ellsworth Roots so long ago that it was a big deal that it was now disc brake compatible. Now, Ellsworth has gone back to their Roots and is debuting a new business model as well. Ellsworth Rogue left, Truth Right. (Photos/Ellsworth)The last time we heard from Ellsworth, it was announcing that Tony Ellsworth had rejoined the brand alongside new CEO Rudi Pienaar. Today, Ellsworth is announcing a new chapter in their history with limited runs of 450 for each model per year. Currently, those models will include the 100/120mm travel Truth, the 140mm travel Rogue, and new Roots gravel race bike. All models will exclusively run Industry Nine wheels moving forward, and theyll be offered in Premium or Team-issue builds with the option hand pick individual spec like crank length, chainring, & cassette size, colors, etc. Ellsworth lists that the new Roots is the first of two new gravel models, and this one is geared towards gravel racing. The frame and fork will fit up to 700c x 40mm tires or 650b x 49mm, and the fork includes a Variable Geometry Switch which changes the offset from 46mm to 51mm. The carbon frame includes top tube mounts along with the standard bottle cage mounts. Pricing for the Roots starts at $2,899 for the frame (its not clear if the fork is included), or $4,199 for the frame and Premium I9 wheel combo. Complete builds start at $5,499 for Premium, or $8,399 for the Team-Issue. ellsworthbikes.comThe post Ellsworth Roots is Back as Fast Gravel Bike, Along with New Business Model appeared first on Bikerumor.

Primoz Roglic showed some good signs in the individual time-trial on stage 4 of the 2024 Criterium du Dauphine. Finishing third on the stage, the BORA - hansgrohe leader has now moved up to 2nd in the general classification as a result."I'm happy! I stayed on the bike so that's quite the improvemen...

In recent days one person has emailed me wondering how a Jones compares to a Platypus, and then in yesterdays comments like two people also wondered more or less the same thing. That makes three whole people, so I figured I might as well address it. Granted, three is not very many people, but its probably a good 75% of my readership; plus, Ive never written anything based on whether meaningful numbers of people might actually find it interesting or useful, and Im certainly not about to start now.Before comparing the bikes, lets compare the companies themselves. While Jones and Rivendell are pretty different in terms of the bikes they offer, Ive always felt they were similar in that theyre run by people who do bikes they way they want to do them, without any regard for whats popular or fashionableand, as is often the case with people like that, much of what theyve done has subsequently become fashionable, and Id say that as small companies both Jones and Rivendell have had an outsized influence on cycling culture, if youll pardon the term.Another way in which Jones and Rivendell are similar is that they have devoted followings, but in any online discussion of either company youll also find people saying theyre overpriced. With Jones its usually something like, $[X] and it only comes with an NX derailleur? The Gnar-Gnar Rad-O-Gnar costs the same and it comes with a GX derailleur!, or else Why not just get a Surly? Meanwhile, with Rivendell its generally either, Why not just get an old Miyata mixte for $150?, or else, $[X] for a bike made in Taiwan?!?, or, again, Why not just get a Surly? No matter what the bike, if its made of steel and its not a Surly, someone will tell you that you could have just gotten a Surly.Of course the beauty of capitalism is that overpriced is in the eye of the beholder, and if you think a Jones or a Rivendell or an S-Works or whatever else is overpriced then you dont buy it. In the case of Jones, these are singular bicycles designed by someone who has dedicated himself to the concept of a high-performance non-suspended all-terrain bicycle for many years, and despite being a small family operation hes gotten to the point where hes able to offer complete bikes for what in todays bicycle marketplace is a fairly low price, which is pretty remarkableand I dont think any other company is putting serious thought, effort, and resources into to producing supremely capable off-road bikes that dont use suspension systems. In the case of Rivendell, you may or not want a rim brake bike with a threaded fork, a long wheelbase, lugged construction, and beautiful show-quality paint, but if you do theres no way to get such a bike without looking to the used market or going custom. (Maybe one or two Crust models qualify, but thats about it.) Furthermore, there is no other bike company that remains committed to what Ill lazily call traditional or classic standards (quill stems, rim brakes, quick-release axles, etc.) than Rivendell, and if that does matter to you then you understand why thats important. This goes way beyond frames with pretty paint, and all the way to spending the money to design and produce components the big companies no longer care aboutincluding a derailleur.As for just buying vintage instead, that can certainly be fun, but if you want a whole bike and youre not looking for a project its not always a practical or reasonable choice. Consider the Noner. The bike was given to me, but I still had to buy new parts for it, and on top of that Id estimate conservatively that I spent a good 15 hours getting it back into decent shapeand while my time isnt worth much, yours is likely far more valuable. And thats just doing the bare minimum: the bottom brackets still rough, the rear hub still kinda sounds like a rock tumbler, the chainrings are worn, and I didnt even replace the old tires. Again, Im a semi-professional bike blogger, so Im happy for a project and Im happy to share it with my seven our eight devoted readers. But for a normal person a new bike is probably a bargain in comparison, especially if youre looking something special.Okay, so now lets look at the bikes. Youve got your Jones (LWB Complete in my case, though an older iteration):And youve got your Rivendell Platypus (mine started as just a frame, but now theyre also available as complete bikes):At this point I should probably point out that if youre going to compare Jones and Rivendell a much more appropriate Rivendell model would be the Susie W. Longbolts / Wolbis Slugstone, as thats their most trail-oriented bike, with clearance for 2.6-inch tires:[Photo: Rivendell]Meanwhile, Rivendell describes the Platypus thusly:Ive got 2.1-inch 29er mountain bike tires on there, mostly because I was using what I had on hand, and thats about the most tire the Platypus will handle. Its quite happy on trails like the one you see above, but its not the bike youd choose for terrain much rougher than that. Meanwhile, the Jones, with its 3 tires (and itll even take a full-on fat bike tire in the front) will take you anywhere and over anything. So for all their various differences, thats the fundamental one: for all practical purposes, the Jones is unlimited in terms of what kind of terrain you can ride it on, and if thats your priority you simply need to go with the Jones.Of course, theres more to bikes than What size tires do it fit? Just because a bike can fit mountain bike tires, that doesnt make it a mountain bike, as is the case with the Platypus. And just because a bike can fit big-ass plus-size mountain bike tires, it can still be good on the road, as is the case with the Jones. I approach frame geometry like grammar, which is to say I dont think about it, I dont know what all the technical terms mean, and I dont really care. Whether its a bike or a sentence, all I know is what works and what doesnt, and I go entirely by feel. What allows the Jones to go way farther offroad than the Platypus isnt just the tires; its also that even in the long wheelbase version its easy to manipulate the bike and pick the front and rear wheels up off the ground in the way you have to do when riding over rocks and roots and logs and tricky sections of trail. At the same time, its very stable (its almost impossible to imagine going over the bars by accident on the Jones), it stays planted while climbing, and overall the traction you get from the huge tires is ridiculous. As for riding it on the road, it feels quite different from any road bike youve ridden, even one with upright barsthough, at least if youre me, you stop noticing that after a few minutes. Its not a substitute for a road racing bikeif thats what youre after youre not going to get it from a Jonesbut its great on the road just as long as you dont want or expect anything like a traditional road bike experience.Meanwhile, despite accepting what until relatively recently were considered full-on mountain bike tires (now 2.1 29er tires are more like gravel tires), the Platypus is not a mountain bike, nor does it want to be. Yes, Ive taken it onto mountain bike trails here and there, but unlike the Jones the wheels of the Platypus want to stay planted on the groundlike, for all its stability, when you hop on the Jones youre still tempted to ride off curbs or pop wheelies. This is not the case with the Platypus. The long chainstays certainly have a lot to do with that, but I think its also probably just something inherently road-ish in its designa road racing bike has very short stays and concomitant short wheelbase, but apart from bunnyhopping potholes youre not inclined to wheelie or jump those either. (Or at least Im not.) The Platypus is a step-through, its long, and its designed with upright swept-back bars in mind, but if youre used to riding road bikes the Platypus doesnt surprise you for those first few pedal strokes on the road the way the Jones does.So if you know you want full and uncompromising mountain bike capability at least some of the time, or you want to know you can go on a really long bikepacking expedition one day, you should absolutely choose the Jones. But what if youre not interested in that? What if you know for sure youll never need to use your bike as a mountain bike or for a multi-day adventure bike? What if you know you just want a practical all-rounder thatll carry stuff and take you into the woods a little? Besides feeling a little more familiar, what is the advantage of the Platypus, if any?Well, this depends entirely on you, but if you like to tinker and you have lots of parts, one advantage is that the Platypus is more customizable. The Jones is perfect with a modern wide-range drivetrain, and of course the Jones bars. Theres not a lot to think about with a Jones, because it just works so well as designed. I mean yes, technically theres nothing stopping you from using different bars, as I have done for the sake of experimenting:But ultimately theres really no point:Yes, the Jones is designed for riding in an upright position, so it still works, but you also have to use a super-long stem to keep your knees away from the bars, and overall giving up the Jones bars means also giving up some of that off-road maneuverability, which doesnt really make any sense. As for the rest of the bike, with thru-axles and Boost spacing and disc brakes and all that other stuff, youre locked into modern mountain bike-oriented stuffnot that theres anything wrong with that because that stuff is great for using the Jones to its full potential, but if youre not using the Jones to its full potential it does limit how funky you can get with it.Meanwhile, between the various bars Rivendell offers, and that easy compatibility with traditional equipment I mentioned earlier, there are lots of different ways to approach a Platypus (the bike that is; you probably shouldnt approach a real platypus, they seem dangerous): View this post on Instagram A post shared by Crust Bikes (@crustbikes)Want a single ring with a clutch derailleur and a trigger shifter? Fine. Want to use your old deerhead Shimano XT stuff and a friction shifter mounted to your quill stem? Also fine. In terms of being both comfortable and supremely capable for everything from road riding to mountain biking Jones bars are fantastic, but at least in my opinion if comfort is your priority and you dont need to worry about your bars slipping while riding over a log then absolutely nothing beats bars with full back-sweep, such as the Tosco. Both the Jones and the Platypus have mounting points for all sorts of accessories and bags, and no doubt you could easily equip the Jones for anything from commuting to riding across a continent. If fact a Jones with fenders is arguably the ideal all-season, all-weather, all-terrain, all-purpose bicycle:But if you want an upright bike with a basket for rambling, youre a tinkerer who likes to reconfigure your bikes over time, and your mechanical preferences lean more towards tubes and rim brakes than sealant and discs then you probably want a Platypus.Or just get both. That way you really cant go wrong.

Researchers found that cyclists were less likely to experience frequent knee pain or knee osteoarthritis than those who dont ride bikes, and concluded cycling should be encouraged to boost knee health

Proving himself the strongest of Team Visma | Lease a Bike's dual pronged general classification challenge at the 2024 Criterium du Dauphine, Matteo Jorgenson sits 3rd overall after the stage 4 individual time-trial."I suffered enormously and did my utmost," Jorgenson told In de Leiderstrui, among...