Just when you thought wheels couldn’t get any wider, Fulcrum has decided to increase the girth on its Sharq GR and Soniq GR wheelsets, widening the internal rim width on both sets of hoops to 30mm, creating enough clearance to accommodate tires up to whopping 76mm.
“The GR project has grown out of an in-depth analysis of race data and direct experiences from high-level gravel races. The objective was clear: to create a wheel able to support high speeds over rough terrain, whilst maintaining control, precision and a concrete aerodynamic advantage. The heart of the project is the new 2-Wave Rim with an inner rim width of 30 mm, and mini-hook, designed to work in perfect synergy with wide tires, optimising their shape, contact patch and stability. The variable wave profile, with a height of 47/52 mm, improves air flow management and reduces the yaw moment and frontal drag,” says Fulcrum.
Elsewhere, the Sharq GR and Soniq GR feature Fulcrum’s mini-hook system to ensure safety, along with the Italian brand’s un-drilled rim bed that eliminates the needs for rim tape with tubeless set-ups.
What differentiates the wheelsets?
According to Fulcrum, Sharq GR is a full-on gravel wheelset that’s designed to tackle whatever the Great Expanse can throw at it, while the Soniq GR is aimed at straddling lines between road and off-road, with the former relying on FF100 carbon fiber cup and cone bearings and aero spokes, compared to the latter that uses lower-spec FF80 carbon fiber, round spokes and sealed bearings, bringing the weight up to 1,695g versus 1,550g for the Sharq GR.
Both wheelsets are available with either a XDR, NSW, HG or MS12 freehub body, which sell for $1,790.00 and $2,490.00.
Fulcrum
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