At last year’s Unbound Gravel, Cameron Jones averaged a staggering 22.49mph for more than eight hours to win the men’s race and Karolina Migon won the women’s Unbound 200 with a speed of 20.21mph.
In other words, gravel racing is fast, and Fulcrum has created the new Soniq GR and Sharq GR wheelsets to support these lightning speeds.
Wavy, wider rims
The Soniq GR and Sharq GR feature Fulcrum's 2-Wave Rim profile. This is similar to the profile we’ve seen on wheels from companies such as Zipp and Princeton CarbonWorks.
“The variable wave profile, with a height of 47/52mm, improves air flow management and reduces the yaw moment and frontal drag,” Fulcrum says.
Fulcrum also uses this rim profile on the shallower Soniq and Sharq wheels, which straddle road and gravel riding.
But the new ‘GR’ variants of the wheels increase the internal rim width from 25mm to 30mm. This means the wheels can work “in perfect synergy” with gravel tyres that are 47–50mm wide.
Fulcrum says gravel tyres of this width have become “standard in today’s fastest gravel races” and are also “the ideal solution for everyday rides”.
It adds that its new gravel wheelsets are compatible with specific 45mm tyres, which it lists on its website.
The combination of the 30mm rim width and wider gravel tyres means you can better tailor your tyre pressure to your needs, according to Fulcrum.
“The larger air volume of the system allows for a wider adjustment range, to optimise the setup and find the best balance between speed, control and stability in relation to terrain, conditions and riding style,” Fulcrum says.
The combination is also said to improve airflow over the tyre and rim interface to enhance aerodynamics, and to help increase the tyre’s contact patch with the ground for greater grip and control.
Elsewhere, the two new wheelsets use Fulcrum’s mini-hook system, which it says ensures broad tyre compatibility and aids safety. They also have Fulcrum's undrilled rim bed, which means you don't need rim tape to set the wheels up tubeless.
So what’s the difference between the Soniq GR and Sharq GR?
On the surface, Fulcrum’s new Soniq GR and Sharq GR share many of the same features and dimensions. But the two wheelsets have several key differences.
The Sharq GR wheels are said to represent “the maximum expression of Fulcrum’s performance for gravel races”. To this end, they have rims made from FF100 carbon fibre, cup and cone bearings and aero spokes laced in a 2:1 pattern. They tip the scales at a claimed 1,550g.
Meanwhile, the Soniq GR wheels are “less competition oriented”. The rims use the lower-spec FF80 carbon fibre, round spokes and sealed bearings, which should require less maintenance. These wheels weigh a bit more at a claimed 1,695g.
These differences result in a difference in price. The Sharq GR costs £1,790 / $2,490 / €1,990 and the Soniq GR costs £1,290 / $1,790 / €1,290.
The wheelsets are available with XDR, NSW, HG and MS12 freehub bodies.
