Fulcrum goes gravel with the new Rapid Red 5 DB

Tubeless ready, disc specific and wide gravel wheel

Published: April 27, 2019 at 9:00 am

Fulcrum has released its first dedicated gravel wheel, the Rapid Red 5 Disc. The 23mm internal width (28mm outer) and the brand's 2-Way Fit rim construction mean you can also ditch the tubes.

Available in both 700c and 650b, Fulcrum says its gravel hoops are recommended for tyres between 32-46mm (700c) and 40mm-60mm (650b).

Fulcrum Rapid Red
The Rapid Red 5 DBs see a 23mm internal width and 24 spokes each

The low-profile aluminium hoops are 24mm deep and claimed to weigh 1,700g in 700c and 1,640g in 650b. Fulcrum also says the wheels are sturdy enough to warrant the ASTM 2 category classification.

Using its own hubs, the wheels will accept 12 or 15mm front thru-axles and 12mm rear axles and feature a centre-lock AFS brake interface.

Laced with 24 straight pull spokes front and rear, the Rapid Red DB wheels come with a 109kg maximum rider weight.

When it comes to rear cassette, the Rapid Red 5's are available with Shimano HG 11-Speed or SRAM XDR options — no 12-speed has been offered yet.

Fulcrum Rapid Red 1
The Rapid Reds spin on hubs that take centre-lock discs and free hubs from SRAM XDR and Shimano 11-speed

Being a truly gravel-specific wheel from Fulcrum (yes, they did release Zero DB, but they're not wide enough to support fat rubber) the Raid Red 5 DBs are not a ridiculously over-priced product. Instead, they have been priced at $540 / €380, with international pricing to be announced.

We also assume a Campy-branded version of this wheel will follow soon.

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