Fulcrum started as just a wheel offshoot from the Campagnolo mothership, but now their lineup has gained cranks too. This compact set is a neat option for anyone wanting something different from a straight groupset match.
At 748g (including bottom bracket) it’s 30g lighter than Shimano Ultegra SL (£219.99) and SRAM Force (£289.99), and 10g heavier than its closest competition, Campag’s own Centaur compact (£249.99).
It shares the same solid carbon arm construction as the Centaur. This means it’s 50g heavier than the hollow armed R-Torq RS, but then it’s also £140 cheaper.
The Racing-Torq R feels good underfoot too. Not outstandingly stiff, but certainly not soft or creaky when you grunt it rather than use the compact ratio advantage. The chain flicks between rings nice and easily too, which isn’t always the case with compacts.
At the risk of saying something controversial, we reckon most riders would benefit from running the compact option rather than the ‘full-size’ 39-53 version.
It’s not just a case of being able to spool the really steep stuff either. If you’ve got an efficient spin cadence sorted, you’ll still have plenty of gear to push against at 30mph, and you’ll use all your gears most rides rather than rarely getting out of the middle ring on longer runs.
