Hi,
Looking at the Cervelo team (ultegra) version, the pictures show race wheels but the spec indicates a fulcrum racing T. Anyone know what you get for the $4800.
Also with regard to race wheels (I see that they are quite pricey) what is the benefit? It must be significant given the price. Also, the people that have race wheels, do they keep them on all year round or just use them on races?
You do not get the 3t race wheels.
Race wheels are very beneficial when racing, and you can ride your race wheels all the time. That said… the race wheels aren’t going to turn you into fabian cancellera, and value wise they fall pretty low on the totem pole.
You can ride race wheels to your hearts content. BUT the more often you ride them the higher the risk of damaging them. And at 2-3k a pop, that’s an expensive repair bill.
race wheels go a bit faster because they produce less aerodynamic drag
most people do not train on them, some people do.
some people put crappy tires on their race wheels and then they end up slower than their training wheels, don’t do that.
Hi,
Looking at the Cervelo team (ultegra) version, the pictures show race wheels but the spec indicates a fulcrum racing T. Anyone know what you get for the $4800.
Also with regard to race wheels (I see that they are quite pricey) what is the benefit? It must be significant given the price. Also, the people that have race wheels, do they keep them on all year round or just use them on races?
It appears that the cervelo s5 comes with the fulcrum racing T wheels. Can’t find anything on those wheels so I am not sure about quality or value. How would you guys compare the racing T to say ultegra wheels?
they are just normal wheels. good quality, nothing wrong with them. they would be “the same” as ultegra wheels, for all practical purposes.
It appears that the cervelo s5 comes with the fulcrum racing T wheels. Can’t find anything on those wheels so I am not sure about quality or value. How would you guys compare the racing T to say ultegra wheels?
To me they look identical to the Fulcrum 7 which was specced on a lot of the R and S series bikes last year. I would rate them at a 105 (perhaps) level, certainly not Ultegra. We can only surmise that you are paying for the R and D on the frame because IMO the wheels are pretty crappy for a 4800 dollar bike.
Wheels (and saddles) are things that manufacturer’s skimp on to bring down the price to get the bike in your hands… and rightly so. Most people that buy that caliber of bike (at least for racing) are going to scrap whatever wheels are on there and put on their personal choice wheels (and saddles) for racing. Putting the 3T, Cosmic, Zipp, etc wheelsets on there makes for pretty catalogue pictures but ultimately it only keeps the bike out of reach of more people.
My first race bike came with a pair of high spoke heavy Mavics that are cheap and slow. No race glamour here. And do I care? Absolutely not. I prefer that bikes be sold with a set of wheels you can ride into the ground training (the Mavics have ~5,000 miles on them and are going strong, never been trued) on. If you don’t like 'em, sell 'em.
In short, you’re buying the bike, not the wheels. Cervelo knows this, and people who make fancy wheels do too. You’ll be crawling back for more carbon bling before you know it 
Wheels (and saddles) are things that manufacturer’s skimp on to bring down the price to get the bike in your hands… and rightly so.
In short, you’re buying the bike, not the wheels. Cervelo knows this, and people who make fancy wheels do too.
This.
They are training wheels the bike comes with.
My old Felt alu B2 came with Easton (actually, they still said Velomax on them at that point) Vista wheels, which were, are, and continue to be perfectly fine.
The front one has been my daily driver on my tri (and road) bikes ever since, and after 6 full seasons I’m only now getting around to getting a replacement for it.
My P4 came w/ Easton Circuit wheels (better training wheels) that I sold to a buddy for the nice price, since I had no use for them, already having a perfectly good set of wheels in my possession.
On the plus side at least Cervelo arent slugging you an extra 500 and putting Mavic Rsys on the S5…