Fast Forward F2R Wheels
When you are sitting at the bottom of a 1 in 10, 4 mile hill in the Alps, the Fast Forward F2R wheels will make a significant difference to the daunting prospect of the ascent.
These wheels are specifically made for steep, hard hill climbing with a low profile to give an ultra light result at only just over 1 kg for the F2R wheelset.
The low profile ensures that even in windy conditions high up in mountains you will not be blown off course easily, and there are also bladed spokes used so those will offset the lack of aero rims to some extent. However, these are obviously not the best wheels for high-speed work on the flat, except perhaps on windy days when an aero wheel could prove difficult.
Although designed for climbing the Fast Forward F2R it's quite adaptable and will give good all-round performance on mixed roads. They have an 80 kg weight limit and are good for descending, as long as you are brave and do not over brake on the way down.
They come complete with carbon specific brake pads and the FFWD F2R wheels are available with the standard Fast Forward hub or with DT Swiss 240 or 190 S ceramic hub as options.
Fast Forward F2R - 240s hub
Fast Forward F2R - 190 hub
Fast Forward F2R - 190 hub
Specification summary for the F2R
With 240s hubs:Superstiff High Tensile TC35 Carbon, 20mm deep rim with FFWD decals under clear coat.
DT Swiss 240s hubs with DT Aerolite spokes, 20/24H, aero blade (0.9x2.3mm).
Lightweight, high fatigue-resistance with DT Pro Lock Brass nipples.
Rider weight limit: 80kg
Wheel weights: Front 460g, Rear 590g, Wheelset 1050g.
With 190 ceramic hubs:
DT Swiss 190 ceramic hubs with ceramic cartridge bearings.
Custom star ratchets with redesigned hub shells.
DT Pro Lock Alu nipples for optimal performance.
Comes with RC1 quick release set, carbon lever and Ti 3Al-2.5V axle.
Weight: 999g per set, 449g front, 550 rear.
Summary of reviews
All the reviews praise the responsiveness, lightness and climbing ability of these wheels comparing them very favourably with similar specification products from other manufacturers. In addition the FFWD F2R wheels are praised for their durability rigidity and strength.The only reservations are that as you might expect with carbon wheels, braking is not as good as with aluminium rims, particularly in the wet and of course over-braking on downhill sections can result in overheating.
