New cyclists stepping on to the ever-rolling ‘upgrade escalator’ will invariably look to a fresh set of wheels for the greatest performance advantage.
And for good reason. Bike manufacturers (most but not all) typically look to save a few pounds (that’s £, not lbs) when speccing wheels for an off-the-shelf machine and, if that’s the case, those hoops are likely to be neither particularly light or aerodynamic.
The FIR R3 wheelset enters as a real contender in the £350 upgrade market. It’s light for the money at 1,480g without quick release skewers (and 1,600g with), with a stiff and responsive ride quality, and handbuilt in Italy, making the R3 an excellent and cost-effective year-round wheelset.
For those unfamiliar with FIR, it’s an Italian brand founded in 1956 and which supplied to wheels to Stephen Roche during the Irishman’s annus mirabilis in 1987, when he won the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and World Championship in the same year while riding for Carrera.
FIR stopped production in 2005 but was resurrected in 2012 by Italian distributor, Gist, and while we can’t say how much of a connection there is between the old marque and the new brand, we can pass judgement on the R3.
The R3 sits in the middle of FIR’s range of aluminium clinchers and the rim is made from a 6005 alloy, with bladed, stainless steel spokes (20 at the front, 24 at the rear) paired with an alloy hub and alloy spoke nipples.
Pull the wheels out of the box and they’re noticeably light for the money. Credit also to FIR to getting the stated 1,480g weight bang on. We’ve slotted these wheels into a number of machines, including this winter’s Test Rig, the Kinesis Racelight GF_Ti V2, over the course of four months and have been impressed by the lively, responsive ride quality that comes as a result of that low weight. If you’re upgrading from unbranded or budget stock hoops then you’re likely to appreciate the difference, particularly when the road rises. The flip side is that they can feel a little more nervous when chucking the bike about in a sprint compared to a heavier wheelset, but not unduly so.
They’re stiff too – though that can translate to a reasonably firm ride over rough roads – and certainly haven’t induced any brake rub from this 71kg rider, though we can’t necessarily comment on the performance a significantly heavier pilot is likely to experience in this regard.
The rim is 25mm deep with what FIR describe as an ‘aero shaped profile’. It looks fairly conventional to us and we’re not in the position to comment on the R3’s aero prowess regardless. Any gain is likely to be marginal and these are best pitched as lightweight wheels. The rim has an external width of 21mm, which is reasonably wide and so allows the tyre to adopt a solid stance on the rim, if not as wide as the current crop of 23mm aluminium rims touted by a number of manufacturers. The machined rim provides a consistent and reliable braking surface.
Both wheels turned smoothly on the alloy hubs, which have two bearings at the front and four at the rear. The rear freehub emits a soft purr and we didn’t feel as if it was ever lagging behind in terms of engagement. The spokes are organised in a radial pattern at the front, and in a radial pattern on the non-driveside and two-cross pattern on the driveside at the rear. Our wheels arrived true and have remained so. The stainless steel spokes are straight-pull and have alloy nipples, though we’d prefer ever-so-slightly heavier brass nipples for the reduced long-term risk of corrosion. We’ll keep an eye on that, and the long-term wear of the rim, and report back if we encounter any problems.
Conclusion
There’s a lot to like about the FIR R3 wheelset, particularly given the price. They stand up very well against the competition and you’re unlikely to find significantly lighter hoops for the money. We’d prefer stainless nipples and a marginally wider rim would bring these in line with the most up-to-date competitors but we’re picking holes and the low weight translates to a lively, racy feel which sportive riders looking to upgrade stock wheels are likely to appreciate.
Price: £350
Website: FiR
