It’s a year of new mountain bike products for Fulcrum. After the recent launch of the updated Red Zone Carbon and Red Zone 3, the Venetian wheel manufacturer unveiled two new MTB wheels focused on reliability and impact resistance at an accessible price.
Introducing the Fulcrum Red Zone 5 and Red Metal 5
Swapping carbon for alloy, the new Fulcrum Red Zone 5 and Red Metal 5 take DNA from their carbon brethren and offer an optimum quality/price ratio.
The wheels concentrate on two segments of the mountain bike world; Red Zone 5 for the cross country and marathon riders and the Red Metal 5 for trail use.
The new wheels share similar design philosophy as others in the Fulcrum line; performance and quality, this time with a concentration on affordability. The design team at Fulcrum wanted wheels that were ideal for training and all-around trial fun, all the while being impact resistant and reliable.
Hub details — Fulcrum Red Zone 5 and Red Metal 5
The hubs for the Fulcrum Red Zone and Red Zone 3 share the same shell as the hubs used in the Red Zone Carbon and Red Zone 3. The main differences are in the axle and the bearings: the Red Metal 5 and Red Zone 5 use sealed bearings that can be micro-adjusted with an adjustment ring. The Red Zone Carbon and Red Zone 3 use a cup and cone design.
The wheelsets are available in Shimano HG11spd and SRAM XD drivers. Though, there is a slight price increase for the Shimano Mirco-Spline 12spd driver on each wheelset.
Rim details — Fulcrum Red Zone 5 and Red Metal 5
Red Zone 5 and Red Metal 5 feature Fulcrum’s 2-WAY FIT READY rim with a short height of 18.6 mm and a new asymmetrical profile. This design explicitly mimics the higher-end Red Zone Carbon rim to ensure the spoke tension’s optimal balance.
Where the two-wheel sets differ is the width of the rim; The Red Zone 5 has a conservative inner rim width of 27mm and weighs 1840g/wheelset. The Red Metal 5 boasts a more modern inner rim width of 30mm, with a total weight of 1890g/wheelset.
Both wheelsets get an updated look with tone-on-tone graphics and part glossy/part matte finish that wraps the rim profile. The traditional Fulcrum red box logo is on the opposite side of the rim — as always.
Both models arrive with tubeless rim tape installed, with tubeless valves, and ready to roll. Fulcrum recommends the maximum weight of the system (rider and gear) is 275lbs (125 kg).
Pricing — Fulcrum Red Zone 5 and Red Metal 5
Fulcrum RED ZONE 5 (Price per wheelset)
- $ 465,00 (HG11,XD), $ 482,00 (Shimano-MS12)
- € 391,00 (HG11,XD), € 404,00 (Shimano-MS12)
Fulcrum RED METAL 5 (Price per wheelset)
- $ 489,00 (HG11,XD), $ 506,00 (Shimano-MS12)
- € 410,00 (HG11,XD), € 424,00 (Shimano-MS12)
For more information, check out Fulcrumwheels.com/it
