Unpacking the wheels immediately brought back childhood memories for the tester: XC legend Julian Absalon celebrated some of his greatest successes on the distinctive red and black Fulcrum wheels. Accordingly, there was great anticipation to see how Fulcrum's latest development would perform in real-world testing – a model that, with its more robust design, clearly distinguishes itself from the Red Zone series and is primarily aimed at trail riders.
Fulcrum Metal Carbon Wheels – The most important information at a glance
- Rim material: Carbon
- wheel size: 29 inch
- Rim width: 32 mm
- Weight 1.550 g
- Recommended tire width: 2,4 ″ - 2,6 ″
- Freewheel standard: SRAM XD, Microspline
- Axle standard: Boost standard (front: 15x110mm / rear: 12-148mm)
- brake disc: Centerlock
- Number of spokes: Front 24 / Rear 28
- Maximum weight allowed: 125 kg
- Price (RRP): € 1640
Fulcrum Metal Carbon Wheels – The new Trail Series in Detail
The wheelset uses 29-inch rims with an internal width of 32 mm – ideal for tires between 2,4″ and 2,6″ – and is therefore aimed at ambitious trail riders. At first glance, the wheelset appears almost slightly off-kilter, as the rim is asymmetrically designed to optimally balance the spoke tension on the drive and non-drive sides.
A special feature is the MoMag system: Instead of traditional spoke holes in the rim bed, a closed system is used. The nipples are inserted from the inside, eliminating the need for rim tape—a clear advantage for tubeless setups and structural strength.
MoMag, by the way, stands for Mounting Magnet: After the nipples have been inserted into the rim via the valve opening, they are "guided" to the nipple hole in the rim using a magnet. This creates a wheel with no holes on the upper rim flange, but the spokes are clamped using conventional nipples. A clever idea. Just be careful not to lose the nipple in the rim, otherwise you'll have to fiddle with it, but that's only an issue for mechanics.
For the hubs, Fulcrum opts for classic cone bearings rather than cartridge bearings. This system allows for very fine adjustment, runs particularly smoothly, and is easy to service if necessary. The brake disc mount is Centerlock, and freehub versions are available for Shimano MicroSpline and SRAM XD.
At 1.554 g, the set weighs only slightly more than the manufacturer's specifications—a strong result for a trail wheelset in this category. At €1640, the wheelset is in the upper mid-range among carbon variants.
Fulcrum Metal Carbon Wheels – On the Trail
Before hitting the trail, the first thing to do was assemble the wheels. Naturally, we mounted the wheels tubeless. Installation was straightforward: The tire was very easy to pull onto the rim and seated neatly even at low air pressure. A positive feature was the well-designed valve hole, which protrudes slightly. Combined with the smooth, generous contact surface of the valve nut, the valve can be tightened neatly and securely. The included valve seal provided a reliable seal.
From the very first roll, the restrained freewheel is noticeable: no loud rattle, but a quiet, subtle whir. Those who appreciate unobtrusive road noise will certainly get their money's worth here. The wider rim of the metal-carbon wheels is also clearly noticeable. Compared to the previously installed wheelset, the inner width increased by almost seven millimeters. This resulted in the identical tire emerging noticeably wider from the rim, which noticeably changed the handling. Thanks to the larger air volume, the bike offered more reserves, additional comfort, and better grip thanks to the larger contact area.
The low weight is noticeable during acceleration and uphill climbs, without compromising on stiffness. The combination of low weight and high stiffness provides noticeably more agility. The precision of the wheels was particularly evident during quick changes of direction in challenging terrain, such as rock gardens. The bike maneuvered with great precision and control.
We used the wheels almost the entire season, and they took a beating or two. Not only did the carbon surface's visual finish prove to be very robust, but the trueness of the wheels was also largely unaffected. Likewise, we didn't detect any weaknesses in the bearings throughout the entire season.
