Bicycle wheelset Fulcrum Red Zone 3 29 2WF-R AFS front Boost HH15/110 - rear Boost HH12/148

Fulcrum’s second MTB wheel is the result of the experience matured in the development of the Red Zone Carbon. It’s designed for a wider range of riders looking for a reliable and resistant product for off-road fun and performance. Amongst the technical specifications derived directly from its older sibling we find the hubs and the spoke count of 24 on the front and 28 on the rear. The CNC machined aluminium rim has a profile of 19 mm and an inner rim width of 25 mm. Aesthetically the wheel is completed with an advanced finish that marries a double polished-matt surface with laser-etched graphics. The Fulcrum logo can be found inside a red box, which can also be replaced with a reflective adhesive, black on black, included with the wheels. The Red Zone 3 are an all-purpose wheel, which is extremely versatile and suited to multiple uses: training wheels, sturdy race wheel or the perfect base for adventure bikes (boost gravel).

TECHNOLOGY

2WAY-FIT READY (MTB): We have developed our 2-Way Fit technology to ensure the perfect compatibility of our tubeless rims with normal clincher types and tubes. 2-Way Fit MTB bike wheels are perfectly multipurpose for tackling every situation. Thanks to a special impression in the valve area, the tubes are fitted with the maximum precision while keeping the tube perfectly stable inside the tyre. Housing the valve for tubeless tyres is also risk-free, with the unquestionable advantage that there are never any air infiltrations caused by non-ideal positioning when fitting.

ASSYMMETRIC RIM: The asymmetry is designed to improve rim tension, balancing the forces from brakes and sprocket cassette.

WIDE RIM TECH: Fulcrum’s R&D department, following requests from the competition circuit, has worked to create rims that are wider than before, about 4 mm or more than previously. This technical choice provides an ideal basis for 25/28mm tyres, the sizes currently popular. This ensures stability, excellent handling and superior comfort.

CUP & CONE: The cup-and-cone bearing differs from the classic cartridge bearing because it works in perfect alignment with the forces involved, weight and thrust from the frame, as the bearings run in a race positioned directly opposing these forces. The adjusting ring lets you pre-load the bearing, so you can eliminate side-to-side play and have optimum adjustment once the wheel is mounted on the frame.

SQUARE MILLING: For the new Racing Zero’s aluminium rim, we decided to keep the triple-milled structure throughout the profile to minimise aluminium thicknesses. Next, our technicians added 3D milling at the base of the spokes. This means less material but the same reliability since, in this particular design, the forces are well distributed over the rim. Triple and “Square” milling enable maximum weight reduction on the rim periphery, producing an extremely responsive wheel.

MICROSPLINE FREEHUB: We understand technical evolution as painstaking attention to product development, and it’s one of the cornerstones of all projects that come out of our R&D Department. The Fulcrum spirit entails a constant effort to pick up and seize on new trends and keep pace with the most advanced technologies available. This is why we adopted Shimano's MICROSPLINE standard as soon as the new racing drivetrains for 12-speed mountain bikes were presented, and will introduce the ground-breaking technology throughout our range. WHAT IS MICRO SPLINE? With the arrival of 12-speed cassettes, Shimano engineers had to re-design freehub to fit the new cassettes and smaller 10 tooth sprocket on the freehub body. That gave Shimano a chance to also look at the way the cassette is mounted on the hub body. Shimano were able to create a stiffer connection with a MICRO SPLINE fitting, which gives 23 equally spaced saw-tooth angled splines for more positive engagement with the cassette. This also allowed Shimano engineers to forge the MICRO SPLINE freehub body from aluminum without risking the deformation and gouging that conventional aluminum cassette bodies suffer. One important point to note is that the MICRO SPLINE hubs fit all current frames whether you have a boost (148mm) or non-boost (142mm) frame. MICROSPLINE hubs ONLY can be used with MICROSPLINE compatibe cassettes!