Fulcrum E-Metal 5 27.5-Inch Wheelset

More Information
Brand	Fulcrum
Colour	Black
Suitable for	Everyone
Wheel Size	27.5-inch

Fulcrum is a subsidiary brand of Campagnolo that produces Alloy and Carbon wheels for road and mountain bikes. Initially developed so that Campagnolo could produce wheels compatible with brake and drive systems by Shimano and SRAM, allowing Campagnolo to retain its exclusivity. However Fulcrum still produce Campagnolo-compatible wheels.

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The smaller diameter version of the multi-purpose wheel in the E-MTB specific range. Not only for smaller frames, but also and especially for those choosing greater wheel travel or the easier handling offered by this wheel size.

Fun is the keyword here, and it depends on two fundamental aspects: reliability and the pleasure of riding. These are precisely the focal points for the technologies introduced with the new E-MTB range, the aim being to provide long-term, constant performance together with an extremely gratifying riding experience.

A good pair of wheels is one of the fundamental components of a bike, and without doubt the element that changes its look. And E-Metal 5 is probably the best proof of this.

Technologies

Asymmetric rim

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

2Way - Fit™ Ready (MTB)

This procedure transforms Red Zone 500-700 and Red Fire 500 wheels (designed to be used with an inner tube) into Tubeless Ready wheels (i.e. without the use of an inner tube but with the compulsory use of a sealant liquid).

To ensure the correct transformation of the wheels, it is obligatory to respect the procedure explained below, using the following components:

Fulcrum valve

codeM1-035

Fulcrum Seeger ring

35mm / 27.5" wide for the Red Fire 500 range

Differentiated profile delta for E-MTB

The front and rear wheels of a mountain bike have two very distinct roles. While they both must must roll in an efficient manner the front wheel is tasked more with rideability and handling while the rear must carry more weight and transfer power from the drivetrain.

The increased weight, added power and more extreme forces represented by the E-MTB only serve to make great design for the specific needs of each wheel all the more necessary. As a result, Fulcrum E-MTB wheels incorporate specific profiles for front and rear.

Asymmetrical: this is a well know solution for Fulcrum, and it is also confirmed for the E-MTB project.

The asymmetry makes it possible to leverage on the inclination and length of the spokes to optimise the forces coming from the cogset and from the disc brake during the braking operation. This makes it possible for all elements to work together and create the ideal balance.

In-frame

The wheels are the contact element with the ground, where the shocks from the ground first discharge.

When the suspensions work at maximum capacity, the frame collects and distributes the stress, the system is subjected to really high forces.It is during jumps, when we go over potholes, or take bends at high-speed, during the most exiting moments, and the more thrilling downhills that we demand the most from our bike.

The wheel-tyre system, in this respect, must guarantee stability during repeated stress. At the same time, our engineers certainly could not guarantee this by adding material: weight must always be low, to keep the ride pleasant and reactive.

It was decided to develop an internal support architecture, a bridge insert positioned diagonally, so that it can counter the front shocks.

By leveraging the structure geometry, the load is distributed on the whole rim, preventing thus excessive compression.

The maximum result with the minimum weight load: this detail allowed a 10% side rigidity increase and a 14% increase on the vertical one, changing thus drastically the overall performance.

Specific nipple housing

Such a small part, yet so important. The nipples and their housing are one of the most important element that are taken into account during the design of a wheel.

During the development of the new E-MTB Fulcrum rims, a lot of work was put into this aspect. The housing has been re-designed and now it makes it possible to eliminate completely the nipples' hard work.

Thanks to a special housing, with side guides on both sides, the nipple sets on a stable base, perfectly in position, oriented towards the spoke.

This makes it possible to make the distribution of the tensions in the rim more even, creating thus perceptible benefits in terms of effort and rigidity: this prevents misalignments under stress and, as a consequence, deformation to the structure.

Reinforced head spokes

For the new E-MTB Fulcrum range, only oversize spokes, with a specific reinforcement design on the heads, will be used: this makes it possible to have the best quality of response to stress both in terms of resistance and in terms of transfer of the propulsive power.

The technical refinement does not stop here. Changes were made to the profile too, which in some versions is variable.

An elaborate section, which varies from 2.2mm of the head to 2/1.8mm in the thinnest point, makes it possible to save the very important grams without affecting performance.

Reinforced disc flange

A lot of speed and increased weight obviously affect the braking system just before approaching a bend.

The disc flange become a fundamental part because it is the interface between the disc, where the callipers grip, and hub, which transfers to the rim the braking force.

The new flange is thicker compared to the previous one. It is also 5% more rigid to ensure a robust support when braking.

Reinforced freehub system

Attention to detail was also paid to the freewheel body system, which is the point of junction and transfer of the driving force from the cogset to the wheel body.

The drastic increase of power and jerks, due to the intervention of the motor, made it necessary to use a freewheel body with tempered steel dedicated gears, which are able to withstand a breaking tension by 30% greater.

The laboratory analysis observed the behaviour of the individual ratchets on cycles greater than one billion of uses: the carburised steel ensures an estimated lifetime that is 4 times longer compared to the Ergal model used for the non-E-MTB models.

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.

The Shimano MICROSPLINE option will be available on all MTB and E-MTB wheels in the MY2020 catalogue.

At the same time, it will be possible to convert all wheels in the Red Zone, Red Metal and Red Fire range and all previously purchased and used E-MTBs featuring different bodies using a conversion kit comprising body and pivot.