The Metal Carbon wheelset is Fulcrum’s second move in the mountain biking realm as the brand treads further into downcountry and trail riding. Featuring shed loads of carbon technologies, the result is impressive trail performance for those who love smooth rolling hubs and plentiful lateral stiffness. The cup and cone hubs won’t suit everyone, however, nor will the lack of lateral compliance.
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Fulcrum Metal Carbon - Technical details
Fulcrum is a brand with roots deep in road cycling, with its shift in attention towards mountain biking being one that’s relatively new for the brand. Although the brand has shown reluctance to move away from technologies most common on road bikes, the Metal Zone Carbon wheel brings a whole bunch of features that’ll please those who prefer life on knobbly tyres.
But to start, Fulcrum is synonymous with the use of cup and cone bearings in wheel hubs - something that’s all but faded from existence on performance mountain bike wheels. Despite being rare off-road and requiring a little more regular maintenance, these types of bearings bring tangible benefits; they’re easier to clean and maintain, and they’re a much simpler bearing. They also bring enhanced smoothness for the price tag. However, riders should expect to have to adjust the preload on a regular basis.
To disperse any confusion, the Metal Carbon is a carbon-rimmed wheelset that’s designed to sit in the trail genre. Built to accommodate tubeless and clincher tyres, thanks to the 2-Way Fit rim, these wheels get a ‘low’ profile height (or 26.2mm in numbers) with 32mm internal rim widths on both wheels. They fit Centrelock rotors, feature 24 straight-pull spokes up front with 28 out back, and come in Boost spacing. Fulcrum also says that these will run well on lightweight e-mountain bikes.
The tech list goes on as the wheels utilise Fulcrum’s DRSC or 'Directionated' Rim-Spoke Coupling that couples the spokes and rim in a way that allows rim, spokes, nipples, and hub to properly align with the same tension values. Fulcrum’s MoMag tech is present - this one’s a little more complicated as it describes the rim’s spoke-holeless design that relies on the spoke nipples to be placed inside the rim through the valve hole and then guided to their spoke hole via a magnet. For those who work on their wheels and build them, this will likely be a pain to work with.
There’s the Axial Fixing System (AFS), which fixes the disc brake to the hub. It uses a Centrelock interface, but Fulcrum says that this system promises better structural rigidity for better braking power.
The Metal Carbon wheels come in 29in only and with the option of a Microspline or XD freehub. As for weight, Fulcrum claims the set comes in at 1,550g, whereas I weighed it at 1,561g.
Fulcrum Metal Zone - Performance
Having not ridden cup and cone bearings since parting ways with my first £400 mountain bike over a decade ago, running them once again wasn’t something I expected. Mainly, I had some concerns over the frequency of maintenance they would require and that they wouldn’t be that well sealed. But I was very pleasantly surprised by the performance benefits they offer. The Fulcum Metal Carbon wheels roll incredibly smoothly. There’s very little friction in those hubs, and that alone boosted general efficiency. Whether it’s gathering or maintaining momentum, or just cranking up testing climbs, the absolute lack of friction was clear as day, and something I found myself really enjoying.
I’ve not yet discovered the need to open up the hubs all that often, either. Granted, I have because I’ve been closely monitoring dirt and water ingress, but during my three to four months of testing through the worst of the UK’s winter, the Metal Carbon’s interior is mighty clean. Making maintenance more approachable is that the hubs’ end caps can be cinched down on the axle via small allen bolts - this keeps preload free from slipping and consistent when under regular riding loads. Setting the preload is simple too, only done by tightening the end caps until there’s no free play and nipping up the end caps’ allen bolts.
Something to note, however, is that these wheels require purpose-built Centerlock rotors. Six-bolt rotors with adapters won’t fit with Fulcrum’s centerlock interface.
Aside from the smoothness of the hubs, the Metal Carbon wheelset provides a very direct steering feel, owing to the heft of lateral stiffness built in. Pushing the wheels into corners is a confident feeling, as there’s a clear level of strength present. Such stiffness can affect traction, however, as under heavier cornering loads, there’s a real sense of grip, slip, grip, as there’s so little give in the wheels. That in itself is heaps of fun, but from a traction standpoint, it’s not ideal.
It also results in a pingy, pinballing-type feel when navigating more technical terrain. The wheelset isn’t forgiving in the lateral direction. Vertically, it’s a different story as the Metal Carbons showed little in the way of harshness. This could be owed to the lower spoke count at the front wheel, which is a little lower than typical, with many other trail-focused wheelsets donning 28.
Fulcrum makes no mention of freehub engagement, but it's quick enough. It’s certainly not the fastest or most abrupt on the market, but I’ve not found myself unhappy with it. That said, you can get faster engagements for less cash. Something I really like about the freehub is that it’s absolutely silent. A quiet freehub almost amplifies the feeling of smoothness.
Although more lateral compliance would boost performance, the Metal Zone wheels have boosted the liveliness and general zest of the Carbon Wasp I’ve tested them on. General on-trail performance is rather great as the reasonably low weight makes the bike easier to pick up and place while attacking the trail. The ride feel is certainly direct, although I can’t speak for a lot of the technology that Fulcrum has built them with.
General durability is rather good, too. I’ve ridden these wheels through cross-country trails and tipped them into downhill trails after which, they look as good as new both aesthetically and in terms of trueness. Despite sealing and maintenance worries, the hubs still roll mighty smoothly, too. And thanks to their 32mm internal widths, tyre inflate with a larger and squarer profile, which boosts tyre grip.
I did find an issue when installing brake rotors, however. The AFS system requires Centrelock rotors, and you won’t be able to get away with six-bolt rotors on Centrelock adapters. Fulcrum’s interface just won’t accept it.
Fulcrum Metal Carbon - Verdict
As a light-ish weight trail offering, the Metal Carbon has a lot to give, but at this price point, there’s an awful lot of competition, especially from Hunt and its recent Proven Carbon range. One wheelset is the Proven Carbon Race XC wheelset that comes in at £1,200 with a claimed weight of 1,469g. This is a more cross-country-focused wheelset, as its name suggests, but it gets cartridge bearings, which typically last longer owing to better sealing. They don’t require preload either. Another bonus is that Hunt’s Rapid Engage freehub offers a speedy five-degree engagement.
DT Swiss’s XRC 1501 Spline One wheelset is priced at £1,549. They’re rims aren’t quite as wide, but the overall weight is comparable, and they use DT’s 240 hubs with the Ratchet EXP freehub system, which is easy to maintain, and its engagement speed is pretty feisty.
If it’s a carbon trail wheelset that breaks from the norm somewhat, Fulcrum’s Metal Carbon wheelset is a solid performer. The cup and cone bearings won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but one thing’s for sure, they’re flipping smooth, and if you can forgive perhaps a little too much lateral stiffness, you’ll be investing in a reasonably light wheelset that’s primed to elevate the ride of any trail bike. Just make sure you’ve got a pair of Centrelock rotors on hand, and that you’re happy checking over the bearings every so often.
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