Aware of the constant growth in e-bikes, we have developed the first all-round wheel specifically for this market segment. We have a proven track record in the E-MTB world and we have applied this technical expertise to the latest evolution of current bikes and new way of cycling. We began by developing a specific rim profile, with an inner rim width of 22 mm (ideal for tyres between 30 and 45 mm), special self-locking long head nipples and project-specific spokes. As we discovered when we developed the E-MTB wheels, the motor increases the load on the freewheel, which has to support greater torsional loads for longer periods too. This is where we focused our attention. Seeing as the freewheel body is the contact point where the drive force is transferred from the cassette to the wheel body, it is subject to higher stresses due to the increased power and jerks caused by the activation of the motor. This led us to use a tempered steel freewheel body, with specific internals, able to support a tensile strength greater than 30%. The results of lab analysis on the behaviour of the single pawls on cycles higher than a billion are clear: the life of cemented steel is estimated to be 2 times higher than Ergal models used for traditional road models.

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.

AFS AXLE SYSTEM: The Axial Fixing System is the solution developed by Fulcrum to fix the disc brake to the hub. The constraint granted by the butt area of the release mechanism, greater than in familiar standard ones, makes it possible to obtain greater structural rigidity and therefore more precise and powerful braking.

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!