Red Heat is the new non-tubeless downhill and freeride wheelset from Fulcrum. The wheels are available with front 20mm and rear 150x12mm axles, and six-bolt rotor mounts. The nicely machined straight-pull hubs are at the centre of the Red Heats, and after months of sustained use, the bearings are still running super sweet.
Rim strength and ding-resistance is high too. After riding one of the most rocky downhill trails around with a rear puncture and a folding tyre on, we thought the wheel would have to be retired, but with just one (really) small dent, the Red Heats live to fight on.
They’re stiff too; punching them into corners is predictable and they track amazingly well over rough ground, although it does mean there’s slightly more feedback through the bars. The only thing that concerns us, as with any straight-pull wheel, is spoke replacement if you were to damage one while you were somewhere remote and hadn’t had the foresight to bring spares!