I’ve lengthy been a quiet fan of DT Swiss wheels, whether or not that was in earlier business roles I had the place I valued the no-fuss reliability of a setup that was all the time able to go no matter how little upkeep I’d completed or on this job testing varied street, gravel, and mtb wheels which all gave a reliable combine of just about boring stable reliability and high finish efficiency at cheap costs.
The GRC vary is the model’s designated carbon gravel wheels, with 4 fashions. Easier, cheaper alloy wheels have a easy G moniker adopted by a quantity. DT’s numbering system can appear a bit complicated at first, however Tyler Boucher did an amazing job of clearing it up in his first trip evaluation of the range-topping GRC 1100 50mm deep wheels earlier this 12 months.
I used to be delighted once I acquired the GRC 1400 Dicut wheels to check this summer time till I checked the value and practically fell off my chair! These wheels sit within the “second tier” of their lineup, but the value tag nonetheless rivals many decent-budget gravel bikes. Whereas I respect that top-tier biking gear typically comes at a premium, seeing this stage of funding in a set of wheels left me questioning: can they actually ship the efficiency to justify the excessive outlay, and the way do they evaluate to the finest gravel wheels available on the market?
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DT Swiss launched the GRC vary this summer time, which includes 4 wheels that share both a 30mm or 50mm rim and can be found with the 180 Ratchet EXP hub with ceramic bearings within the costlier 1100 variant or with the marginally cheaper 240 Ratchet EXP hub I had within the 1400 I had on check. The 2 rim depths are designed to provide benefits for particular forms of gravel using, the 50mm being all about minimizing watts and aero features for gravel racing and the shallower 30mm that prioritizes steering agility and responsiveness over straight-line velocity, although each have an aerodynamic profile developed within the wind tunnel with aero specialists Swiss Aspect.
The aesthetic is kind of plain – no bling right here!
(Picture credit score: Future)
The primary speaking level of the brand new GRC lineup is its in-house-developed rims. DT Swiss equips every GRC carbon rim with a hooked bead, which they declare to be the “final resolution” for the tip buyer’s security and ease of use. A hookless rim is less complicated to fabricate and will be lighter, but it surely additionally throws up compatibility points with sure tyre manufacturers, particularly with narrower high-pressure rubber. In keeping with DT Swiss, “whereas making a hooked bead is certainly extra complicated, it results in a rim with a built-in fail-safe, offering riders with the arrogance to push tougher”, and I might agree completely, ensuring your tyre stays related to your rim is one downside I might relatively not have to fret about.
Such is the standard of manufacture, the edges have this faultless matte end straight from the mildew
(Picture credit score: Future)
At first impression, these are aesthetically slightly underwhelming, with a matte again end on the hubs and rims and delicate branding. They have been nothing particular at a look, although their comparatively low weight of 1496 grams (together with valves) offers you a clue as to how they’ll carry out.
Although not notably flash-looking, the 30mm deep carbon rim packs a punch utilizing DT’s newest patent-pending course of, which DT Swiss is utilizing right here for the primary time. The brand new course of permits the rim to be able to trip “straight out of the mildew” with none ending, fillers, or clear coats needing to be added. This provides them a attribute flat matt end and, extra importantly, helps save grams. It must also give constant weights throughout manufacturing runs.
Carbon manufacturing can typically give various ranges of accuracy and high quality management, which normally makes itself recognized with weights differing from printed weights, as mass-produced finances rims can generally want ending or floor remedies that may add grams.
These 240 EXP hubs are actually lighter than earlier variations and promote a 15% enhance in axle stiffness
(Picture credit score: Future)
The edges measure 24mm vast internally, which DT says is completely optimized for 40mm tyres. This was wonderful for me throughout testing as my long-term check bike, the Ribble Gravel Ti professional, will not take super-wide rubber. For many of my check time, I had the 47mm Vittoria Terrano Dry’s, which labored properly, with loads of assist for the sidewalls and little folding, even at decrease pressures. The marginally narrower 45mm Schwalbe G One RS labored properly, too, although in case you are trying to match mtb rubber like among the gravel professionals, you is perhaps higher served elsewhere.
The 1400 model I had on check makes use of the 240 hub from DT, with the most recent Ratchet EXP freehub system. DT’s hub know-how is well-known for its stable reliability and efficiency, and plenty of manufacturers even use their hub internals or designs of their wheels (corresponding to Big/Cadex and Specialised/Roval, as an example). The EXP model takes the usual ratchet system that has been round for many years and makes it lighter by combining the threaded insert with one of many plates and eradicating a preload spring. This additionally means they’ll transfer the bearings additional aside, resulting in a 15% enhance in axle stiffness and a small discount in weight.
Because the title suggests, Aerolite Comp II straight pull spokes are DT Swiss’ flat-bladed aero providing
(Picture credit score: Future)
The GRC 1400 is shipped with a 36-tooth ratchet, which supplies a stable however not loopy 10 levels of engagement. In order for you a quicker engagement, a 54-tooth model is accessible to buy individually. Handily, in addition they ship with Shimano HG and SRAM XDR freehubs, and Shimano Microspline and Campagnolo N3W choices can be found individually.
DT can be one of many few corporations making spokes, to allow them to management each wheel ingredient and design it accordingly. On this occasion, they’ve used 24 Aerolite Comp II straight pull spokes entrance and rear with the nipples hidden contained in the rim, which has an aero profit, although it’s a little bit of a ache ought to you might want to true them or change a spoke. The Aerolite is the model’s flat-bladed, most aerodynamic providing, however I additionally discover flat spokes flex extra at sharp lean angles, which helps with traction in corners and off-camber sections.
The trip
I discover actually top-end package laborious to evaluation subjectively generally. As a rider, I typically look upon actually good stable mid-range choices that provide excellent efficiency and serviceability at an inexpensive worth as the top of package. So, a wheel that prices as a lot as a good gravel bike was laborious to get my head round on paper. Till I rode them, that’s.
As with every wheel, I first set them up tubeless utilizing the equipped valves. The edges are equipped ready-taped, and becoming the Schwalbe G One RS tyres in a 45mm width or the Vittoria Terrano Dry’s in a 47mm width (46.5mm measured) was easy. There have been no issues seating or sealing both tyre. The 24mm inner width labored properly with each choices and gave a fine condition with loads of assist, although I am undecided how properly it will fare with 50mm plus choices.
Neal examined with wheels with 47mm Vittoria Terrano Dry rubber, however he might have gone wider had his Ribble’s body allowed
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From the very first pedal stroke, I might inform these have been particular. The Hub pick-up is satisfactory relatively than extraordinary, however with a light-weight rim and well-tensioned spokes, they choose up velocity eerily quick. However much more spectacular is that they’ve managed this with out making them really feel harsh or uncomfortable off-road. At first, I believed I might need my pressures too excessive as I set off on a clean bike path part as that they had an actual zip to them, however even after dropping the stress to under 30 psi, they nonetheless felt remarkably nimble.
All through my summer time of testing, I’ve used these for the whole lot from loaded bike-packing, quick group rides, and rocky singletrack rides, and so they have felt nice no matter what I used to be doing. I am certain the 50mm model affords extra velocity with its aero benefit, however except you are on the pointy finish of the gravel racing spectrum, I’d go for the extra comfy however nonetheless quick 30mm variations. They’ve maintained spoke rigidity, and the stainless-steel sealed bearings spin as easily because the day I fitted them, which is not all the time true with check wheels.
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They continued to impress me once I tried extra technical trails, too. Whether or not skipping over native rocky descents or slippery off-cambers, they maintain a line fantastically and alter path with minimal effort for poor line selections or quick corners. I used to be so impressed with them that I used to be nearly confused and a bit anxious my evaluation would sound like an advert, so to place my thoughts at relaxation, I did some back-to-back rides in opposition to different wheels I had on check from Reynolds, Mavic, and Parcours and the DT appeared to supply an intoxicating mix of velocity, stability, responsiveness and dealing with that not one of the others might match.
Worth & conclusions
These are an impressively specced wheel regardless of their delicate and stealthy seems, and whenever you dive into the small print, it is clear there was loads of time spent sweating the small print, which go some solution to justifying the excessive worth of £1,949.98 / $2,399.80, which, though clearly costly, is lower than the GRC 1100, which is available in at an eye-watering £2,399.98 / $2,999.80. To explain these as cost-effective or much more budget-friendly, I believe, could be disingenuous, however as I stated earlier, the very best package has all the time been costly, and having used loads of DT Swiss 240 hubs in varied guises over time, I am greater than assured the wheels will last more than many gravel bikes would.
My solely actual gripe is the value. They do provide an actual leap up in efficiency phrases, however whenever you evaluate them to the likes of Hunt 42 Limitless Gravel Journey wheelset at £1,299 / $1,649 or the Reynolds ATRx wheels at £1,500 /$1,699, they’re a major step up in cash, which is tough to disregard.
(Picture credit score: Future)
Actually, these are the very best gravel wheels I’ve ever used, with the proper mixture of velocity, responsiveness, weight, and serviceability. They do all of the issues I might ask for in a wheel, with a brilliant clean trip and an addictive flip of velocity that by no means felt out of its depth or that was slowing me down in any method throughout just about all terrain.
For many who like actually massive rubber, these won’t be the most suitable choice, and I am certain the deeper 50mm model could be marginally faster on smoother trails, however I am nit-picking. I am simply gutted I am unable to afford a set.
Specs
- SRP: £1,949.98 / $2,399.80
- Depth: 30mm
- Inner: 24mm
- Weight: 1496 g (weighed with tape and valves)