There are too many all-black wheels these days – stealthy matte carbon rims, black spokes, black anodized nipples, and hubs painted black everywhere you look. It’s all so boring. A few brands are fighting back. And now it’s nice to see DT Swiss spicing things up a bit with this all-silver limited edition aluminum FR 1500 Classic gravity bike wheelset. You get all their best tech for enduro, freeride & DH – premium 240 hubs, fast DEG engagement, user-adjustable DF anti-kickback function hidden inside – and now in glorious shiny silver.
DT Swiss FR 1500 Classic Silver DEG DF LTD gravity wheels
Now frankly, I’m more than a little annoyed by the fact that DT Swiss decided to make this entire limited edition wheelset campaign in Black & White.
Sure, it looks artsy. And it’s true that there’s no color to be found on the wheels – outside of some red bearing seals pressed inside the hub or the red DT special grease inside the oversized star ratchet.
But what makes a silver wheelset really shine is how it differs from bland black wheels, and how it reflects the colors of everything around it – whether that’s the paint job of your bike, or the trees and wildflowers next to the trail.
See what I mean!
Shiny silver gravity wheels are awesome.
Like, the set I custom-built myself.
OK, enough ranting about shininess. Onto the core tech…
Tech details
There’s nothing new on these limited edition wheels, just proven rims, spokes, and hubs laced together to build a bombproof wheelset for whatever type of gravity-infused mountain biking you prefer
- super tough FR541 aluminum rims with extra impact resistance & built-in pinch flat protection
- 30mm internal x 35mm external x 21mm deep
- tubeless-ready
- 605g per 29″ rim (claimed)
- built on 240 Classic DEG DF 6-bolt disc brake hubs
- fast 90T / 4° Ratchet DEG engagement
- adjustable 0° / 10° / 20° DF anti-kickback device inside
- Boost 15×110 & 12x148mm spacing only
- laced 3x with 32 RevoLite round double-butted J-bend spokes and Pro Lock Squorx alloy nipples
- only available in full 29er, curiously
- SRAM XD only, although Shimano HG & MicroSpline DEG freehubs are available separately
- ASTM Cat 5 rated for DH, with a rider+bike weight of 140kg/309lb
- 2030g wheelset weight (claimed )
DT Swiss FR 1500 Silver LTD wheels – Pricing, options & availability
Technically, an ultra-tough aluminum Freeride & DH wheelset at 2030g… they’re really not terribly heavy, meaning you definitely could run them on an enduro bike, too. In fact, it’s actually about 100g lighter (at the hubs) than the shiny silver DT wheels I built up myself with a lighter EX511 rim, RevoLites & the pastel limited edition 350 DEG hubs last year.
I love riding those custom-labeled wheels on my long travel enduro test bike, and expect to see them again close up next month with some all-new tire tech, coming soon!
Officially, DT Swiss calls the FR 1500 Classic Silver DEG DF wheelset a “limited edition”. And it will only be available in some international markets. But there isn’t a set limited number of wheelsets available. So, it’s more a case of pick up a set before they stop making them.
We do know that the shiny silver gravity wheels sell for $1034 / 900€ for the pair. And they are only available in a full 29er set with a SRAM XD driver. But at least you can swap in another standard DEG freehub for Shimano or alt drivetrain compatibility. The FR 1500 Silver LTD wheels are available now from select European dealer shops in Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland & the United Kingdom, plus Canada & the USA. OR you can snap up a set online from Bike-Components.de.