Somewhere near the peak of the value/performance curve is the DT Swiss 1700 wheel lineup. For years, it’s been the go-to spec on high-end bikes with reasonable price tags. Today, DT Swiss announces some sweeping changes to these ubiquitous hoops…
Asymmetric Rims
All 1700 wheels now feature asymmetric rims for more even spoke tension and a stronger wheel. The inner width is still 30mm across all versions, but the spoke holes are now slightly offset. This also tends to make for more similar left/right spoke lengths, making it easier to keep spares on-hand.
Front/Rear Specific Construction
DT Swiss optimized the 1700 rims to be front/rear specific. They favor strength in the rear and less unsprung mass up front. But the spoke spec and lacing patterns are the same, front and rear.
A New Carbon XC Option
DT’s carbon wheels are usually aimed at the ultra-high-end, but the new XRC 1700 Spline is priced a bit more reasonably. It features a 54t Ratchet SL drive ring, Centerlock rotor mounts, and straight-pull Competition spokes laced to a brand new 30mm inner-width XC-rated carbon rim.
DEG DF Anti-Pedal-Kickback Mechanism Comes Standard
On all new 1700 wheelsets except for the above-mentioned XRC 1700, the rear hubs will come stock with DT’s DEG DF mechanism. And you can easily adjust the system to offer 10° or 20° of float to help prevent pedal kickback during rear-wheel impacts (on full-suspension bikes). Or, you can opt for 0° of float and take advantage of the DEG drive ring’s 72 points of engagement (or 60 on the e-bike-specific “Hybrid” version)
What Stays the Same?
All non-e-bike-specific 1700 wheels still use DT’s 2.0 / 1.8 / 2.0 butted Competition spokes, although some wheels use straight-pull (Spline series) and some are J-Bend (Classic series). And they all use DT’s Prolock aluminum nipples. Perhaps most importantly, they’re all hand-built and individually cataloged with data like the wheel concentricity, the tension of each spoke, and even the builder’s name to help track down the source of a problem if one arises.
See more at DT Swiss
XRC 1700 Spline (Cross-Country)
XM 1700 Spline (Trail)
EX 1700 Classic (All-Mountain / Enduro)
HX 1700 Spline (eMTB)
