Best emtb wheels, DT Swiss?

[RickBullotta]

The requirements for pawl hubs seem to be different than ratchet for lubricant.

Also the temperatures you ride in, how wet you get it, and how frequently you service it will affect your choice.

 

[Astro66]

The point of grease is to reduce to metal to metal contact by creating a layer of lubricant between the metal surfaces. So with pawled hubs. I have found a thicker grease makes them quieter, so softer contact. But too thick affected their spring return. There doesn't appear to be a heat factor in hubs.

I've experimented with a few different types of grease on freehubs. IMO, if it runs quiet, and gives good engagement. It will do the job.

If you are racing and want the best efficiency. Then it's a different story.

I have had mixed results with ratchet hubs. And am in the process of switching back to pawls. I'm going 6 pawls and 72 teeth. The quietest hub I have is a ratchet hub. But it seems to vary, even on hubs from the same brand, no matter freshly serviced they are.

I tried those pawls with 3 points of contact. They give great engagement, but are noisy, no matter how thick the grease.

 

[RickBullotta]

The point of grease is to reduce to metal to metal contact by creating a layer of lubricant between the metal surfaces. So with pawled hubs. I have found a thicker grease makes them quieter, so softer contact. But too thick affected their spring return. There doesn't appear to be a heat factor in hubs.

I've experimented with a few different types of grease on freehubs. IMO, if it runs quiet, and gives good engagement. It will do the job.

If you are racing and want the best efficiency. Then it's a different story.

I have had mixed results with ratchet hubs. And am in the process of switching back to pawls. I'm going 6 pawls and 72 teeth. The quietest hub I have is a ratchet hub. But it seems to vary, even on hubs from the same brand, no matter freshly serviced they are.

I tried those pawls with 3 points of contact. They give great engagement, but are noisy, no matter how thick the grease.

Using Dumond Freehub Oil instead of grease on pawl-based hubs will quiet them down. Used to do that on I9's.

 

[MrBaallack]

As we speak, I'm getting a pair of DT Swiss wheels built for a heavy rider. I’ve previously been running an EX511/EX471 combo, but I managed to smash about 4 spokes after a bad shift onto the largest cassette cog. After that, it was the same spokes that kept failing again and again.

I also decided to retire the EX471 because I'm running 2.6" tires now and wanted a 30 mm inner width. On top of that, the EX471 had early signs of corrosion around the nipple holes, so it just made sense to replace it.

However, I chose to keep the EX511 up front, because it’s still in great condition. And before the FR541 came out, the EX511 was considered the strongest DT Swiss rim in this category. So no reason to fix what isn’t broken.

So, I decided I want wheels I never have to think about again. With a bit of guidance from ChatGPT and a very good wheel builder, I decided to do a full rebuild.

I already have Crankbrothers Synthesis hubs, which are actually Industry Nine 1/1 hubs underneath. I replaced the driver and all the bearings last year, so it made sense to keep them.

The build spec:

• Industry Nine 1/1 hubs (front and rear)
• DT Swiss EX511 front rim (29")
• DT Swiss FR541 rear rim (27.5")
• DT Swiss Alpine III spokes (2.3 / 1.8 / 2.0 triple butted)
• DT Swiss brass nipples

This should be about as bombproof as it gets.

But… a wheel is only as strong as the person who builds it. I found a guy here in Denmark that many people refer to as one of the best wheel builders around, and I got a solid deal. So now it’s just a waiting game.


He actually recommended HX531 rims due to the higher system weight rating, but for some reason I just really wanted the FR541 on the rear

 

[Rando_12345]

I bought a 54t ratchet kit which came with a thimble of special grease:

That was probably 10 years ago, the ratchet is still perfect and I have roughly half the grease left despite owning 5 pairs of DT swiss wheels since then.

I find their factory built wheels to be very solid, e1700 and H1700 are probably the best bang for the buck out there, especially if you don't mind finding an older model for 300-400e per pair.

 

[COOLBIKE]

I agree with comments above. I've had many DT wheels: HX 1700LS (which can be found for around 350€ a set), regular 1700, 1900 and lots of custom-built ones.
Now I ride a set of DT 350 hubs, 32 Sapim Race spokes, and DT FR541 rims, which cost 500€. Set weighs just over 2kg. I also bought steel freehub body, which I consider essential for E-bike, and I swapped Ratchet for 54T.
In my opinion, if you want solid wheels that are easy to maintain, and always have spare parts, DT is perfect.