DT Swiss HX 1700 long-term review

[BikeBert]

UPDATE:
Click HERE for long-term review
of DT Swiss HX 1700​

Original Post:

After two seasons on Roval Traverse wheels on my Gen 3 Levo, I sadly managed to damage the rear rim.

After years of experience with bicycle jewelry and and exotic wheels, I have become a pragmatist, especially in emtb category, where wheels seems to be more prone to damage.

It's led me to consider the DT Swiss HX 1700 (35 mm) as a replacement. However, I can't help but be a tad concerned about the lower spoke count (28) on the pre-built wheels.

To address this, I'm also contemplating going the custom route with DT Swiss 350 Hybrid classic hubs, paired with 27.5" HX 581 35mm / 29" HX 531 30mm rims, laced up with 32 Sapim Force spokes.

What's your take on the DT Swiss HX 1700 wheels, especially considering the lower spoke count? And does anyone have experience with custom-built wheels on a setup similar to mine?



For a bit of context, my ride is Gen 3 Levo Expert rocking few mods:
- Fox 38 170 mm fork
- Vorsprung Smashpot
- Öhlins TTX22 230x65mm shock
- Cascade long shock kit
- Trickstuff Direttissima brakes
- Galfer Shark 223 /203 mm rotors
- BikeYoke Revive MAX 213 mm
- SQlab 3OX carbon 12° / 31.8 / 45mm rise handlebar
- Hope Gravity 31.8 / 50 mm stem
- Schwalbe Magic Mary 29" 2.6 front
- Schwalbe Big Betty 27.5" 2.6 rear
I weigh in at 85kg and tend to enjoy the rough and rocky terrains.

Cheers!

 

[Mikerb]

I have the HX 1700 Hybrid wheelset on my bike and it seems pretty bulletproof. As a complete factory build ( the new 350 hubs, HX351 rims, and reinforced Hybrid 1 spokes) I think it at least removes the potential for a less than perfect custom build. Bit pricey though!! The complete set up has been specifically designed to withstand the extra forces involved with an EMTB and the 24T ratchet system is also well sealed and very low maintenance unlike most pawl systems.
ps I would have thought the 30 internal diameter more suited to tyre widths for use on the Levo rather than 35mm.

 

[BikeBert]

I have the HX 1700 Hybrid wheelset on my bike and it seems pretty bulletproof. As a complete factory build ( the new 350 hubs, HX351 rims, and reinforced Hybrid 1 spokes) I think it at least removes the potential for a less than perfect custom build. Bit pricey though!! The complete set up has been specifically designed to withstand the extra forces involved with an EMTB and the 24T ratchet system is also well sealed and very low maintenance unlike most pawl systems.
ps I would have thought the 30 internal diameter more suited to tyre widths for use on the Levo rather than 35mm.

Thanks a ton for sharing your experience with the DT Swiss HX 1700 Hybrid wheelset!

Your point about the 30mm internal diameter being more suitable for tire widths on the Levo caught my attention. I was initially leaning towards the 35mm rim width, but your perspective has me reconsidering. Could you elaborate a bit more on why you think the 30mm internal diameter is better suited for the Levo, particularly in terms of tire compatibility and performance? I'm running Schwalbe Magic Mary 29" 2.6 in front and Schwalbe Big Betty 27.5" 2.6 in rear, considering going up to 2.8.

 

[Mikerb]

30mm is ideal for 2.4 and 2.5 and perfectly suitable for 2.6.....once you get to 2.8 a 35mm is more applicable. you may want to check if there is enough clearance for a 2.8 on a Levo....especially if you ride in muddy conditions.
I ran 2.3 in the summer and 2.4/2.5 in the winter when I had a Levo. On my current Whyte enduro bikes I run Maxxis 2.4 and 2.5 . I found 2.6 far too vague and needing too much pressure at the expense of grip.............albeit that was the Specialized tyres which I did not rate!!

 

[Decoy_29]

I run 2.6 tires on Newmen sl.eg 35 rims. The tires are much more stable at low air pressure on 35mm rims than on 30mm rims. I tested it 1 on 1.

 

[Mikerb]

I run 2.6 tires on Newmen sl.eg 35 rims. The tires are much more stable at low air pressure on 35mm rims than on 30mm rims. I tested it 1 on 1.

I can believe that...but the tyre also adopts a more square profile with a wider rim so that can impact performance depending on the tyre in question. I think higher volume tyres increase comfort but as I said above that can be at the expense of stability on the rim in my experience. My preference is 2.4. in terms of tyre width.......each to their own though!

 

[Decoy_29]

Everything has its advantages and disadvantages.

 

[Decoy_29]

My Custom Build for Levo Gen 3
Hope pro5 ebike Hub, dt swiss competition Spoke, Newmen sl eg.35 Rim

 

[BikeBert]

My Custom Build for Levo Gen 3
Hope pro5 ebike Hub, dt swiss competition Spoke, Newmen sl eg.35 RimView attachment 133990

Did you build it yourself?

 

[Decoy_29]

Yes. With a little skill and time it works well.

 

[BikeBert]

Yes. With a little skill and time it works well.

Good effort! It's been about 20 years since I've built my last wheel, it was more popular/normal back then. I think I became too lazy for that.

 

[Jukka4130]

DT Swiss factory-built wheels are nice, but do not cross every box. First, even some of the heavy-duty wheels are still 28H which makes no sense. Secondly – and this is a bigger issue – DT wheels use alloy nipples which are known to be very soft, making serviceability quite poor. I can count at least 4 or 5 DT wheels that I've replaced nipples for this particular reason. A silly shortcoming in the quest for striving to save a few grams in my opinion.

With a know wheel builder you know exactly what you get, and can pick the components one by one. Worth the extra costs and time every time in my opinion. One example – Onyx Classic Hubs for an E-MTB.

 

[RustyIron]

I can't help but be a tad concerned about the lower spoke count (28) on the pre-built wheels.

I don't consider this a concern. There is a point of diminishing returns. Why is 28 bad and 32 good? Why not 36? For at least seven years I've been running 28 spoke Industry Nine, Ibis, and DT Swiss wheels, and despite my most heroic efforts, I haven't buggered any of them.

To address this, I'm also contemplating going the custom route with DT Swiss 350 Hybrid classic hubs, paired with 27.5" HX 581 35mm / 29" HX 531 30mm rims, laced up with 32 Sapim Force spokes.

Why not go with the factory-built wheels? They're assembled using top-shelf tools by people who assemble wheels every day of their lives, and the warranty is unquestionable. What "extra" does a "custom" builder do for you? In my experience, a custom build is done with off-the-shelf parts by a minimum wage pimply face prepubescent who's more worried about Tik Tok than creating a perfect wheel set.

Most recently I've been rolling on DT Swiss HX1501's. Yes, aluminum. It's been a long time since I've run aluminum rims, but I know there have been a lot of advances, and I'm curious to see what it's all about. These only have 150 miles on them, so ask me again in a year.

 

[RoJo]

I don't consider this a concern. There is a point of diminishing returns. Why is 28 bad and 32 good? Why not 36? For at least seven years I've been running 28 spoke Industry Nine, Ibis, and DT Swiss wheels, and despite my most heroic efforts, I haven't buggered any of them.



Why not go with the factory-built wheels? They're assembled using top-shelf tools by people who assemble wheels every day of their lives, and the warranty is unquestionable. What "extra" does a "custom" builder do for you? In my experience, a custom build is done with off-the-shelf parts by a minimum wage pimply face prepubescent who's more worried about Tik Tok than creating a perfect wheel set.

Most recently I've been rolling on DT Swiss HX1501's. Yes, aluminum. It's been a long time since I've run aluminum rims, but I know there have been a lot of advances, and I'm curious to see what it's all about. These only have 150 miles on them, so ask me again in a year.

Agreed. More to strength than spoke count. These guys know how to make a good weel. Plus they add loctite to the nipples which buys you a decent chunk of maintenance free life.
35mm is stronger than 30mm and would work fine on a 2.6" or larger tyre.

 

[borysgo2]

Newmen sl rims are very good, I am smashing my ones for past 700km, they are perfect. From my perspective, I'll never buy wheels again, prefer to builds my wheels myself to my preferences.

 

[Shjay]

Much prefer building my own wheels spec how you want it including stiffness etc

 

[obiwun]

I have a DT HX 1700 wheel set that I ran for about 18 months. In that time I destroyed one rear rim, broke only 1 spoke and my replacement rim DT HX531 has a flat spot and some dents. It has lasted much better than most other wheel sets Ive had. I tend to destroy wheels very quickly for some reason. I found the HX wheel set really nice to work on, the DT squorx alloy nipples are really nice to use and you get all new nipples with the HX531 rim. I guess I had to true and balance my rear wheel about once every 2 months.

Currently I have a Bontrager line elite carbon wheels on my Trek Rail Gen 4 and I've broken 3 spokes in 3 months. My rear wheel is about to get all new Pillar spokes under warranty. Ive trued and tensioned that rear wheel about 4 times. I do prefer the feel of the carbon wheel set over the DT HX wheel set but I think I trust the DT more.

 

[BikeBert]

Two years later:
DT Swiss HX 1700 long-term verdict

Two years ago, after damaging the rear rim on my Roval Traverse wheels on a Gen 3 Levo, I asked here for advice on a more durable wheelset. After years of running exotic “bicycle jewelry,” I’d become a pragmatist, especially with eMTBs where wheels take a real beating. I ended up choosing the DT Swiss HX 1700 wheelset (35 mm), despite some initial concerns about the 28-spoke count.

DT Swiss description
Built specifically for demanding eMTB riding, the HX 1700 wheels reinforce material exactly where loads are highest, allowing them to handle higher speeds and system weights up to 150 kg. Available in two internal widths for optimal grip and traction, they’re paired with redesigned DT Swiss 350 Hybrid hubs that better manage braking and drive torque. Precision-welded rims and reinforced Hybrid spokes result in exceptional lateral and torsional stiffness. In real-world riding, that engineering translates directly into durability you can trust.


My honest review and opinion
After two full years of hard riding in rocky Croatian conditions, I can confidently say: these wheels are absolutely bulletproof.

In that time:
- I never had to true them once
- I smashed them repeatedly into sharp rocks
- I even managed to feed a few thick sticks through the spokes at speed
- I run very low pressures: ~0.8 bar / 11 psi front and rear
- The wheels stayed straight and solid throughout

Only recently, on an ultra-sharp rocky descent (think Finale Ligure levels of abuse), did I finally dent a rim. On that ride, I hit both wheels so hard, so many times, that I was genuinely surprised I didn’t do more damage.

The final blow came right at the end of the trail, where an open section drops into the forest. I smashed into a sharp rock hidden under leaves at around 40 km/h. The impact was brutal. I honestly thought the rear wheel had exploded. It didn’t.

There’s “just” a dent. And somehow, the wheel is still perfectly true.

Looking at the damage, I honestly don’t think higher pressure or even an insert would have saved the rim. Sometimes you just hit that rock, that hard.

I’ve broken my fair share of frames and wheels in the past, but the materials and engineering used today are genuinely mind-blowing. Not wheel-blowing.

I cannot say the same about Roval wheels, which in my experience felt like they were made from play-dough: dented rims and broken spokes on much easier terrain.

Bottom line
I cannot recommend the DT Swiss HX 1700 wheelset enough. They’ve taken abuse far beyond what I’d consider reasonable and kept rolling straight.

Bike porn

DT Swiss HX 1700 vs Roval Traverse

DT Swiss 350 Hybrid hub

35 mm rims

DT Swiss HX 1700 29" 35 mm front wheel

DT Swiss HX 1700 27,5" 35 mm rear wheel

 

[Mikerb]

I agree. I have those on both my Whyte E160s and encountered no problems over 4 years. Pretty sure mine are 30mm internal width...didn't know they also do 35mm!!