DT Swiss provides its gravel wheel lineup a whole redesign and efficiency improve with two new GRC 1100 sequence gravel race carbon wheelsets. Both decide the brand new shallow GRC 30mm wheels for a light-weight setup constructed for backcountry journey score. Or decide the extra uniquely-shaped GRC 50mm wheels which bulge out and taper dramatically again to the tire’s bead for considerably improved wide-tire aerodynamics. And apparently, all of them return to a hooked tubeless bead that, not solely will work with extra tires, however will really make you quicker too, apparently…
2024 DT Swiss GRC 30 & 50 gravel race carbon wheels
The revamped DT Swiss GRC carbon gravel wheel household is all about giving gravel racers extra selections.
Aero or journey.
Plus, now 2 race-ready carbon specification & pricing tiers, and an all-new e-gravel possibility.
The 30mm deep wheels are clearly a way more versatile gravel all-rounder than earlier than, whereas dropping important weight within the course of. And these all-new 50mm deep wheels go full-gas into the gravel racing scene, with a brand new form for fats tire aerodynamics.
New depths, new shapes & extra!
The most important change from the unique carbon GRC gravel wheels to this new era is the segmentation into low-profile 30mm journey racing and deeper 50mm quick gravel racing wheelsets. It’s simple to grasp the differentiation, as gravel driving and racing proceed to evolve into a lot totally different kinds. In my private opinion, the brand new 30mm wheelset seems to be like a stable center floor all-rounder, whereas new GRC 50 units itself aside with distinctive aerodynamic shaping and claims.
A key replace that you just may not even discover, it the brand new end, or lack thereof. These two new DT Swiss GRC carbon gravel rims are each straight out of the mould. Extra materials management going into the mould, then no additional paint or post-formed ending means lighter general weights. It additionally not directly factors to larger general high quality, as there’s actually nowhere to cover any imperfection.
Each nonetheless characteristic a 24mm inner width. However, simple to miss, they each additionally transfer again to a hooked tubeless bead. DT explains that hooked nonetheless is sensible for versatility to soundly use a wider assortment of tires, widths, and even tube vs. tubeless setups. However DT Swiss additionally claims that the hooked bead merely creates a distinct tire profile that performs higher from an aerodynamic standpoint, whereas additionally lowering pinch flats as a result of bigger general bead floor. Their back-to-back testing with in any other case similar rim dimensions confirmed the hooked wheels exhibited decreased drag numbers within the wind tunnel. That hooked 24mm dimension means in keeping with ISO, you’ll be able to even mount a 29mm tire to those wheels at excessive strain for a probable tremendous aero all-road setup
Quantifying Improved Aerodynamics
Designed in CFD collectively once more with SwissSide, DT took each new 30mm & 50mm gravel wheels into the wind tunnel to quantify how briskly they’re. The aero efficiency of each is optimized round 40mm gravel race tires. The low profile rim is extra affected by tire width due to its decreased airfoil part into the wind. However DT says there’s extra room for the 50mm rim to run barely totally different tire sizes whereas nonetheless getting low aero drag numbers. And the distinctive ‘bulging out then again in’ form of the 50mm rim improves how steady the wheels are in various and cross winds (decreased steering second) even on the larger rim depth.
Weighted aero drag figures: GRC 30 at 17.5W vs. GRC 50 at 14.9W
New Tech Particulars
There are two spec ranges of every wheelsets, and even an e-bike-specific model of the shallow wheels. All get the most recent DT Swiss 36T, 10° engagement Ratchet EXP internals, suitable with Shimano HG & MicroSpline, SRAM XD & XDR, and Campagnolo & Campy N3W. And each nonetheless characteristic DT’s gravel-specific 24mm inner widths to help all method of gravel race tires.
The brand new 1100 sequence is a crucial efficiency improve for racing followers. That quantity means 180-series aero Dicut hubs that spin on premium SINC ceramic bearings, and comes with high light-weight aerodynamic double-butted T-head straight pull AeroLite II spokes. The 1400 sequence is identical that we noticed earlier than, 240 aero Dicut hubs, now with EXP and sealed chrome steel bearings, constructed up with barely heavier aero double-butted T-head straight pull AeroComp spokes.
So how a lot do all of them weigh?
The brand new 30mm deep GRC wheels are being touted as light-weight however absolutely off-road succesful – even nonetheless obtainable in 650b or 700c sizes. At simply 1350g within the high 1100 sequence and 1421g within the second-tier 1400 wheels, these are considerably lighter than the 42mm deep 1400-series wheels that kicked off the DT Swiss aero gravel household again in 2019.
Even the noticeably extra aero 700c-only 50mm wheels that prioritized considerably improved aerodynamics are additionally lighter. The brand new deep 1100 wheels are a shade lighter at 1567g, and the 50mm 1400 wheels are primarily the identical weight as what DT informed us for these prior wheels, 5 years in the past.
So they’re lighter. And they’re comparatively mild. However evaluating them to different comparable inner width premium carbon gravel wheels we’ve seen up to now yr, the brand new DT GRC wheels actually are usually not the lightest. However as a normal rule, DT Swiss prioritizes general wheelset sturdiness, premium hubs & bearings, and particularly their trusted Ratchet EXP freehub internals over absolute mild weight.
(All weights claimed by DT.)
DT Swiss GRC wheels – Pricing, choices & availability
The revamped DT Swiss GRC gravel wheel lineup now consists of 5 particular person carbon wheelsets. On the high tier are the brand new GRC 1100 Dicut 30 & GRC 1100 Dicut 50 wheels constructed on 180 hubs and premium AeroLite II spokes.
Each 1100 carbon wheelsets promote for a similar $3000 / 2500€ pricetag.
The GRC 1400 Dicut 30 & GRC 1400 Dicut 50 carbon wheels constructed on 240 hubs and premium AeroComp spokes, carry the value down only a bit to $2400 / 2050€.
Then, the ebike-specific HGC 1400 Spline 30 carbon wheels with heavy-duty Hybrid 240 hubs promote for $2450 / 2100€, at a claimed 1476g.
There are additionally a few alloy wheels that are available in at extra accessible costs, with barely decreased weights. The DT Swiss GR1600 Spline 25 wheels weigh a claimed 1748g with a 24mm inner x 25mm deep aluminum rim, at $757 / 599€ . And the equally dimensioned DT G1800 Spline 25 wheels weigh a claimed 1835g, at $542 / 429€.
All 5 carbon wheelsets, and the two extra reasonably priced alloy wheelsets can be found now in retailers and thru DT retailers.
DTSwiss.com
