DT Swiss provides its gravel wheel lineup a whole redesign and efficiency improve with two new GRC 1100 sequence gravel race carbon wheelsets. Both choose the brand new shallow GRC 30mm wheels for a light-weight setup constructed for backcountry journey score. Or choose 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 curiously, 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 choice.
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 largest 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 completely different kinds. In my private opinion, the brand new 30mm wheelset appears to be like like a strong center floor all-rounder, whereas new GRC 50 units itself aside with distinctive aerodynamic shaping and claims.
A key replace that you simply won’t even discover, it the brand new end, or lack thereof. These two new DT Swiss GRC carbon gravel rims are each immediately out of the mould. Extra materials management going into the mould, then no additional paint or post-formed ending means lighter total weights. It additionally not directly factors to increased total high quality, as there’s actually nowhere to cover any imperfection.
Each nonetheless function 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 special tire profile that performs higher from an aerodynamic standpoint, whereas additionally lowering pinch flats because of the bigger total bead floor. Their back-to-back testing with in any other case equivalent rim dimensions confirmed the hooked wheels exhibited lowered drag numbers within the wind tunnel. That hooked 24mm dimension means based on ISO, you may even mount a 29mm tire to those wheels at excessive stress for a possible 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 lowered airfoil part into the wind. However DT says there’s extra room for the 50mm rim to run barely completely 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 (lowered steering second) even on the increased 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 function DT’s gravel-specific 24mm inner widths to assist all method of gravel race tires.
The brand new 1100 sequence is a vital efficiency improve for racing followers. That quantity means 180-series aero Dicut hubs that spin on premium SINC ceramic bearings, and comes with prime light-weight aerodynamic double-butted T-head straight pull AeroLite II spokes. The 1400 sequence is similar that we noticed earlier than, 240 aero Dicut hubs, now with EXP and sealed stainless-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 prime 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 basically the identical weight as what DT instructed us for these prior wheels, 5 years in the past.
So they’re lighter. And they’re comparatively gentle. However evaluating them to different comparable inner width premium carbon gravel wheels we’ve seen up to now 12 months, the brand new DT GRC wheels actually will not be the lightest. However as a basic rule, DT Swiss prioritizes total wheelset sturdiness, premium hubs & bearings, and particularly their trusted Ratchet EXP freehub internals over absolute gentle weight.
(All weights claimed by DT.)
DT Swiss GRC wheels – Pricing, choices & availability
The revamped DT Swiss GRC gravel wheel lineup now contains 5 particular person carbon wheelsets. On the prime 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 at extra accessible costs, with barely lowered 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 inexpensive alloy wheelsets can be found now in retailers and thru DT retailers.
