I first became aware of DT Swiss in the middle 1970's and started to use their high end spokes on a regular basis in the late 1970's. As the years ticked by I became aware that they made much more than just top quality Sandvik steel spokes.
Today DT Swiss makes some of the most versatile and innovative hubs on the market. They look fairly simple but all their best kept secrets are just under the hood.
Their flagship road hub is the 180 Carbon Ceramic. A very light hubset with top end ceramic bearings provided by Sinc Ceramic. Their Japanese made silicon nitride bearings (Si3N4) roll within steel cages to form a hybrid bearing. These proprietary bearings are made especially for the 180 hub to perform at the highest level.
Sinc Ceramic hybrid bearings keep the rolling resistance to a minimum on the DT Swiss 180 hub. Tour de France tested by top talent.
At only a 100 grams DT Swiss has kept the weight quite low as well as the rolling resistance.
Part of the weight savings is not immediately apparent, as this hub uses a carbon fibre centre shell to shave precious grams, mated with alloy flanges.
Tipping the scales at a mere 183 grams this hub certainly is one of the lightest hubs available.
The 180 hub is also available with centre lock for disc brake users and ships with a 6 point adaptor in case you are using a 6 bolt rotor.
Probably DT Swiss's most popular hub is the 240. A small step down from the 180 but certainly a hub that would please most any cyclist. The real difference is the lack of ceramic bearings and the absence of a carbon fibre shell. If you can live without those two exotic features you'll be more than happy with the 240. It has DT's famous star ratchet driven freehub and their easily convertible end caps. All the things that make a DT Swiss hub special. The 240 shows up as often on the road as it does on MTB bikes. They are durable and are relatively easy to service.
A thru axle version with a centre lock system for disc brakes. At 126 grams it's still a very light weight option. Available in 20, 24 and 28 hole options.
If your preference is for a standard 6 bolt disc interface DT Swiss has you covered.
A 142 X 12 thru axle rear 240 hub with a centre lock disc brake interface. Available in a lustrous black anodised finish.
The last hub worth looking at is DT Swiss's answer to a more affordable model with most of the features that make DT a choice for so many riders. In steps the 350. Made off shore to keep the price down, but you'd never know it by looking at it. It still has the fit and finish of it's more expensive older brother the 240.
The 350 is perfect for a set of affordable training wheels or for some decent MTB wheels or even something that could grace your cyclocross/gravel grinder machine.
The 350 front hub weighs in at 149 grams. Its available in 20,28 and 32 spoke holes.
A glimpse inside a DT Swiss hub. This exploded view shows both the simplicity of design and easy serviceability of these fine hubs.
One of the unique features of DT Swiss hubs is the fact that they can be serviced to a large degree without tools. If you require a bearing change you will need some dedicated DT Swiss tools, but you can still remove the end caps and the freehub by hand. So a re-greasing of the star ratchet will require no tools whatsoever. Many YouTube videos will take you step by step through the process. It's a good idea to use DT's grease as it's the exact consistency for the job. Swapping out the end caps enables you to set the hub up for a different axle type or length.
Cognoscenti Cycles is proudly carrying the entire line of DT Swiss hubs. If you feel that a pair of DT Swiss hubs might be an ideal choice for a custom wheel build I'd love to help you realise that dream.
