DT Swiss have revamped their hub range, with the scallop-flanged DICUT family heading up their technology trio. The fancy flanges let DT Swiss use bladed nail-head spokes in an ultra high-tension lace-up. It does mean any spoke tensioning involves removing the tyre and rim tape, which is a pain, and spare spokes could be an issue.
Add the RWS ratchet skewers, though, and the upside is an impressively stiff and sharp-feeling wheelset. At 651g front and 779g rear they’re lighter than Zipp 404s, so accelerating and climbing is no issue and they give a really crisp edge to any ride.
They’re definitely not a comfort-enhancing set, though, so if your bike is harsh you might be better off with smoother wheels. While the simple rim profile is shallow enough to turn in reasonably responsively, it definitely gets pushed around more in cross winds too.
Because it’s deliberately designed to cope well with extended braking on long descents, the brake track also takes a while to heat up and bite in more typical UK conditions, which takes some nerve-tingling getting used to at first.
This article was originally published in Triathlon Plus magazine, available on Zinio.