Review: DT Swiss' GRC Gravel Wheels Are Lighter, More Aero (2024)

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DT Swiss has released a new lineup of carbon wheels for gravel bikes. Dubbed the DT Swiss GRC, the four wheelsets available are an update to one of the first wheelsets that considered aero efficiency specifically with gravel in mind.

As before, the GRC wheelsets receive a choice of DT Swiss’ 240 EXP or 180 EXP hubs. It also receives a duo of new carbon rims; a 50 mm deep rim with an aero focus, and a 30 mm deep rim focused ‘adventure,’ lower weight, and agility.

We have all the details, builds, and pricing available for the newly updated DT Swiss GRC gravel wheelset lineup. We also got hands-on with the new GRC 1100 Dicut 50 wheelset, with our ride impressions below.

Quick hits: Seven things to know about the new DT Swiss GRC 1100

• Two tiers are available, both with carbon rims: GRC 1100 and GRC 1400.
• The GRC 1100 50 (with 50 mm depth) features aero drag performance to meet or better competing aero carbon gravel wheel options.
• All GRC carbon rims feature a hooked bead regardless of model or depth with a 24 mm internal rim width.
• All GRC wheels feature DT Swiss’ Ratchet EXP hub system.
• Price: starting at $2399.80/£1864.98/€2049.80
• For more: dtswiss.com

Details on the new DT Swiss GRC wheels

DT Swiss’ hubs, spokes, and rims are typically at the top of the list for folks looking to build their own wheelsets. But their complete wheelsets are a bit different. They’re almost an ‘if you know, you know’ type of deal; high quality, high performance, but they haven’t captured the imagination of gravel enthusiasts quite like some other brands have.

Part of that might be because the DT Swiss GRC 1100 and 1400 wheels spec sheet doesn’t pop off the page. Weights start from 1,350 grams for a GRC 1100 Dicut 30 but go all the way up to 1,631 g for a GRC 1400 Dicut 50. Pricing is assuredly on the high end of things, which doesn’t help things either. And while no wheel company is immune to sometimes-confusing branding, DT Swiss’ gravel wheel lineup requires a bit of explanation.

Let’s break down the lineup. The GRC consists of two tiers: GRC 1100 Dicut, and GRC 1400 Dicut. GRC 1100 wheels receive a DT Swiss 180 EXP hub (with ceramic bearings) and DT Swiss Aerolite spokes, while GRC 1400 wheels receive a 240 EXP hub and a complete set of 24 Aero Comp II spokes. Within each tier is a choice of a 50 mm or 30 mm deep rim, featuring the same carbon layup regardless of which hub it’s laced to. That’s how you get one of their descriptive, if somewhat confusing, names.

In for review was the GRC 1100 Dicut 50, indicating the use of the lighter 180 EXP hub and spokes paired with a 50 mm deep carbon rim. Got it? Good.

The key change in the GRC lineup is in the rims, which are an in-house development. DT Swiss specs each of the GRC carbon rims with a hooked bead, which they say is their “ultimate solution” for the sake of ease of use for the end customer. In addition, the decision comes down to safety; DT Swiss says that while making a hooked bead is indeed more complex, it results in a rim with a built-in fail-safe that gives you the confidence to push harder.

DT Swiss says there’s also a performance benefit, saying that CFD simulations and wind tunnel tests of hooked vs hookless rims showed an aero advantage for the hooked rim version. Further still, they say a hooked bead rim offers no disadvantages to rolling resistance.

On that note, DT Swiss has continued to invest in ensuring that at least the 50 mm-deep GRC wheels embrace aero efficiency, with a rim profile that bulbs out from 32 mm all the way to 36.5 mm. The Swiss company says the wheels are the most aero gravel wheelset available, both at 30 km/h (18.6 miles per hour) or 37.5 km/h (23.2 miles per hour). The rims continue to be developed in conjunction with aero-focused Swiss Side, providing aero know-how to ensure the wheels are as fast as they look.

The 30 mm deep rims feature the same 24 mm internal rim width with a 31 mm external rim width. The 30 mm wheels add roughly 2.5 W of drag with the same 40 mm tire at 37.5 km/h (23.2 miles per hour) but save a bunch of weight in return.

The rims themselves are made featuring a patent-pending outer carbon layer. The new rim uses a process DT Swiss is using for the first time that allows the rim to be ready to ride straight out of the mold and without any finishing or clearcoats needed afterward. Most brands that have moved to a straight-out-of-the-mold finish tout good looks (which this offers) but, DT Swiss says its patented process also benefits from weight savings that come with this new process.

Regardless of which wheel configuration you choose, the bike comes with DT Swiss’ EXP ratchet system, an update to the ubiquitous Star Ratchet system the company is known for. Rather than two toothed clutches being pushed together by a spring on each side, the EXP system features a fixed ratchet and a floating ratchet that is pushed together with a cylindrical spring on the freehub side.

The key component here is that hub maintenance and freehub swaps are still a simple, tool-free process. And while the freehubs aren’t compatible with DT Swiss star ratchet freehubs, there’s already a range of freehubs to suit nearly every drivetrain.

Specs and pricing

There are a total of four variations of wheels. Each comes with 24 spokes, a DT Swiss EXP-equipped freehub, bladed spokes, and DT Swiss’ Pro Lock hidden aluminum spoke nipples.

Riding the DT Swiss GRC 1100 50

In for review is a DT Swiss GRC 1100 Dicut 50. Claimed weight is 1567 grams; my wheelset with a SRAM XDR freehub weighed in at 1568 grams with included tubeless valves and tape already installed.

As I mentioned earlier, DT Swiss likely isn’t the first wheelset brand folks think of when they’re looking to either build a new bike or upgrade their existing wheelset. Those who have ridden the company’s wheels, however, share the same sentiment: they’re fantastic wheels.

In typical DT Swiss fashion, the wheels came ready to ride out of the box (as one would expect at this price). Tensions were even across spokes and the wheels were perfectly true. The hubs are nicely machined too, as are the interfaces between the spoke, spoke nipples, and the rim. You’ll find this level of build quality across the DT Swiss lineup regardless of price, but it is nice to see here nonetheless.

The hubs are the heart of every wheelset, and the 180 EXP hubs here are excellent. Tool-free freehub swaps and ratchet maintenance are fantastic to have, and despite the initial production hiccups they had, the design seems to maintain the brand’s reputation for reliability. This stuff doesn’t wow prospective customers from the spec sheet, but it is nice to have the longer you hold onto your wheelset.

Despite the wheels coming in at a weight slightly higher than one would expect for a 50 mm rim, they’re pleasantly quick. The 50 mm rim feels every bit as nimble as any other carbon gravel wheelset I’ve ridden, and in a way that makes the wheels feel lighter than what the spec sheet has to say.

Where the wheels shine is once you’re at speed. The GRC 1100 50 wheels maintain speed easily, and certainly better than the shallower gravel wheels I have to swap between. They’re perceptibly faster than a traditional gravel wheelset, though I couldn’t feel the difference between this wheelset and the likes of a Hunt 40 CGR at speed.

DT Swiss did its aero testing paired with a Schwalbe G One RS 40 mm wide tire, so that’s what I paired the wheelset to. The tires feel well-suited to the wheelset: quick-rolling on road and dirt alike and better equipped to roll through mud and loose terrain than you’d think.

To note, the tires set up tubeless quickly and easily using just a floor pump. Other gravel tires seated with nary an issue too with just a floor pump, which bodes well for mid-ride repairs in the future.

I came away from riding the GRC 1100 Dicut 50 wheels thinking that these wheels offer excellent balance. 50 mm deep carbon wheels are inherently stiff riding. These are firm riding, but not so stiff that the bike skips around on gravel. They roll well

Conclusion

The DT Swiss GRC 1100 Dicut 50 wheels aren’t the lightest wheels you’ll find. They’re not the cheapest wheelset out there, and I hesitate to say these are the best gravel wheels you can find either. What they are are some of the nicest, best-riding, and highest-quality wheels I’ve used. You won’t find that on a spec sheet.

You also won’t find the commitment DT Swiss says they have to safety on a spec sheet, at least not in a way that’s easily understood. Does a commitment to safety and user-friendliness outweigh the extra expense these wheels require over some of the competition? That’s up to you to decide.

Would I buy these wheels? Unless I wanted the ceramic bearings, I’d likely save some cash and go for the GRC 1400 wheels, as that wheelset still gets DT Swiss 240 EXP hubs, bladed spokes, and the same carbon rim. If you need to have the absolute best a brand has to offer, however, few wheels offer quite the balance of the GRC 1100 50.