First Look: 2017 DT Swiss Spline One 1501 Wheel Series

What started out 22-years ago, manufacturing state-of-the-art spokes for the bicycle wheel market, has now transformed into a globally recognised and respected brand that also produces nipples, hubs, rims, complete wheels as well as suspension forks and shocks. But it's their wheels that many of us will now associate with this iconic Swiss brand, extensively supplying them to some of the biggest names in racing, not to mention a growing list of bike manufacturers from around the world. And in a world where standards come and go as quickly as the seasons, it is the wheel and indeed the tyre manufactures who have had to adapt - and quickly - to recent changes. Most notably the demise of long established wheel sizes, the rise of newer sizes and widths, not to mention an ever increasing array of hub widths to contend with as well. What this has ultimately created, is an attitude of innovation within the leading brands, eager to deliver the right products to the right riders with as little confusion as possible.









On the not so grassy slopes of Grasse

in a league of their own when it comes to this enduro malarkey. And these really weren’t for the faint hearted either - technically demanding and physically challenging from the start. At nearly twice as long as some national level UK DH race tracks and packed with everything from steep wooded sections to flat-out open piste littered with yet more boulders, separated by short, punchy and annoyingly technical climbs, these trails were as tough as they were utterly exhausting to ride.

After a few hours, we were all done for the day and the wheels? Still round, still true and the tyres still full of air. This was of course not a concise and conclusive test, after all, what could I ascertain in only a single day on two relatively unknown bikes? I do however know that DT’s rims have come a long way in the last 10 years. There was a time in the early 00's when DT's rims were often referred to as being soft and ‘cheese’ like. They had a habit of dinging rather easily and certainly more than their competitions, but there really was method to their madness, even then. A rim with several small dings – remember tubeless was less of thing back then – would have more chance of getting you down the hill and finishing your race run with air in your tyres than a stiffer rim which could fail catastrophically rather than marginally deform and quite possibly cause a flat tyre. The racers loved them, but the press gave them a hard time.


Remember Aaron Gwin’s World Cup run from Leogang in 2014? The one where he did nearly a full run sans tyre? Well, lets just say DT has ultimately delivered an alloy rim that has reached legendary status! And thanks to years of meticulously altering the ingredients used in the production of the alloy used in their rims - a closely guarded secret no less - DT’s position as a world leader in alloy rim production is well rooted in the industry these days and for a good reason. Coupled with their renowned and highly reliable hubs and some sensible price points throughout, I think it’s fair to say DT Swiss have a lot to offer with their new Spline One 1501 series. I would however recommend doing your homework and choosing the right rim width that will not only work with the tyres you like to use, but also on the trails you ride.

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