The relentless spring rain wasn't enough to stop Pinkbike from putting in the miles on the latest and greatest parts. For the last few months I've been trudging through the mud on DT's stunning E2200 wheelset.
It's Swiss and it's red, but are they worth your hard earned coin?
Read on to find out.....First we need to clear up just what these wheels are intended for. The E2200's are not the wheelset for you DH bike, look into the slightly heavier 2350's if that is what you need. According to the DT Swiss website, the E2200's are classified as an 'enduro' wheelset. That isn't a word that is used often in North America, in reference to pedal bikes anyways. Let's call the red E2200's all-mountain wheels just to make it a bit clearer. Put them on your mid-travel bike and pedal off into the bush for a few hours, give'r everything you've got in a Super D race, or even jump on the chair lift for a day in the bike park.
Let's get tech....
At the core of the E2200 wheelset are the matching red hubs. While they do not use DT's famous 'Star Ratchet', they are equipped with a nicely executed two-pawl and freehub roller bearing system. Unlike a lot of common clutch designs, the red DT hubs have their pawls located on the hub itself while the drive teeth are within the freehub body, the reversal of most common designs.
The steel freehub body spins on a sealed bearing as well as rolling on a rather large ring of roller bearings on it's inside edge. Two 17 mm wrench's are all it takes to disassemble the rear hub for maintenance.
-The E2200 rims use a sleeved joint.
-Rim height is 22 mm, total width 28 mm, and inner width (bead seating) 22.3 mm.
-The 32 spokes are all DT (obviously..) double butted and done in black, as are the brass nipples.
-Hubs are I.S. (6 bolt) disc mounting.
-Spoke lengths are printed on the rim, something mechanics will appreciate.
-Front wheels are available in both QR and 20 mm versions, rear is 135 QR only.
-My set weighed 2150 grams.
-Red. That's it!
Tested....
The E2200's have been the only wheelset on my test bike for the last few months and therefore have seen pretty much every kind of riding you could imagine. Long days lost in the bushes, some shuttle runs and park days, as well as some good old fashioned XC loops. I'm not to sure what "Enduro" means but I'm sure one of those activities covers it!
Right off the bat I could feel that these are some solid wheels. I've been known to push my luck by using wimpy wheels to save on the ever important rotating weight, but there has to be something said for having a good solid set of hoops under you. While at the limits of my 6" travel bike, working hard to keep up with the big bike riders, there was absolutely zero deflection from the red hoops. It's amazing how a set of wheels can alter a bikes personality.
The rims themselves stood up to anything I could dish out. It is important to note that the rims on the E2200's have slightly different ingredients than some of DT's hoops from the past. Like a lot of rider's out there, I sported some moderately square 6.1 rims a few seasons back. Not to worry though as the new rim's are as stout as you'd ever want. Even though I probably rode the E2200's harder than they are intended to be, I couldn't manage to inflict a single flat spot during my time on them.
The wheels never needed to be trued or have tension added during my entire time on them, a sure sign of a good original build and stiff rims. Before abusing them I jotted down some spoke tension numbers using a DT tension gauge (how official!) to use as a guide line when working on them in the future. A few months later and that number was still within a few points of the original. Impressive!
The DT hubs spun smooth from the first day and are still going strong, I'd expect nothing less from DT though. Two months does not make a long-term test, but we had one of the wettest springs on record which must have accelerated any bearing issues.....If I were to have any. DT's much loved Star Ratchet freehub is not used on the E2200's (you can find it on the pricier EX 1750's though), instead a variation of the proven spring and pawl system is employed. The freehub mechanism has shown to be reliable, showing no signs of sticking despite the rain and pressure washings I've been giving it! Pick up is not instant, but reasonably quick nonetheless. For some reason a lot of riders are quite concerned about the racket their rear hubs produce, everyone clambering for loudest available. If that is you then you may be disappointed as the E2200 rear wheel produced a muted buzz that is quickly drowned out by wind or the use of a fullface lid. I for one prefer a quiet bike over what sounds like a playing card flapping away in my spokes!
Any Issues?
Mechanically, the E2200's were faultless. I did my best to find any sore spots, probably riding them harder than they were intended, and came up empty handed. As much as I was impressed with the E2200's, the spotlight does fade a bit when you compare the weight and price to that of some other wheelsets available today. There are slightly lighter prebuilt wheels that are intended for the same use, and some of them retail for quite a bit less. It's hard to fault DT too much though, as the old saying about getting what you pay for applies to wheels more so than any other part on your bike.
At 2200 grams the E2200's fit into a strange place in the world of pre-built wheelsets. There are lighter wheels that are intended to be ridden in the same manner, and cheaper wheelsets that claim to also be excellent all rounders. So looking past the eye catching red color scheme, what do the E2200's really have going for them? Well, these red wheels could be the perfect wheel for many riders out there. If you find yourself always looking for the harder or faster line and would like some wheels that you won't have to worry about, DT may have what you need. Likewise, if you are a bigger rider and want a reliable wheelset to put on and forget about, than the E2200's will work great for you. You have to like red though!
DT Swiss
-Mike "kakah" Levy
It's Swiss and it's red, but are they worth your hard earned coin?
Read on to find out.....First we need to clear up just what these wheels are intended for. The E2200's are not the wheelset for you DH bike, look into the slightly heavier 2350's if that is what you need. According to the DT Swiss website, the E2200's are classified as an 'enduro' wheelset. That isn't a word that is used often in North America, in reference to pedal bikes anyways. Let's call the red E2200's all-mountain wheels just to make it a bit clearer. Put them on your mid-travel bike and pedal off into the bush for a few hours, give'r everything you've got in a Super D race, or even jump on the chair lift for a day in the bike park.
Let's get tech....
At the core of the E2200 wheelset are the matching red hubs. While they do not use DT's famous 'Star Ratchet', they are equipped with a nicely executed two-pawl and freehub roller bearing system. Unlike a lot of common clutch designs, the red DT hubs have their pawls located on the hub itself while the drive teeth are within the freehub body, the reversal of most common designs.
Two pawls and roller bearings
The steel freehub body spins on a sealed bearing as well as rolling on a rather large ring of roller bearings on it's inside edge. Two 17 mm wrench's are all it takes to disassemble the rear hub for maintenance.
-The E2200 rims use a sleeved joint.
-Rim height is 22 mm, total width 28 mm, and inner width (bead seating) 22.3 mm.
-The 32 spokes are all DT (obviously..) double butted and done in black, as are the brass nipples.
-Hubs are I.S. (6 bolt) disc mounting.
-Spoke lengths are printed on the rim, something mechanics will appreciate.
-Front wheels are available in both QR and 20 mm versions, rear is 135 QR only.
-My set weighed 2150 grams.
-Red. That's it!
Bearing surface on outside edge with drive teeth just to the inside
Tested....
The E2200's have been the only wheelset on my test bike for the last few months and therefore have seen pretty much every kind of riding you could imagine. Long days lost in the bushes, some shuttle runs and park days, as well as some good old fashioned XC loops. I'm not to sure what "Enduro" means but I'm sure one of those activities covers it!
Right off the bat I could feel that these are some solid wheels. I've been known to push my luck by using wimpy wheels to save on the ever important rotating weight, but there has to be something said for having a good solid set of hoops under you. While at the limits of my 6" travel bike, working hard to keep up with the big bike riders, there was absolutely zero deflection from the red hoops. It's amazing how a set of wheels can alter a bikes personality.
The rims themselves stood up to anything I could dish out. It is important to note that the rims on the E2200's have slightly different ingredients than some of DT's hoops from the past. Like a lot of rider's out there, I sported some moderately square 6.1 rims a few seasons back. Not to worry though as the new rim's are as stout as you'd ever want. Even though I probably rode the E2200's harder than they are intended to be, I couldn't manage to inflict a single flat spot during my time on them.
The wheels never needed to be trued or have tension added during my entire time on them, a sure sign of a good original build and stiff rims. Before abusing them I jotted down some spoke tension numbers using a DT tension gauge (how official!) to use as a guide line when working on them in the future. A few months later and that number was still within a few points of the original. Impressive!
 |  |  |
The DT hubs spun smooth from the first day and are still going strong, I'd expect nothing less from DT though. Two months does not make a long-term test, but we had one of the wettest springs on record which must have accelerated any bearing issues.....If I were to have any. DT's much loved Star Ratchet freehub is not used on the E2200's (you can find it on the pricier EX 1750's though), instead a variation of the proven spring and pawl system is employed. The freehub mechanism has shown to be reliable, showing no signs of sticking despite the rain and pressure washings I've been giving it! Pick up is not instant, but reasonably quick nonetheless. For some reason a lot of riders are quite concerned about the racket their rear hubs produce, everyone clambering for loudest available. If that is you then you may be disappointed as the E2200 rear wheel produced a muted buzz that is quickly drowned out by wind or the use of a fullface lid. I for one prefer a quiet bike over what sounds like a playing card flapping away in my spokes!
Any Issues?
Mechanically, the E2200's were faultless. I did my best to find any sore spots, probably riding them harder than they were intended, and came up empty handed. As much as I was impressed with the E2200's, the spotlight does fade a bit when you compare the weight and price to that of some other wheelsets available today. There are slightly lighter prebuilt wheels that are intended for the same use, and some of them retail for quite a bit less. It's hard to fault DT too much though, as the old saying about getting what you pay for applies to wheels more so than any other part on your bike.
At 2200 grams the E2200's fit into a strange place in the world of pre-built wheelsets. There are lighter wheels that are intended to be ridden in the same manner, and cheaper wheelsets that claim to also be excellent all rounders. So looking past the eye catching red color scheme, what do the E2200's really have going for them? Well, these red wheels could be the perfect wheel for many riders out there. If you find yourself always looking for the harder or faster line and would like some wheels that you won't have to worry about, DT may have what you need. Likewise, if you are a bigger rider and want a reliable wheelset to put on and forget about, than the E2200's will work great for you. You have to like red though!
DT Swiss
-Mike "kakah" Levy
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54 Comments
awesome bike.
what magura forks are they? they look sweet.
The E2200's are one uber tough wheelset, all you can do is take my word on it. I've had 6.1's in the past so I'm pretty familiar with how it was, these are not the same thing at all. I'm not going to lie, I was surprised and impressed with how well they held up!
They have a totally different profile.
In all this 6.1 rim bashing I think it's also important to note that the new version on the 6.1 is also a completely different rim, only similar to the original in profile. Not to sure if it's available yet, anyone know?
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