NSMB Forum Testing: DT Swiss E 1700 Spline Two 27.5" & 29" Wheels

OMG!!! Thank you all for this great honor!!! :devil:

Is this happening? Are there any updates? Thanks.

Interested to see the review an Compare my experience with the Wheels. I have the 27.5s on my Spartan

Well my rear wheel is done after having to ride out ride dont slide with a flat (went through a tire and 2 tubes…rim must have been done). Still was a fun ride!

26" carbon is killing it, big wheels are simply fucked up.

Is this happening? Are there any updates? Thanks.

I am pretty sure that the editors and/or DT Swiss found the responses so remedial and sub-Pulitzer, they decided this was not such a great idea. Perhaps this exercise was not unlike being a shopper at the Sunglasses Hut and thinking you are qualified to perform opthalmic surgery. Fun, however the results will be less than optimal. :devil:

I am pretty sure that the editors and/or DT Swiss found the responses so remedial and sub-Pulitzer, they decided this was not such a great idea. Perhaps this exercise was not unlike being a shopper at the Sunglasses Hut and thinking you are qualified to perform opthalmic surgery. Fun, however the results will be less than optimal. :devil:

lol pretty much. We are mountain bikers after all, not professional writers!

Sorry for the delay, everyone. We're very close to announcing the selected testers - within the next 24 hours. I will say we were pleased with the applications, so for those who weren't chosen, please don't be discouraged from trying again in future - we'll have more soon.

Hey Pete. I haven't seen any reviews from the testers and have some good dentage in my rear rim going on right now and this wheelset is up for consideration. Who were the testers and are we hearing any results yet? Thanks!

I'm still waiting for the wheels to arrive. No word on them for a while

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Well I received the wheels from Shane at dt swiss. I shall mount them up next week and get some photos, once the crankworx circus had left town.

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This has taken longer to get rolling than we'd hoped but the testers have their wheels now and are ready to get posting. Normally we post up a new thread for the testing itself but I'm going to keep this one and let it roll.

The testers are:
RyanW
Taz123
JimLad

Let 'er rip!

Part 1/3 : Setup / Installation / First rides

I met up with Shane Hensley from DT Swiss whilst he was here in Whistler for Crankworx, and received the wheelset to test. He swapped out the freehub for an XD driver 11 speed, and I was ready to go.

First impressions were very good. The build quality is solid, as I expected. The rims have a satin finish and the hubs add a little bit of shine to an otherwise understated look. Incidentally the graphics are printed onto the rims so no destickering here!

A reassuringly Swiss sounding fellow by the name of "Muller" had signed off on the wheelset - presumably he was the wheelbuilder or at least checked them. Other items included with the wheels are a quick release axle, additional hub end caps to convert to QR, and some nifty Center Lock to six bolt adapters. It's a bonus that no matter what type of rotor you're currently using, they will work with this wheelset.

Tubeless rim tape and valves are also present to run these wheels without pesky tubes. I have been running tubeless for several seasons, so it's good to have this kit included. As per Shane's instructions, two wraps of the DT swiss tape were applied to each rim (this tape is thinner than Stans). Some brand new Maxxis High Roller II tires - with the DH casings - were mounted up. Having shredded several EXO tires this season already, it was time to switch back to heavier weight rubber. They seated quickly with a floor pump, and once this was done the wheels were checked to be running true. After pinging the spokes however I found the tension was not neccesarily even.

First ride - in at the deep end. In my opinion this was a hard test of a new wheel build straight off the bat - Top of the World to Ride dont Slide to Boyds trail. Rough, gnarly, rocky trail with plenty of big holes after the recent onslaught of the EWS. Fortunately the wheels performed very well with no real issues to speak of. Immediately noticeable was how stealthily quiet the rear hub is, it barely made any noise at all. On the way back up the chairlift I checked the spoke tension, and did have to tighten a couple of them. Care must be taken with the alloy nipples, and I'd rather brass had been used for a tiny weight increase. Given the nature of the trails this was a hard test of a new wheel build and they did well. Some retensioning is normal for new wheels after taking some big hits. They had remained true however - so far so good.

Over the last few days I have ridden a variety of different trails namely Hey Bud, Microclimate, Gargamel, and a little bike park. Gargamel provided a great test as it is riddled with rocks and abrupt compressions as well as some pedalling. The hub engagement seems quick, I believe it is faster than the DT Swiss 370 hub I had on my previous wheels. Shane mentioned a 36-step upgrade that is available for even faster engagement. This could be interesting for comparison if I get the chance.

Over the next couple of weeks I will be riding more of the Whistler trails and some bike park in training for the BC Enduro at Retallack. I will write my second part of this review after that race. In the mean time if anyone has any questions, fire away!

- James

These wheels sound awesome - can't wait for my set to show up! I seem to live in some kind of Bermuda Triangle of parcel delivery :P