DT Swiss gives its gravel wheel lineup a complete overhaul and performance upgrade with two new GRC 1100 series gravel racing carbon wheelsets. Either choose the new 30mm shallow GRC wheels for a lightweight configuration designed for off-road adventures. Or choose the more uniquely shaped 50mm GRC wheels that dramatically bulge and taper all the way to the tire bead for significantly improved aerodynamics from wide tires. And what's interesting is that they all come back to a hooked tubeless bead which will not only work with more tires, but will also make you faster, apparently…
DT Swiss GRC 30 and 50 2024 gravel racing carbon wheels
The new DT Swiss GRC family of carbon gravel wheels aims to provide more choice for gravel racers.
Aero or adventure.
Plus, now 2 levels of race-ready carbon specs and pricing, and an all-new e-gravel option.
The 30mm deep wheels are clearly much more versatile than before, while significantly reducing weight. And these all-new 50mm-deep wheels come full throttle into the gravel racing scene, with a new shape for big-tire aerodynamics.
New depths, new shapes and more!
The biggest change from the original GRC carbon gravel wheels to this new generation is the segmentation into pairs of low profile 30mm adventure racing wheels and deeper 50mm fast gravel racing wheels. mm. It's easy to understand the differentiation, as gravel riding and racing continue to evolve into very different styles. In my personal opinion, the new 30mm wheelset looks like a strong all-rounder, while the new GRC 50 stands out with its unique shape and aerodynamic claims.
One key update you might not even notice is the new finish, or lack thereof. These two new DT Swiss GRC carbon gravel rims are both straight from the mold. More control of materials going into the mold and then no additional painting or post-formed finishing means lighter overall weights. This also indirectly indicates higher overall quality, as there is literally nowhere to hide an imperfection.
Both still feature an internal width of 24mm. But, easy to overlook, they both also amount to a hooked tubeless bead. DT explains that the hook still makes sense for the versatility to safely use a wider assortment of tires, widths and even tubed or tubeless configurations. But DT Swiss also claims that the hooked bead simply creates a different tire profile that works better from an aerodynamic standpoint, while also reducing pinch punctures due to the larger overall surface area of the bead. Their consecutive tests with otherwise identical rim dimensions showed that the hooked wheels exhibited reduced drag in the wind tunnel. That 24mm hooked dimension means that, according to ISO, you can even fit a 29mm tire on these high-pressure wheels for a presumably super-aero off-road setup.
Quantifying Improved Aerodynamics
Designed again in CFD with SwissSide, DT took the two new 30mm and 50mm gravel wheels into the wind tunnel to quantify their speed. The aerodynamic performance of both is optimized around 40mm gravel racing tires. The low profile rim is more affected by tire width due to its reduced profile section facing the wind. But DT claims there is more room for the 50mm rim to use slightly different tire sizes and still achieve low aerodynamic drag values. And the unique “bulged then folded” shape of the 50mm rim improves wheel stability in variable and side winds (reduced turning moment) even with a higher rim depth.
Weighted Aero Drag Figures: GRC 30 at 17.5W vs. GRC 50 at 14.9W
New technical details
There are two spec levels for each wheelset, and even an e-bike specific version of the shallow wheels. All benefit from the latest DT Swiss 36T internal components, 10° Ratchet EXP engagement, compatible with Shimano HG & MicroSpline, SRAM XD & XDR and Campagnolo & Campy N3W. And both still feature DT's gravel-specific 24mm internal widths to support all kinds of gravel racing tires.
The new 1100 Series is a significant performance upgrade for racing fans. That number means Dicut 180 Series aero hubs that spin on premium SINC ceramic bearings and come with lightweight, double-cross-section, straight-pull AeroLite II aero spokes. The 1400 series is the same one we've seen before, 240 Dicut aero hubs, now with EXP bearings and sealed stainless steel, built with slightly heavier double butted T-head straight pull AeroComp spokes.
So how much do they all weigh?
The new 30mm depth GRC wheels are billed as lightweight but fully off-road friendly – they're even still available in 650b or 700c sizes. At just 1,350g in the top 1100 series and 1,421g in the second tier 1400 wheels, these are significantly lighter than the 42mm deep 1400 series wheels which launched the DT Swiss Aero Gravel family in 2019.
Even the 700c's significantly more aerodynamic 50mm wheels, which prioritized significantly improved aerodynamics, are also lighter. The new deep 1100 wheels are a bit lighter at 1567g, and the 50mm 1400 wheels are essentially the same weight as DT told us for these previous wheels, 5 years ago.
They are therefore lighter. And they are relatively light. But comparing them to other similar internal width premium carbon gravel wheels we've seen last year, the new DT GRC wheels certainly aren't the lightest. But as a general rule, DT Swiss prioritizes overall axle durability, premium hubs and bearings, and especially their trusted Ratchet EXP freewheel internals, over absolute lightness.
(All weights claimed by DT.)
DT Swiss GRC Wheels – Prices, options and availability
The revamped DT Swiss GRC gravel wheel range now includes 5 individual pairs of carbon wheels. At the next level are the new GRC 1100 Dicut 30 and GRC 1100 Dicut 50 wheels built on 180 premium AeroLite II hubs and spokes.
Both 1100 carbon wheels retail for the same price of $3000/€2500.
The GRC 1400 Dicut 30 and GRC 1400 Dicut 50 carbon wheels, built on 240 hubs and premium AeroComp spokes, bring the price down slightly to $2,400/€2,050.
Next up, the e-bike-specific HGC 1400 Spline 30 carbon wheels with heavy-duty 240 hybrid hubs sell for $2,450/€2,100, for a claimed weight of 1,476g.
There are also some alloy wheels offered at more accessible prices, with slightly reduced weights. The DT Swiss GR1600 Spline 25 wheels weigh 1748g with a 24mm x 25mm deep internal aluminum rim, at $757/€599. And the similarly sized DT G1800 Spline 25 wheels weigh 1835g, at $542/€429.
The more affordable 5 carbon wheelset and 2 alloy wheelsets are now available in stores and DT retailers.
