DT Swiss RR 1850

Pros

Handbuilt Swiss quality

Cons

Bit on the heavier side

Review

DT Swiss, RR 1850 REview

T Swiss have a hard-won reputation in the bicycle industry for high quality components that are durable, lightweight and high performance. Individual components such as rims, spokes and hubs can be found on the best wheels in the sport. So when DT Swiss produces a wheelset, you expect an exceptional product.

A very competitive wheelset

The DT Swiss 1850 wheelset is without doubt a solid wheelset. Each wheelset is hand built and you can feel that quality in the ride characteristics. We put our test wheelset through some rigorous road conditions and they remained stiff, compliant and true throughout. The rims are constructed using “strength boost welding technology”, which definitely add a degree of comfort and security when the road throws up potholes or other obstacles that can’t be avoided. The braking surface also performed very well – if it is confidence in the descents you are looking for, a quiet, cool braking surface will go a long way to delivering it and the 1850 stopped solidly, and more importantly predictably, on steep and fast descents.

On the flat the 1850 wheelset felt like they were in their element. The DT hubs rolled beautifully as you would expect, but the surprise was that the wheels performed well as an aero wheelset. The semi aero profile and solid construction not only gives the ride quality a feel of aerodynamics, but also a sense of momentum – once you get these things up to speed, there’s no stopping them. Similarly, when it came time for the sprint, there was no hint of flex, and once again the solid feel of the wheelset lent a good deal of confidence when you most need it.

If only they were lighter…

The only area where I could offer any criticism is when I started to point the 1850 wheelset uphill. At 1850 grams (hence the name, at least DT Swiss aren’t hiding anything), this wheelset is not the lightest. Worse still, you do notice a slight lack of responsiveness when it comes to standing start acceleration and when you get out of the saddle to really push up the climb.

The DT Swiss 1850 wheelset would not look out of place as a high-end training wheelset, and would also work just fine on your race setup, but for their price of $1000 there are other solid performers among the competition that weigh as much as 300 grams less. The DT Swiss 1850 is an impressive looking wheelset which can do most things well, but these days for the money, you are entitled to expect more.