Reviewed: DT Swiss ARC 1100 DICUT 62 Disc Wheel
We review the DT Swiss ARC 1100 DICUT 62 Disc Wheel as part of our 2020 wheel roundup.
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DT Swiss ARC 1100 DICUT 62 Disc
$2,600; 1609g, available in rim or disc, tubeless compatible
62mm deep, 27mm external width, 17mm internal width
dtswiss.com
Sitting up with the Rovals on the higher end of the price range for this season’s decidedly more budget trend, DT Swiss’s DICUTs pack a lot of tech details into the places triathletes often don’t look. Rather than relying on super fat rim widths like the HED or Rovals, DT Swiss has actually gone in a different direction with a slim-by-today’s-standards 27mm external width and a downright thin 17mm internal width. DT Swiss places a lot of their focus on the little things like rotational drag (the resistance created by the spinning wheel, rather than drag forces just from air moving from the front), and as such has spent time refining details like spokes, spoke nipple placement, hub flanges, and much more. The result is a detail-oriented wheel that has a lot of “quiet” features on paper, but less of the noticeable numbers than other wheels in the roundup.
Out on the road, the DICUTs were way on the smoother side—not quite as smooth as the Hunts, but very close to the Rovals. While high-frequency bumps were smoothed out very well, we could still feel medium-sized ones a little bit more. Unlike the other high-end offerings, we didn’t find these to be the most stable in crosswinds, as they felt a little bit more like a 70mm or 80mm wheel when gusts truly took off. Acceleration under high torque wasn’t lightning quick, but power felt good after the initial windup—making these a great option for triathletes, but maybe not roadies looking to break away on a climb. The DICUTs also landed more on the twitchier side for cornering and descents, which is great for experienced riders, but didn’t simply work as a point-and-go. All in all the devil is in the details for this wheelset, and anyone looking to grab extra watts wherever you can, without the extra bulk/restrictions of a wide rim, should seriously consider the ARC 1100s.