DT Swiss XM481 Custom Bicycle Wheel Set

Description

The DT XM481 is truly special.  30mm wide, and with a heart of gold, this thing would battle Rocky Balboa in Rocky IV at least 35-40 rounds.  It’s extremely strong, lightweight for its segment, looks dapper with it’s shot peened-esk finish, has attractive decals, and builds up oh so smooth.  If you’re into racing (Doh! not that kind of racing), riding hard, or you simply prefer to buy really nice gear, this is your starting and finishing point.  Pretty straight forward.

DT Swiss XM481 Tubeless Ready Clincher Specs

Wheel Weights

(without QR’s or rim tape)

What Others Are Saying…

You have the choice to build these wheels with ST160/ST280 MTB hubs or go all out with DT Swiss 350 disc hubs featuring the DT Swiss Star Ratchet engagement mechanism.  Both are great options.  The Speed Tuned Super 6 2.0 hubs feature 36 points of engagement, (10 degrees) via a 4×2 pawl freehub.  The drive ring and pawls are overbuilt in terms of diameter, (drive ring), height, (drive ring + pawls), and materials, (quality stainless).  Their bearing placement is proper, in terms of overall design meant to promote hub function and durability.

DT Swiss 350 hubs are excellent, they are finished to incredible standards, and include DT Swiss’ Star Ratchet engagement system, (same exact drive mechanism as with their DT 240’s and 180’s).  These hubs get the job done, hold up extremely well in an assortment of conditions, and have proven reliable even in the emerging context of high torque drive trains, (29er wheel bikes with 1×12 Eagle drive trains).  Essentially, DT 350’s offer you the option of buying one of the best-performing hubs available anywhere, for only a modest price bump.  Given their huge value proposition, they are hands down a great option for any MTB rider that cares about their gear.

In “stock” form, these wheels are built with Sapim Race Double Butted 2.0/1.8/2.0 black spokes in a 32 hole, three cross configuration front, and rear.  Sapim Race spokes offer legendary quality and performance.  If you didn’t know a thing about spokes, know that your wheels would come with a really top-notch spoke product.  That being said, we’re offering a spoke upgrade option, in the form of Sapim DLight 2.0/1.65/2.0 spokes.  There are two great spoke manufacturers in the world, DT Swiss and Sapim, (in alphabetical order).  Essentially, you might be able to find a spoke product that approaches their quality, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a company that makes a better spoke product than these two.  All their spoke products, from straight gauge to their elliptically bladed and butted products, are all the best of the best.  Sapim Dlight spokes will perform at the same relative level as Sapim Race or DT Competition spokes but will shave off approximately 75 – 80g from the wheelset.

The XM 481 is a stellar wheelset option, in a field that’s composed of some of the best aluminum alloy MTB rims ever.  Given their level of performance,they are an unbeatable deal, (coupon codes here).  We’re not joking around here.  If you don’t have a lot of time to research all the rim options in the marketplace, if you don’t have a lot of money, and if you can find this product page, maybe that’s Magic.

Should you buy this wheelset?  Entirely your call.  Should you watch this short but sweet rock climbing video?  Absolutely.  One More Fun One.

Make That Two.

Wheelset Facts

• • Comes with tubeless tape & valves installed.
  • The DT Swiss XM481 (welded joint), has a 30mm inner width, is 21mm tall, 34mm wide, and weighs about 510g (27.5″) or 550g (29er) per DT
  • Recommended for use with 29er x 2.35″ – 2.8″ tires
  • These wheels are built with internal stainless steel washers.
  • Wheel set weight with ST160 / ST280 15/142 hubs and alloy nipples are approximately 1955g (Race) or 1880g (Dlight); with DT 350 hubs wheelset weight is approximately 1980g (Race) or 1905g (Dlight).  Wheelset weight will vary with end caps, freehub driver, and nipple selection.  Tape + Valves adds approximately 35g for the wheelset, on average.