For those gravel and off-road adventure riders who believe in the benefits of an aero frame, DT Swiss has created wheels to complement their overall efficiency. The GRC DICUT 1100 and 1400 wheelsets are differentiated by hub specification, although both offer two rim heights: 30mm or 50mm. 

• Best gravel wheelsets 2024 - fast and furious off-road wheels
• Best mountain bike wheels 2024
• Enve AG25 Gravel wheelset review

The shallower 30mm GRC DICUTs prioritise steering agility and responsiveness, and the deeper 50mm rims are all about saving watts on those 100-miler gravel endurance rides. 

Depth and diameter matter

Engineers at DT Swiss discovered that a 24mm internal rim diameter was the ideal balance between aerodynamics and tyre performance for gravel riding. 

These new wheels are optimised for gravel tyres up to 40mm wide, and unlike the trend in most mountain bike rims, the GRC DICUTs are hooked instead of hookless. DT Swiss believes that gravel bike tyres are more securely mounted on a hooked rim bead profile in demanding riding conditions, like high-speed cornering and provide a definite aero profile benefit, too. 

2024 dtswiss grc 1400 hero 2.jpg, by Liam Mercer

All the GRC DICUT derivatives have a similar 24mm internal diameter but differ regarding overall external rim width. The GRC DICUT 30s have an overall width of 31mm, with the deeper 50s becoming proportionally wider at 36.5mm. Importantly, the rim flange and bead surface have been shaped to be larger, reducing pinch flat risk by dissipating more impact energy instead of creating a targeted point load that could damage tyres when run at low pressures. 

These new DT Swiss gravel wheels are made with a new production process, which DT Swiss claims creates a better finish straight out of the mould. Superior air-bubble and void mitigation means that DT Swiss technicians no longer have to labouriously finish the rims after removal from the curing tool. 

Lots of axle options

Complete wheelset options are extensive with the GRC DICUT range, although the 650B rims are only available in the shallower 30 option. 

The lightest of DT Swiss’s new carbon gravel wheelsets is the GRC DICUT 1100 30, at 1,350g, with the 50 version being 1,567g. GRC DICUT 1100 wheels are built on DT Swiss 180 DICUT hubs with 36T Ratchet EXP internals and Shimano Road (SRAM XDR included), Shimano Microspline or Campagnolo N3W freehub body options. 

2024 dtswiss grc 1400 hub.jpg, by Liam Mercer

Choose the GRC DICUT 1400s and hub specification changes to 240 DICUT with weights increasing slightly, to 1421g for the 30 and 1,634g for the 50. 

DT Swiss’s GRC DICUT 1100 and 1400 wheelsets feature 24h spoke lacing, a 130kg total load rating, and both six-bolt and centre-lock disc brake compatibility. Axle standards are 100x12mm front and 142x12mm rear. 

But what if you want to run wider mountain bike standard boost axles? Or need carbon wheels with a higher load rating for your gravel e-bike? That’s where the DT Swiss HGC 1400 Spline hybrid option is ideal, with specifications more aligned to the demands of heavier gravel e-bikes. 

The HGC 1400 Spline is only available in the shallower 30mm rim height, but has a higher 140kg total load rating, thanks to a 28h rear wheel spoke lacing. There’s also the option of boost 110x12mm front and 148x12mm rear axle spacing.
 

For the HGC 1400 Spline, DT Swiss builds onto a 240-series hub with Ratchet EXP OS internals, and the freehub body is either Shimano Road, SRAM XDR, or Shimano MicroSpline – the latter only being an option with a 142mm rear axle width 700cc rim. The DT Swiss HGC 1400 Spline wheelsets start from a built weight of 1,476g. 

Pricing starts at £1,865 for the GRC DICUT 1400, with the HGC 1400 Spline option being £1,950. The new DT Swiss gravel wheel range premium offering is the GRC DICUT 1100 at £2,300. 

• www.dtswiss.com

You might also like:

• Five things that weren't cool - until gravel happened
• How to prepare for your first gravel race - kit, bike setup and training
• The widest gravel bike handlebars you can buy: broad bars for bikepackers