Raceface ARC27 Offset / DT Swiss 350 wheels

Shopping for a new wheel set? If you’re looking to replace a broken wheel or upgrade to a shiny new wheel set, and you’re not one for splashing out in bright colours, here’s a really good option for you.

The rims are from Raceface and are the newly landed ARC27 Offset version. The rim is 27mm wide internally and the spoke holes are offset by 3.8mm. This allows the use of equal length spokes on each side of the wheel and results in almost even spoke tensions on the drive and non-drive side of the wheel. This makes the wheel stiffer overall, which is a good thing.

I like to pair these rims with the DT Swiss 350 hubs, which are simply light, reliable and have a superb freebody engagement system called a star ratchet. This is a pawl-less system and uses 2 interlocking serrated rings which rotate against each other and use spring pressure to ensure perfect engagement, every time. You can read more about this technology here.

This rim/hub combination, laced together with DT Swiss Competition double butted spokes and brass nipples is a really good combination of strength, weigh and cost – coming in at a recommended selling price of R9500.00 at the time of writing this article. This includes the hubs, rims, spokes, nipples and my time. For an itemized quote, get in touch.

Here’s an exploded view of the DT Swiss hub.

1. Press fit end caps: Removable by hand for quick conversions and service. +/- 0.0XX MM press fit tolerances.
2. Bearings: High end catridge bearings throughout. Low friction thanks to single sided seals. 2080 N load capacity per bearing.
3. Thread ring: Takes up the inner ratchet, transfers torque to the hub shell. 450 Nm torque tested.
4. Lightweight alloy axles: Optimized for the dynamic loads a hub undergoes. Tested to 13 standard life cycles  of a wheel.
5. Ratchet springs: Push the ratchets against each other to engage Tested to 13 standard life cycles of a wheel.
6. Ratchets: The best system to transfer torque at the lowest weight. 
   
7. Alloy freehub bodies: Lightweight and anodized. Super smooth surface finish of the contact area for the high precision, low friction rotary seal. +/- 0.0XX MM seal seat precision

Here are some product images of the rims and hubs

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