DT Swiss 54T Ratchet Kit Upgrade: More Engagement Points!

Here at the shop, we are big promoters of having hubs with high engagement. Most people don’t realize this until they have ridden a bike with more engagement points but once you do, it makes a world of difference on the trail! Whether you are a pro rider or a novice, having more engagement points on your rear hub will help in numerous different scenarios including:

• Pedaling out of corners
• Navigating tight switchbacks
• Climbing technical sections filled with rocks/tree roots

One area where you will notice this upgrade right away is when going from coasting to pedaling. On a hub with lower engagement, there will be more “free stroke” in the crank before force is actually applied to the rear wheel. Having more engagement points will reduce this and in turn will result in better crank acceleration when you need it most.

Everyone knows that Industry Nine and Chris King are just two examples of hubs that catch many riders’ eyes and come with great engagement. Luckily if you have DT Swiss hubs, you don't have to build a whole new wheel in order to get better engagement. DT Swiss has a ratchet design as opposed to the spring and pawl system and it allows for a quick and easy replacement. They have 3 different star ratchet kits available and they come in 18T, 36T, and 54T. If you currently have the 18T which comes standard on a lot of DT Swiss hubs, then the 54T ratchet would be a HUGE upgrade and one that you will notice right away on the trail! We have employees that have upgraded their hubs by installing the 54T star ratchet set and they absolutely love it!

We love DT Swiss hubs and ride them on a lot of our personal bikes, and the 54T upgrade kit is a great way to get more out of these amazing hubs. So if you have DT Swiss hubs and are looking for some more bite, this might be something you want to look into before building up a new wheel.