Customer Review: DT Swiss 350 Hubs (Built to Last!)

This review comes to us from Santa Barbara written by Kyle Spencer. He recently purchased some DT Swiss 350 hubs and was nice enough to share his thoughts with us. DT Swiss is known for their high-quality product so let's take a look at what Kyle had to say.

Overview

I recently upgraded to a DT Swiss wheelset and chose this for my rear hub. I have a Pivot Switchblade, so I had to piece the wheels together because nobody makes a 29" wheelset with a 12x157 rear hub. Luckily, the guys here at Worldwide had everything I needed and answered a few of my questions along the way and made it a very easy process.

Deciding on DT Swiss

My options were somewhat limited due to my price range and finding a freewheel body that accepts a Shimano 11 speed cassette, the list goes on. I narrowed it down to a Hope Pro 4 and the DT Swiss 350 hubs. I'm one of those people that has to research the S$#t out of something before I pull the trigger. I read a bunch of forums on both hubs and watched some YouTube videos on maintenance and found a few difference between the two.

First Ride Impressions

The one thing that stood out the most was the difference in how loud the freehub is. The Hope hub was really loud, which usually wouldn't be a deterrent. But, after a demo day at a LBS and riding a bike with the DT 350 hub and hearing how quiet it was, it quickly became a consideration. I went with the DT hub and after a few rides, this thing is almost silent. I didn't think that the sound of the hub, or lack thereof, was going to make a ride more pleasurable. I ride to get away from everything and having the hub be nearly silent has made it a whole new experience. Once pointed down and being able to hear every leaf you roll over when the rear tire breaks traction and the little hiss my forks make when compressed has made every ride seem like I'm in one of those pro videos on PinkBike where there is no music. Just the sound of the bike. It's awesome.

Final Thoughts

Also, reliability and ease of maintenance was a huge consideration. The DT Swiss 350 is extremely reliable and maintenance is pretty much tool-free. Pop of the end caps and pull the freewheel body off and you have access to everything. I am really happy with it!