DT Swiss 54T Ratchet Kit: Rider Review

Adding more points of engagement to your hubs is a quick and easy way to make pedaling through sketchy sections a bit more manageable. The DT Swiss 54T Ratchet upgrade kit could be the value of the century, allowing you to jump from 18 to 54 points of engagement all for under $100. In this review, our customer James picks the kit up after watching our video review on it. Check it out for yourself!

Overview

About a year ago I purchased a DT Swiss 350 rear hub and had them laced up to my existing rims. While I was really happy with the hubs and their engagement compared to the stock hubs that came with my bike, there was just one thing missing, a 54 tooth star ratchet. Several months ago I came across a YouTube Video on Worldwide Cyclery YouTube channel that went over the DT Swiss 54t Star Ratchet Upgrade Kit and how easy it was to install. After seeing the video, I was sold. Who doesn’t want faster engagement when they pedal. It is easy to pick out the buzz of high-end hubs on the trail and I was a few small steps away from buzzing down the trail myself.

Installation

When it came to installing the new star ratchet, it was super easy, even for me. I am by no means a mechanic, but even I was able to install the new ratchet in about 5-10 minutes with no tools. There are a lot of high-end hubs with quick engagement; however, most have a lot of small moving parts and springs, that could easily be lost. The DT Swiss hub has just 2 ratchet wheels and 2 large springs.

Performance and Final Thoughts

After installing the new star ratchets and riding them the past few months, I can easily say there is a huge improvement in the hub engagement compared to the standard 18 tooth ratchets. When you have to restart on an incline, it is easier to get your feet in the right position since the cranks don’t have a lot of play anymore. Where you put your feet is where they will stay until you start pedaling. If you are looking to improving the hub engagement on your DT Swiss hub, I would highly recommend getting the 54 tooth star ratchet conversion kit.

Check out our review on the DT Swiss 54T Ratchet Kit: