The new DT Swiss 350 road hubs are perfect for all sorts of wheel builds
Quick question: what's your favourite wheel builder's favourite hub? (Don't tell us you don't have a favourite wheel builder, we dont believe you). If you've answered the DT Swiss 350 then you're almost certainly correct. DT Swiss hubs have a well deserved reputation for build quality, ride quality and ease of maintenance and if you don't believe us just take a look at the extensive list of brands that use DT internals in their hubs.
To understand what makes the 350 special, you need a bit of background on DT's hub range. Essentially there are three 'named' tiers of hubs; the 180, the 240 and the 350. The 180 hubs are the super high end product, with super light aluminium shells, SINC ceramic bearings and everything you need to build the lightest, fanciest set of wheels possible. The 240s are the sweet spot when it comes to price and technology, still more than light enough to be used in high end wheel builds, but keep the cost down to a more nominal level. The 350s are third in the range, but far from entry level when it comes to performance. They still offer all the quality and reliability you'd expect from DT Swiss hubs, but are affordable enough that you dont have to be building a three grand set of wheels to feel like you can justify buying them. Basically, the 350s are the hub of choice for wheels you ride every day, combining performance and reliability in an unmatched package.
So what's new about these 350 road hubs? Well to start, they're lighter than the previous versions; 5% for the classic and 10% for the straight pull versions to be exact. Part of the reason for this weight loss is the next Ratchet SL (super light) internals, that also come in their 36t version as standard - where the previous version used 18t - giving you the same engagement as 240 level hubs and, of course, they're fully upgradable should you want a 54t ratchet in your life (or your rear hub).
The 350s also have newly designed end caps. DT hubs are well known (and well loved) because you dont need any tools to take them apart. The end caps simply pull off the hub body, allowing easy access to the internals. The new end caps just make it a bit easier to get the grip you need to remove them.
A lot of these hubs will come specced as standard on new wheels, but they are available to buy separately if you have a wheel build project of your own and you're looking for something to base it around. The 350 hubs come in 20, 24, 28 or 32-hole options for the Classic and 20 or 24-hole for the straight pull, with weights starting at 139g/244g front rear or 106g/219g front/rear respectively. Freehub choice is Shimano Road or SRAM XDR with Campagnolo N3W available separately.
