New DT Swiss 350 hub doubles tooth count and loses weight

By Oscar Huckle

Published: Thursday, 26 January 2023 at 12:00 am

The updated DT Swiss 350 road hub is lighter and easier to maintain than its predecessor, and sees a switch to the Ratchet 36 SL system.

The 350 is well known for its simplicity and reliability, sitting below the brand’s more expensive 180 and 240 hubs. It’s a favoured choice with wheel builders, particularly for bombproof all-season builds.

The hubs will be available both in quick-release and thru-axle axle standards, the latter only in 100x12mm or 142x12mm. The 350 will be available for rim brakes and Center-Lock disc rotors.

The ‘classic’ hubs (ie, hubs designed to be used with traditional J-bend spokes) are available in 20, 24, 28 and 32-hole options. The straight-pull variant is available only in 20 or 24-hole options.

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The ‘classic’ hub accepts traditional J-bend spokes.
DT Swiss
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There’s also a straight-pull variant.
DT Swiss
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DT Swiss hasn’t forgotten about rim brakes.
DT Swiss

The front hub is priced from £54.99 / €84.90 / $112.90 / AU$139 and the rear at £159.99 / €214.90 / $284.90 / AU$339. Pricing is the same for either straight-pull or classic variants.

Availability is to be confirmed. At present, DT Swiss isn’t launching any complete wheelsets that feature this hub.

Show me those teeth

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The new 350 road hub uses the brand’s Ratchet 36 SL system as standard.
DT Swiss

Like the 180 and 240, the 350 uses the brand’s Star Ratchet system.

Most freehubs use a combination of pawls and springs that engage with teeth inside the hub body when pedalling.

DT Swiss’ Star Ratchet system forgoes pawls and instead uses two ratchets that simultaneously push together when pedalling, via a spring. As both sides engage, the force is distributed more evenly over a conventional pawl system. The system is well-regarded by many and is licensed by a number of brands.

The new 350 road hub uses the brand’s Ratchet 36 SL, which uses 36 teeth to provide 10 degrees of engagement. The outgoing 350 road hub used 18 teeth.

DT Swiss reckons 36 teeth is the best choice for most riders, but if you want more you can upgrade to the brand’s Ratchet 54 SL, which offers 6.7 degrees of engagement.

Easier maintenance and freehub options

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DT Swiss has redesigned the end cap to simplify maintenance.
DT Swiss
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The ratchet system means there aren’t any pawls to fall on the floor when changing freehubs.
DT Swiss
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Campagnolo users are catered for but you’ll need to buy the N3W freehub separately.
DT Swiss

The new 350 road hub is also claimed to be easier to maintain, requiring no specialist tools.

The axle end cap has been redesigned and can now be removed by hand, according to the brand.

This means you can easily change freehubs if you’re switching between bikes with different drivetrains. The new 350 is available with either Shimano or SRAM XD freehubs on complete hubs. The Shimano freehub is said to be compatible with 10-speed systems upwards.

There isn’t a Campagnolo N3W freehub option on a complete hub, although one can be purchased separately.

Weight savings

DT Swiss says the new 350 is lighter than its predecessor, with a claimed 5 per cent saving for the classic hub and a 10 per cent decrease for the straight-pull hub.

The front hub weights are claimed to start from 139g, with the rear starting at 244g for the classic hub. The straight-pull hubs are claimed to weigh from 106g for the front and 219g for the rear.