DT Swiss has released details of its new Ratchet EXP system (top pic, above) which is said to be lighter, stiffer and more precise than its existing Ratchet system (lower pic, above).
DT Swiss's freewheel system has long made use of two ratchets featuring various numbers of teeth (18, 36 and 54-tooth versions). Two springs push the ratchets against one another so that all the teeth engage when you pedal, while the teeth move apart when you're coasting.
The new Ratchet EXP system is based on a similar concept but one of the ratchets is now threaded into the hub shell. A single spring pushes the second ratchet into the first one so that the teeth engage when you pedal.
DT Swiss says that reducing the number of components not only increases durability, it reduces the overall weight, improves reliability and stiffens up the system.
"A single cylindrical spring ensures a faster full engagement and therefore an increase in reliability," says DT Swiss.
"The hub stiffness is significantly defined by the distance between the bearings. For optimal performance it is important to maximise this distance, which is limited by the size of the freehub system.
"In the previous system the driveside bearing had to be placed next to the threaded ring and therefore the distance couldn't be increased. The integration of the driveside bearing into the threaded ring increases the bearing distance, resulting in a 15% improvement in hub stiffness."
All DT Swiss Ratchet system hubs can be converted to Ratchet EXP.
Ratchet EXP will at first come only in DT Swiss's 180 hubs although you can expect it to make an appearance elsewhere in the range sooner or later.
They ain't cheap, though. We don't have UK prices yet but whether you go for a disc or a non-disc version, a road front hub with SINC Ceramic bearings is €261.90 while the rear is €486.90. You can have a Shimano 11-speed, SRAM XRD or Campag freehub body.
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