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review

DT Swiss ARC 1400 Dicut DB 38 wheelset

8
£1,949.98

VERDICT:

8
10
Complete package of stiffness, low weight, and all-round versatility
Great blend of weight and aerodynamics
Low weight
No rotor lockrings included
Concealed nipples aren't the easiest to tweak
Weight: 
1,360g
Contact: 

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The DT Swiss ARC 1400 Dicut DB 38 wheels are light, well built, a joy to ride – and a serious contender for one of the best all-rounder road wheelsets you can buy. They do everything well, including working easily with tyres of various widths, and considering what you are getting, the price is pretty competitive too.

> Buy now: DT Swiss ARC 1400 Dicut DB 38 wheelset for £1,702.70 from Lordgun

Read our guide to the best road bike wheels for more options.

Many of us don't ride specific disciplines, so a wheel that is capable of a bit of everything without sacrificing other areas is normally the holy grail. And it's a role that these ARC 1400s do exceptionally well.

I've had these DT Swiss wheels fitted to my Giant TCR, a bike that I consider an all-rounder, and they have been a perfect match. The 38mm rim depth (you can also get rim depths of 50, 62 and 80mm) offers a modest amount of aero gains without any ill effects from strong crosswinds, while their impressively low weight of 1,360g (weighed on our scales and including the rim tape) makes them none too shabby when it comes to hitting the climbs.

Acceleration, too, feels brisk with so little weight to spin up, although both sprinting and climbing need more than low weight – they also need plenty of lateral stiffness. That's another tick for the ARC 1400s, as they feel as tight as a drum when you're hammering the pedals while out of the saddle.

Straight out of the box they were running perfectly true and the spokes were evenly tensioned. My first ride saw no bedding in of pinging spokes, and while the wheels are only one factor in a bike's overall ride quality, these feel smooth and, dare I say it, on the plush side.

2024 DT Swiss Arc 1400 Dicut DB 38 - logo.jpg

From a performance point of view, I really can't fault these wheels at all – I really do think they are brilliant.

The carbon fibre rims are the same for both the front and rear wheel, with an external width of 26mm and an internal width of 20mm, up from 17mm found on the previous versions. We often see wheels with a wider internal measurement but I'd say 20mm is absolutely fine for fast road/racing setups. DT Swiss says they are optimised for 25/28mm tyres, but you can obviously go wider should you want.

2024 DT Swiss Arc 1400 Dicut DB 38 - rim bed.jpg

You can run them with tubeless or standard clincher tyres and the rims are hooked, which is something I'm a fan of. I like the flexibility of running tyres above the recommended maximum of 75psi for hookless rims should I desire.

The tyres I used mainly for testing were the 30mm Panaracer Agilest Duro TLR. These are the slightly bigger brother of the 28mm Agilest I reviewed a year ago.

While the 30mm tyres proved a snug fit, I did get them on without too much swearing. It was all pretty standard to be fair, the tight fit giving you the reassurance they aren't going to pop off the rim when inflated, but not so secure that you won't be able to remove them should you need to stick a tube in at the roadside.

It was a similar story with other tyres, including the 28mm Michelin Lithion 4 tyres I'm currently testing and some Schwalbe Ones. The Pirelli P Zero Race TLR RS tyres I'm also reviewing did prove an absolute pig to fit – though this has proved to the case on every wheel I've tried so far, which highlights how various combinations can still be a pain to work with.

In the box you also get tubeless valves included along with the tape, plus you get a SRAM XDR freehub thrown in alongside the Shimano freehub fitted to the wheels when you buy them. If you are running Campagnolo you will need to fork out for a separate freehub, which I found for about 20 quid online, so it's not a deal-breaker.

2024 DT Swiss Arc 1400 Dicut DB 38 - rear hub.jpg

However, lockrings are not included for your Center Lock rotor mounts. Quite a few brands don't supply them now, and it's not a major problem, but it is worth remembering that you need to order some, otherwise that excitement of setting up your new shiny wheels will soon be quashed when you realise you have to delay your first ride.

2024 DT Swiss Arc 1400 Dicut DB 38 - front hub.jpg

The hubs are DT Swiss's own 240 models, which include its Ratchet EXP 36 system for engagement. The majority of wheels use varying numbers of pawls that lock in position under load and create drive for the freehub, but DT Swiss (and some others) use ratchet systems where opposing splined rings connect to propel you forward.

2024 DT Swiss Arc 1400 Dicut DB 38 - rear hub 2.jpg

It's a responsive design with engagement points at every 10 degrees and requires fewer components, which lowers weight and improves durability. The 240 hubs are also simple to disassemble should the need arise.

The build is finished off with 24 DT Aero Comp II spokes for both the front and rear wheels, which are laced in a two-cross design and attached to the rim using DT Pro Lock aluminium nipples.

2024 DT Swiss Arc 1400 Dicut DB 38 - spoke detail.jpg

The nipples are hidden inside the rims, which would make fettling them by the roadside a bit of a faff, but in the last 24 years of riding road bikes I've only had to true a wheel mid-ride a couple of times after a broken spoke or a heavy hit with a pothole. In fact, I'd say the build quality here is absolutely excellent.

Value

Priced at £1,949.98, the ARC 1400s are in the right sort of ball park for wheels of this spec and calibre.

For instance, the Fulcrum Speed 42 wheelset that Aaron reviewed a few months back is about 60g heavier and 4mm deeper, and a bit more expensive at £1,999.99. You do get ceramic bearings, though.

The Reserve 40/44 wheelset is much wider internally at 25.5mm front, 25mm rear, and is a touch deeper. I was really impressed with how they rode, and their 1,435g weight is impressive. The wheelset I reviewed is £1,599, but you're getting DT Swiss's 350 hubs, which are a level down from the 240s on the ARC 1400. You can get the Reserves specced with 240s, and they'll cost you £1,999.

Undercutting the ARC 1400s by a fair amount, though, are the new Core Superlight wheels from Scribe. We have a set with 60mm-deep rims in for review, and while I can't give you physical evidence of how they perform at the moment, previous experience with Scribe's wheels has always shown them to offer great durability, build and ride quality for decent money.

The 40mm-deep Core Superlights use a 36-tooth ratchet in the rear hub, have aero spokes and a similar rim width. Their claimed weight is 1,314g for £999. Keep your eye out for that review.

Conclusion

Basically, from a performance point of view this is a stunning wheelset, and I'd happily recommend it for all kinds of road riding unless ultimate aerodynamic wind cheating is your main goal. The ride quality and build quality are excellent and the weight is impressively low, but there are also some great wheelsets out there with similar specs for less money.

> Buy now: DT Swiss ARC 1400 Dicut DB 38 wheelset for £1,702.70 from Lordgun

Verdict

Complete package of stiffness, low weight, and all-round versatility

road.cc test report

Make and model: DT Swiss ARC 1400 Dicut DB 38

Size tested: 700C, 38mm deep

Tell us what the wheel is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

DT Swiss says: "The ideal climbing wheelset for blasting through the iconic climbs on your bucket list."

I think they are great all-rounders for pretty much every kind of general road riding.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the wheel?

DT Swiss lists:

Rim depth: 38mm

Rim width: 20mm internal/26mm external

Rim type: Hooked

Hubs: DT Swiss 240 with Ratchet EXP 36 system

Brake interface: Centrelock

Freehub: Shimano (SRAM included)

Spokes: DT Aero Comp II (24 F/R)

Nipples: DT Pro Lock

Rate the wheel for quality of construction:
 
9/10

Solid build throughout.

Rate the wheel for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the wheel for durability:
 
9/10
Rate the wheel for weight
 
9/10
Rate the wheel for value:
 
5/10

Did the wheels stay true? Any issues with spoke tension?

The wheels remained tight and true throughout the test period.

How easy did you find it to fit tyres?

All tyres I tried required a tyre lever, but only one set of tyres were difficult to fit – but they turned out to be very tight on every rim I've tried them on.

How did the wheel extras (eg skewers and rim tape) perform?

You get a good selection of kit included and all of it is of a good quality.

Tell us how the wheel performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Versatile all-rounders with loads of lateral stiffness for climbing and hard efforts.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the wheel

A great balance of weight and performance.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the wheel

Their concealed nipples would make fettling by the roadside difficult.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

The ARC 1400s are sensibly priced against many of its competitors, though there are some, like Scribe, which offer similar specs for nearly half the price.

Did you enjoy using the wheel? Yes

Would you consider buying the wheel? Yes

Would you recommend the wheel to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

A couple of tiny niggles, but their great built quality, low weight and excellent stiffness make them a stunning wheelset. But some other wheels at this price point are offering ceramic bearings, which may be a deal-breaker for you, and you can get similar weight wheelsets for a lot less too, which is why I'm going for an 8 here rather than a 9 overall.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 44  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

Since writing his first bike review for road.cc back in early 2009 senior product reviewer Stu has tested more than 1,000 pieces of kit and 100s of bikes in the past fifteen years.
With an HND in mechanical engineering and previous roles as a CNC programmer/machinist, draughtsman and development engineer (working in new product design) Stu understands what it takes to bring a product to market. A mix of that knowledge combined with his love of road and gravel cycling puts him in the ideal position to put the latest kit through its paces.
He first made the switch to road cycling in 1999 primarily for fitness, but it didn’t take long for his competitive side to take over which led to around ten years as a time triallist and some pretty decent results. These days though riding is more about escapism, keeping the weight off and just enjoying the fact that he gets to ride the latest technology as part of his day job.

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3 comments

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Chris RideFar | 1 min ago
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Why does the reviewer expect wheels to be supplied with rotor lockrings? I expect the lockrings to come with the rotors themselves, which they almost always do. I  wouldn't mark that as the first downside of these wheels (in fact, I wouldn't even bother to mention it).

However, the interenal nipples would be a deal-breaker for me because even if running tubed tires, you'll want to use tubeless tape to make mounting easier than if using removable rim strips, so you need to redo the taping to true the wheel.

Avatar
Surreyrider | 3 hours ago
1 like

20 internal is a little on the narrow side these days to be honest.

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Smoggysteve | 3 hours ago
1 like

"Concealed nipples aren't the easiest to tweak"

Amen to that. 

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