I ride a lot of rocky trails with a ton of techy climbs. IMHO a quick engagement hub makes the unrideable, rideable. I have had all types of highend hubs, Hadley, King, I9, Mavic ITS4. The engagement on the 54t is right up there with the best. 6.67*. And while some hubs are quicker, I don't notice the difference between the 54 and 72 while riding. Of course the 120 point of I9 is more noticeable. The only reason I have not had any DT Swiss hubs before this is because of the lack of engagement points. The 18t is terrible. I upgraded from a new EX1501 wheel with a 36t and while it may not be worth the $$ to upgrade from the 36t to a 54t it is still a very good improvement. Durability for me is unknown at this time. I only have about 100 miles on the hub. But so far it has been flawless. It is sometimes loud, but not always?? It seems to be quieter when it is colder out. But when it does make noise it is not super annoying but perhaps just enough to let the hiker in front of you let them know you headed their way. -1 star for cost.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
The 54t star ratchet is not cheap, but when you consider the marked difference between this and the 36t star ratchet, and the cost of the 36t, this is worth the extra. The 54t ratchet rings are beautifully machined from high-quality metal, and hollowed-out to save a few grams. The end-result is 6.7 degrees between points of engagement. That's really small, and allows for much better performance over slow, technical climbs. This makes the 350 competitive with hubs costing 2-3x as much. The 54t star ratchet can be installed without tools, and is a simple change that can even be done trail-side. This is also a nice reminder of the technical superiority of the ring drives that DT Swiss uses (Chris King hubs use a similar mechanism). No tiny pawls with individual springs to worry about, just two large, reliable coil springs. There is some chance that the 54t may be more fragile than the 18t or 32t star ratchet, but you can always carry the original star ratchet in your pack just in case (it's tiny and lightweight).Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
If you liked the 36T ratchet then you'll love the 54T ! If you went from 18T to 36T you would know the difference . I just hate it when you start to pedal and you feel the knock thru your leg . I'm not sure it's worth the upgrade from 36T to 54T . But if your star ratchet is warn and due to be replaced, for the same price get the 54T it just feels better ! The price is a little steep . I paid 40$ three years ago for a 36T . But now they GIVE you the special 20$ grease ... Doesn't add up but if your going to spend money to make your wife mad, might as well be on bikes ! ;)
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
This is what I was looking for a couple years now. Some bike manufacturer were getting it exclusively from Dt swiss. Dt swiss finally made it for the public to buy as an upgrade. This will only work if you have Dt swiss ratchet freewheel hub. Not for Dt swiss pawl freewheel hub. I replaced my 36t to this and since my wife's bike has the 18t, I replaced hers with my 36t. Quicker engagement. Super easy to swap and clean with no tools. Its pricy for what you get, hince the 4 stars .
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
I love my DT Swiss XRC 1250 carbon wheel set and got them at a good price but they're a $3k wheel set...you shouldn't have to upgrade anything. Very disappointing to find it only came with the 18 tooth ratchet. This was a super easy upgrade to make, just grab your cassette and pull the whole thing off, and took me less than 5 minutes total to complete. You definitely can notice a quicker engagement when you start pedaling, which is of course what should happen with such a high end racing wheel set. I'm like my free hub to have a bit more clicking sound to it than what the 18 tooth provided and this 54 tooth is much better and it sounds cool. Highly recommend! Worldwide Cyclery delivered quickly and as expected.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
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