The DT Swiss AR1600 Spline is the Swiss brand’s top aerodynamic alloy wheelset offering, complete with a 30mm-deep rim and its highly-regarded 350 ratchet hub design.
Unlike many competitor wheelsets, the constituent parts are all designed or manufactured by DT Swiss itself, which in theory should make for a more optimised, better-integrated construction.
My testing experience confirms this to be the case, with good all-round performance. However, the wheelset is a little more expensive than rivals with slightly more specific skillsets.
DT Swiss AR1600 Spline details and specifications
The DT Swiss AR1600 Spline is the highest-spec alloy wheelset in DT Swiss’ range, built for aero performance. It sits above the A1800 Spline.
DT Swiss also has corresponding all-rounder PR and P wheels, and endurance-focused ER and E wheels.
The AR1600 Spline features a 20mm internal-width, 30mm-deep hooked rim, exhibiting what DT Swiss calls an AERO+ shape.
This has been developed with aerodynamics specialists Swiss Side, and is claimed to have been applied across much of DT Swiss’ wheelset range (carbon and alloy alike).
The rim comes tubeless-ready – taped and with tubeless valves supplied. The valve hole in the tubeless tape has been cut neatly, aligning perfectly with the rim to the naked eye in a clean circle. In my experience, it’s common to find brands supplying wheels with roughly stabbed holes in the rim tape.
DT Swiss has chosen to spec its hidden Pro Lock alloy spoke nipples, giving the rims a clean look. This might confer a tiny aerodynamic advantage, although if you ever need to adjust them you’ll need to remove the rim tape to gain access.
These are attached to DT Swiss’ Aero Comp II straight-pull spokes, which in turn link up to DT Swiss 350 hubs.
The freehub system features a 36-tooth ratchet design (as opposed to a pawl system), which DT Swiss claims offers greater efficiency, robustness and longer wear life.
It’s worth noting it’s one of the more commonly chosen freehubs by wheel builders and third-party brands alike, and has generally impressed us to date.
The AR1600 Spline tipped my Scales of Truth at 1,764g, including tubeless rim tape and valves. That’s a little more than 100g over the claimed weight of 1,657g.
Notably, this is almost 200g heavier than the Hunt Aero Wide 34 Disc SL wheelset, which has a 4mm deeper rim and costs around £170 less.
DT Swiss backs the wheelset with a standard two-year warranty for manufacturing defects, but its Fair Share crash replacement scheme only applies to its carbon wheelsets.
DT Swiss AR1600 Spline performance
Installation of my test mule 700x28c Hutchinson Challenger TLR tyres was straightforward.
The inner profile of the DT Swiss AR1600 Spline rim is slightly less prominently ridged than some, and I found this stopped the tyre bead from getting stuck into the deeper central channel. This, in turn, made finding an initial seal around the tubeless valve relatively easy, aiding inflation with only a track pump.
My test tubeless installation held air well, indicating a good seal between the hooked rim and tyre – although, as ever, this is as much down to the tyre as it is the rim.
Set up with inner tubes for testing on the road (see the ‘How we tested’ section below), the AR1600 broadly impressed.
The rims certainly feel like a marked upgrade in terms of aerodynamic efficiency versus a non-optimised rim, although the 10mm deeper Ere Research Explorator GCR40 represents another step forwards in this regard.
That said, they feel no slower than the also-quick Hunt Aero Wide 34 Disc SL wheelset on the flat, which has a 4mm rim depth ‘advantage’.
On the other hand, it lives between both of these wheelsets in terms of weight – very similar to the Miche Syntium Aero hoops.
Acceleration feels quick, though, and the sensation of responsiveness is decent when you’re climbing out of the saddle at lower speeds.
It isn’t as sharp-feeling as the lighter Hunt wheelset, but it feels even more rigid when the hammer goes down, cancelling each other out somewhat. This will be especially true if, like me at 188cm and 81kg, the 192g difference means less than it might for someone smaller, lighter and less powerful.
Where the DT Swiss AR1600 stands out versus many road bike wheels, though, is in the composure it shows over rougher roads.
It feels very well assembled (free of rattles and resonances) and didn’t seem to transmit quite as much road buzz and jarring feedback through my bike to my contact points.
This makes it feel relatively comfortable and stable, ensuring longer rides are a little less taxing.
I also approve of the relatively quiet ratchet freehub mechanism.
While a louder freehub undoubtedly offers a certain sense of occasion, which may appeal to some, the smooth, low thrumming noise offered by the 350 freehub sounds somehow more refined. It's definitely considerate of others you might be riding with.
These factors add up to what feels like decent value.
DT Swiss has earned a reputation over the past decade or so for making high-quality performance wheelsets and components, and the refinement in the overall ride experience goes a long way towards justifying the outlay.
That said, both the Ere Research and Hunt wheelsets tested alongside it are £70 cheaper – and if speed on the flat or responsiveness when climbing are at the top of your wishlist, you may well be better off shopping for one of those.
DT Swiss AR1600 Spline bottom line
The DT Swiss AR1600 Spline wheelset is a very good alloy wheelset, blending good all-round performance and a premium ride quality.
DT Swiss’ established reputation in wheelset component tech should not be ignored, making the AR1600 Spline a ‘safe’ choice.
The compromise is you’re asked to part with a little more cash than options that might serve your specific needs a little better.
How we tested | Alloy road wheelsets
We tested seven alloy disc brake tubeless wheelsets over the winter of 2023/24. Each was fitted to a Fairlight Strael 3.0 test bike, with the same setup used wherever possible*.
Hutchinson Challenger TLR 700x28c tyres were used for testing, with a tubeless installation carried out to gain an indication of setup ease.
For the test rides, we deferred to a clincher setup with butyl inner tubes – to reflect this very common setup and make changeovers a little easier, faster and less wasteful of sealant.
*The same Shimano RT-MT800 Center Lock rotors were used for all test wheels, except the Halo Drove Line 700C, which required the use of six-bolt discs.
Wheelsets on test
- Roval Alpinist SLX Disc
- Hunt 34 Aero Wide Disc SL review
- Ere Research Explorator GCR40 review
- DT Swiss AR1600 Spline
- Mavic Ksyrium S Disc review
- Miche Syntium Aero
- Halo Drove Line 700C
Product
| Brand | dt_swiss |
| Price | 599.00 EUR,570.00 GBP,758.00 USD |
| Weight | 1764.0000, GRAM (29in/700c) - rim tape and tubeless valves |
Features
| br_rimMaterial | aluminium |
| br_wheelSize | 29in_700c |
| br_brakeTypeSimple | disc |
| br_hubs | DT Swiss 350 |
| br_spokes | DT Swiss Aero Comp II, straight-pull |
| br_freehub | Shimano |
| br_rimDepth | 30mm |
| br_rimInternalWidth | 20mm |
| Features | Width: 24mm external Axle: 12×100mm front; 12×142mm rear |
| br_spokeCountRear | 24 |
| br_spokeCountFront | 24 |
