DT Swiss has long been a powerhouse in the world of wheels, renowned for its almost boring levels of reliability and unflashy yet solid-performing products. Its latest range of carbon wheels at first looks as if it continues in this same vein, though once I dug a little deeper, I soon realised there’s a lot more to these subtle matt black hoops than meets the eye. But how do they compare to the best mountain bike wheels and can they justify the eye-watering price?

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The XMC1200 is the heavy-hitting enduro option in a four-wheel range of top-end carbon wheels launched in 2024. Alongside it is the lightweight XRC 1200 covering XC and down-country duties, the XMC 1200 for trail riding, and the HXC 1200 for e-bike use. All use DT’s latest rim technology and newly updated hub internals.

The EXC rims feature subtle but classy chrome graphics.

Design and Specifications

The EXC 1200’s use of DT’s latest DEG ratchet system is the obvious highlight here. Granted, a freehub is hardly exciting, but as the Swiss brand’s freehub system has remained largely unchanged for decades, this is big news for the famously reserved manufacturer.

For a long time, the ratchet system was specific to DT, which they acquired from Hugi when they bought the brand in the mid-’90s. The original patents ran out a few years ago, and many have started to use the design, as it is a strong, reliable set-up that’s easy to service and offers solid, consistent engagement. Albeit not the quickest pick-up. DT has offered high-tooth count ratchet options in the past, but has always stated that they don’t provide a suitable level of reliability, which is where the DEG version comes in. It uses much larger rings with 90 teeth, to give a 4º engagement angle, but the extra size and additional material means it should avoid the reliability issues that can plague some other super-responsive hubs.

The oversize DEG ratchet means a new hub shell design to fit its larger diameter rings.

The hubs used here are the 180 versions, which run on fancy SiNC ceramic bearings that rolled exceptionally well in my (non-scientific) spin-the-wheel-in-the-workstand test. However, I’m not convinced of its real-world benefits over a standard, well-adjusted steel-bearing setup on the trail. They are only currently available in a standard boost spacing, which is fine for most riders, but those with Superboost spacing will need to look elsewhere.

The spokes deserve a special mention, too, as DT is one of the few manufacturers that actually makes them. These are the Revolite versions, but in a J-bend style instead of the more common straight spoke found on ready-built wheels. Where the bladed design is often more about strength and compliance than aerodynamics. The 28 front and 32 rear spokes are paired with Pro Lock nipples, which DT claims are 20 times more reliable than a classic alloy nipple. Wheels are shipped with Microspline and SRAM HD freehub bodies in the box – which I really applaud – and Centrelock rotor fitments are standard. Given that these are billed as an enduro wheel, this is a nice touch, as traditional spokes are much easier to get hold of at your a bike shop, no matter where you are.

The DEG system uses a larger pair of ratchets with a higher tooth count to give a more reliable rapid engagement setup.

The fancy spokes are connected to a suitably high-tech set of carbon rims made using a new process developed by DT Swiss. As with most proprietary tech, actual info is well-protected, but basically, it enables a high compaction rate for the carbon. This is achieved by a new lay-up process that leaves fewer interruptions in the fibre strands and, therefore, fewer overlaps and potential points of failure. The quality is so high that they only require minimal finishing after production, i.e., no filler or heavy sanding, which, to be fair to them, is very unusual. Brands always like to highlight their carbon tech, which is often heavily embellished by the marketing department, but these do look and feel different and much better finished than other rims I’ve used. On the scales, the complete wheels came in at 1,806g for the pair in 29in front and rear.

Both front and rear have a 30mm internal width, but give very different ride characteristics.

The 1200 range uses a 30mm inner width, like previous generations, but now is a few mm shallower to offer more vertical compliance, with slightly different versions on each model. DT actually uses a mix of rims across the range. For example, the front Enduro rim is the same as the rear trail version.  With the EXC, the rear rim is designed to be significantly stiffer than the front, yet still aims to offer enough compliance to maintain grip and a level of feel above previous versions.

Now, all of this looks and sounds great, but let’s go to the elephant in the room — the price. At £2,349.98 for the set, these are stratospherically expensive. price-wise at the very top of the tree. Nothing comes close for enduro use; in fact, the only thing close are scary light XC race wheels from Syncros or Princeton. Obviously, the cutting edge of kit has never been cheap, and these offer some genuine improvements, but still, it’s a hard cost to justify.

The new rim retains the 30mm internal width, but is now lighter and much more compliant.

Performance

The first thing I do with wheels once I’ve weighed them is to fit tyres, and this was as straightforward as I’ve come to expect from a DT Swiss wheel. They came taped and supplied with valves – that aren’t as flashy as options from the likes of Peatys or Reserve –  but worked fine, and they come with valve caps that double up as core removers. My test tyres were Schwalbe’s Tacky Chan on the front and a Wicked Will for the rear, and they seated easily with no tubeless charger pumps or air lines, and held air through testing with zero issues.

I’ve been lucky to use the earlier versions of DT’s carbon enduro wheels, and the first thing I noticed between them is how much lighter they felt in my hands. Weight on an enduro bike isn’t as crucial as it would be on something XC-biased, but still, they are impressively svelte.

The EXC 1200 rims feature a new carbon lay-up with different ride characteristics front and rear.

Combined with well-tensioned spokes, that light feeling gave the EXC wheels a sprightly feel, even with decent grippy rubber fitted. They have a light but solid touch, not in the nervous, twitchy way you sometimes get from a super-light kit, but more of an effortless improvement in acceleration and direction changes.

I think the use of different front and rear rims helps enormously here. As with other high-end wheels like the Crankbrothers Synthesis we have tested before, a softer, more compliant front paired with a stiffer, stronger rear makes a lot of sense and makes for a fantastic set of wheels for attacking sections, whether that’s between the tapes or just trying to outdo your mates. Though DT doesn’t use different widths in the same way Crankbrothers does, the various shapes and layouts make a noticeable difference, more so than just the drop in grams.

The DT 180 rear hub is an improved version of its popular freehub, boasting a faster engagement.

This was most noticeable on square-edges and off-cambers, where they held a line much better than previous versions. I never thought the originals were too stiff until I fitted these. It’s a subtle but noticeable difference that gives a lighter, better, damped feel. Whether or not that justifies the high ticket price is open to debate, but they do at least offer a genuine improvement in grip levels and feel on the front end.

Pick-up under load is excellent, as you’d expect from the low engagement hub paired with a light, stiff wheel. Longevity claims are hard to quantify in the few months I had the wheels, but given my previous experience with DT hubs, and the fact that the ratchet is bigger and spreads the load across a larger area, bodes well for long-term abuse.

Whether or not a high-engagement hub works well for you depends on your rear suspension set-up, as some are more prone to pedal feedback than others, though that can be mitigated by using a device like an Ochain or Rimpact spider. I was lucky enough to do most of my testing on a Yeti SB160, which felt like the perfect bike for wheels of this calibre. The rapid pick-up combined with lower weight made a significant difference to how the bike felt, and not only when pointing uphill, but more so when I really pushed the bike in and out of corners and transitions.

As a resident of Sheffield, I do most of my riding in the Peaks, or places like Wharncliffe Woods, so I had plenty of chances to test out how well they track on janky, rocky terrain, too. They work well in corners and on smoother terrain, but excel the rougher it gets, even with my less-than-perfect line choices. Again, it’s not a night-and-day difference, but with back-to-back testing, there’s a definite improvement in front-end grip and tracking despite using the same tyres and pressure set-ups on both.