DT Swiss XR 1700 Spline 28 MTB Wheels

The DT Swiss XR 1700 Spline 28 MTB wheels have welded aluminium rims with a 28 mm inner rim width, and are designed for mountain bikers who ride cross-country and trail. It is the wider version of the 1700 series, which DT Swiss has redesigned with asymmetrical rims and lightweight DT Competition Race spokes. You get a front wheel for a 15 mm thru-axle and/or a rear wheel for a 12 mm thru-axle, both with Centerlock for your disc brake rotor.

The question we are asked most often about these wheels is which freehub is fitted to the rear wheel. You can choose between Shimano Micro Spline for Shimano 12-speed, and SRAM XD for SRAM 12-speed; find out which one you need under Compatibility below.

Asymmetrical welded aluminium rim

The rim is made of aluminium, welded and asymmetrical. This ensures that spoke tension is more even on both the left and right sides, making the wheel stronger. The rim is 28 mm wide on the inside, 32 mm on the outside, and 20 mm high, with a hooked profile for tubeless-compatible tyres.

DT Competition Race spokes

The spokes have an extra-thin centre section, making them lighter while also being stiff and durable. The flat aluminium nipples prevent damage to the rim tape, which is important when riding tubeless.

DT Swiss 350 hub with Ratchet System 54 SL

The hub is the tried-and-tested DT Swiss 350 model, in this version featuring the Ratchet System 54 SL. Boost hubs are 15x110 mm at the front and 12x148 mm at the rear – the standard for a stiffer MTB wheel. The rear wheel is available with a Shimano Micro Spline freehub for Shimano 12-speed or with a SRAM XD freehub for SRAM 12-speed; you can choose which one you need when ordering.

Compatible with:

• 29 inch mountain bikes with Boost (110 mm front, 148 mm rear) and 15 mm and 12 mm thru-axles
• Disc brakes with Centerlock, or with 6 bolts using the supplied IS adapter
• Shimano 12-speed cassettes, such as the Shimano Deore CS-M6200, on the Micro Spline rear wheel
• SRAM XD cassettes on the XD rear wheel
• E-MTBs up to 32 km/h or 250 W

Sizes and mountings as specified by DT Swiss.

Not compatible with:

• Bike frames with 100 x 15 mm or 142 x 12 mm – these are not Boost sizes
• Shimano HG cassettes, including the 12-speed HG – the wheel only has a Micro Spline or XD freehub
• Rim brakes – this is a disc brake wheel
• 6-bolt disc brakes without the supplied adapter

Not sure? Here’s how to check:

Check your current cassette to see which mount fits – you can recognise Micro Spline by the narrow, much finer ratio on the freehub, and XD by the smallest 10-tooth sprocket. Measure the width of your hub between the frame ends: 110 mm at the front and 148 mm at the rear means Boost. If you are not sure, check the hub spacing width in your frame’s specifications.

Included as standard:

• Front wheel and/or rear wheel with the freehub of your choice
• 29 mm rim tape, already fitted to the rim(s)
• Tubeless valve(s) in aluminium/black
• IS 6-bolt MTB adapter for your 6-bolt disc brake rotor

Not included, but required or useful:

• Tyres – discover our MTB tyres
• Disc brake rotors – discover our disc brake rotors
• A cassette, such as the Shimano Deore CS-M6200 for Micro Spline
• Tubeless sealant for your tyres
• Thru-axles and quick-release skewers
• A wheel bag for safe and easy transport

How to fit the DT Swiss XR 1700 Spline 28 wheel:

You will need a cassette removal tool, a Torque wrench, a bottom bracket tool for the front wheel, and a tubeless pump. And, of course, you will need time.

1. Fit your disc brake rotor: Place the Centerlock rotor onto the hub and tighten the lockring to 40 Nm. For a 6-bolt disc, first fit it onto the supplied IS adapter, then also tighten the lockring to 40 Nm. The front wheel with a 15 mm thru-axle requires a lockring with external ratios and a bottom bracket tool; the rear wheel with a 12 mm thru-axle often fits with a lockring with internal ratios and a cassette tool.
2. Fit your cassette: Slide the cassette onto the Micro Spline or XD freehub and tighten the lockring. For a Shimano Micro Spline cassette, this is 30 to 50 Nm; for an SRAM XD cassette.
3. Fit the tubeless valve and tyre: The 29 mm rim tape is already on the rim, so you must only fit the tubeless valve and mount your tyre with sealant. You can, of course, also fit an inner tube.
4. Fit the wheel to your frame: Slide the front wheel between the fork legs and the rear wheel into the bike frame, and secure them using the thru-axles on your frame and fork.

If you are working with a new disc brake rotor, put on clean gloves, then clean the rotor with brake cleaner. Fit the rotor – the DT Swiss manual and the Shimano dealer’s manual list all the torque settings. Work carefully, and use tutorials or step-by-step instructions to make sure you do it correctly because an incorrectly fitted wheel can cause you to fall.

• Check the amount and quality of the sealant in your tyres a few times a year, as sealant dries out over time.
• The 29 mm rim tape is already fitted to the rim(s). If you should ever need new rim tape, choose the same width again.
• If you go for tubeless use, inflate your tyres with a tubeless pump – this will seat the tyre on the rim in one powerful go.