TransAm gear: DT wheels and Schwalbe tires

I decided to review these as a set because experience has shown that not all tubeless rims and tires play nicely together. But the 28mm Schwalbe Pro One tires mounted on the DT ERC 1100 DICUT wheels were one of the best combinations I have tried. The tires installed without tools, and seated just with a floor pump – no compressor required.

Wheels:

This was one of the main component choices. Once I decided to go with disc brakes, I then needed a suitable wheelset that would match well with 28mm tires, be tubeless compatible, aerodynamic yet stable, and of course lightweight. DT launched their new endurance model just as I was researching, and it seemed like the perfect fit.

DT partnered with Swiss Side to optimise the shape of the wheel – there is lots of information on the development here. What was particularly of interest to me was the examination of rolling resistance versus aerodynamics. Wider tires will have lower rolling resistance, but more aero drag – for TransAm speeds, what size tires should I be using? The data from DT suggests that with these wheels, below 35km/h (21.9mph) 28mm tires are faster, and above this speed the lower aerodynamic drag of a 25mm tire is better. Which made the 28mm tires a clear choice for my purposes. I settled on running these at 80psi which gives good comfort and grip.

At 47mm deep, the wheels have the potential to be a handful in crosswinds. But the shape is such that I only notice very violent gusts – and even then the torque on the steering is pretty light; I find myself tensing more but all the bike does is twitch slightly and hold it’s line. A nice feature to have when descending in the dark at the end of a long day!

The best accolade I can give to the wheels is that I didn’t notice them. No noise, no fuss, they stayed perfectly true and smooth through over 3000 miles of training and 1000 miles of the race. Aero is hard to judge, but I was out rolling every other TransAm racer I rode with, and the bike was competitive in local time trials too. High-end wheels are a major investment, but with the industry benchmark hubs at the center, and an extremely well engineered rim, along with the peace of mind of the DT brand, these come highly recommended.

Tires:

Schwalbe have been my tires of choice for quite some time, for their combination of speed, grip and durability. The Pro One is their latest road tubeless option, available in 23, 25 and 28mm widths. The DT wheels have an internal width of 19mm – the 28mm Schwalbes measure up at 30mm when mounted. A testament to how well this setup holds air is that I inflated them to 80psi (with Orange Seal sealant inside) before starting the TransAm. Five days and about 1100 miles later I got home and hung the bike up. A month later the tires were still firm to the touch. It was particularly nice to have this sort of air retention on the race when I only had a mini-pump and no time for bike maintenance!

As with the wheels, the best thing I can say is that I never had to think about the tires. When I took the training set off before the race, I was amazed at how little wear was showing after over 3000 miles. The tires feel fast, give a comfortable ride and plenty of grip. The only time I have had trouble (having been using these on several bikes the last couple of years) is with sidewall tears – which any sealant will struggle to seal. And supple sidewalls is what makes the tires ride so nicely; a fair trade-off but perhaps something a little tougher would be good for extended gravel riding. How about a tubeless Durano training tire Schwalbe?

Many thanks to DT and Schwalbe for their support:

http://www.roadrevolution18.dtswiss.com/endurance/

http://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/racing_tires/pro-one