The new PR1400 Dicut Oxic wheels are designed to meet the demands of performance orientated riders. For DT Swiss, it’s not longer enough to just produce a lightweight wheel. They want riders to have superb handling, pin-point accurate braking and exceptional quality. Find all the information below:

Das PR 1400 DICUT OXiC soll nicht nur den Ansprüchen an ein Hochleistungs-Aluminium-Laufrad gerecht werden, sondern eine neue Benchmark setzen.
The PR 1400 Dicut Oxic is supposed to deliver excellent performance in a package that pushes the boundaries of what you would expect of an alloy wheelset.

With the new DT Swiss PR 1400 Dicut joining the new Performance Series, DT Swiss claims to deliver a high amount of efficiency to the rider – Just what you need when chasing your buddies up epic mountain roads and flicking through tight corners in the descents, all while enjoying the simple fact of riding a bike.

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Technology

The Dt Swiss PR1400 Dicut are the first wheels to be given the new Oxic coating. Oxic is the name given to a proprietary process in which a durable ceramic coating is electrochemically applied to the rim surface, making it extremely hard and wear resistant.

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This process results in a sleek matte black finish when applied to a braking track. It is supposed to offer greatly superior, quiet, all weather braking performance while reducing wear on the rim to the absolute minimum, only using the abrasion of the specific brake pads.

Die neuen DT Swiss PR 1400 sollen jedem Fahrer eine gute Performance bieten.
The Performance Series is supposed to deliver high efficiency for the every-day rider.

The Oxic Process

The ceramic layer of the Oxic brake surface on the new PR1400 is achieved similarly to anodizing, by submerging the rim in an electrolyte solution while applying an electrical tension between the rim and the container. The decisive difference between anodizing and the Oxic process lies in the millions of plasma discharges that occur between the electrolyte and the rim, applying high temperature and pressure on the developing oxide layer.

Die OXiC-Schicht ist optisch zurückhaltend.
The Oxic layer on the DT Swiss PR1400 delivers stealthy looks.

As a result, the developing oxide layer melts, flows and solidifies again. During this process the microscopic structure of the oxide crystallizes as it cools. This is what makes it so hard and wear resistant. This crystalline oxide layer has far better adhesion to the aluminum than traditional anodised coatings. It also performs better when adhering to complex shapes, ensuring an even and consistent coating. Meanwhile, the Oxic coating process uses no volatile organic compounds or heavy metals, making it a very environmentally friendly technology.

Die OXiC-Oberfläche zeigt sich sehr gleichmäßig und edel.
Due to the melting oxide layer, the coating is supposed to be even and consistent, resulting in a sleek look.
Das PR 1400 DICUT OXiC soll nicht nur den Ansprüchen an ein Hochleistungs-Aluminium-Laufrad gerecht werden, sondern eine neue Benchmark setzen.
The DT Swiss PR1400 are supposed to show minimal braking wear even under heavy load.

The new Naming

The PR1400 Dicut Oxic are the first product launched with the new naming concept of DT Swiss. Starting in 2017, all new DT Swiss road wheels will be named in a manner intended to easily show the intended use and price-point of the wheels at first sight. The letters in the product name show the intended use of the wheels. PR stands for Performance Road, wheels marked as PR will therefore by classic lightweight wheelsets for riders who like to go fast on tarmac and who are not scared of serious altitude gains. The numbers in the product name show the quality level of the wheels in a similar manner to our MTB naming. The 1400 quality level includes a welded alloy rim with a Dicut 240S based hub using their renowned Ratchet System technology.

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First Ride: DT Swiss PR 1400 DICUT OXiC

We’ve been testing a set of prototype wheels of the new DT Swiss PR1400 in South Tyrol, the Maratona dles Dolomites and on the varied roads around our hometown, Stuttgart.
While we did experience brake squeaking during the first 200k, the wheels turned out to be great – the braking power is decent and the 1.500g heavy wheelset accelerates quickly and handles well.

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Anders als unser Prototyp bekommt die Serie glänzende Labels.
The final product is going to feature some shiny decals.

Update November 2016: Our conclusion after 1500 km

The latest OXIC wheels from DT Swiss have now rolled over 1,500 km so it’s time for a round-up. After prompting murmurs of admiration when they landed in our office in August, has this Swiss wheelset been able keep up the momentum?

The matt black DT SWISS PR 1400 DiCUT OXiC have been met with involuntary encounters with gravel and high mountain passes in France, daily battles with the elements on club and solo rides, plus long-distance jaunts in the Rhine-Main area around Frankfurt. Over the past three months they’ve convinced us of their exceptionally high quality. Aesthetically and technically, the line had already been drawn back in August when we first got on our hands on these fine hoops (first look article can be found here, where we explain the mindset behind the ceramic coating). That initial screech of the brakes on the ceramic-coated aluminium rims was immediately eliminated when we changed the brake pads – but only the bike gods can know if that was the real root of the noise.

The ceramic coating on the braking surface definitely works to their benefit, seeing them perform well in all weather conditions. While there was never a lack of brake bite on long Alpine descents, the lever and caliper combination lacked some sensitivity – especially at speeds of around 70-80 km/h coming down Mont Ventoux and it took some pumping to get them to bite. We never felt out of control, and the general braking performance with the blue SwissStop brake pads works.

For everyday rides, the PR 1400 wheelset has performed dutifully. On a 250 km weekend ride from Frankfurt to Cologne and back, the wheels rode as if on rails. Presumably this stems back to the new Hutchinson Fusion 5 Performance tires, which came on our DT SWISS test wheels. For a set of aluminium wheels, these are satisfyingly light while still managing to retain great rigidity even on slippery autumnal roads. We can see these as the ultimate all-weather training wheels, ones that we can ride all winter safe in the knowledge that they aren’t going to wear out. As we rode into Cologne, a piece of glass slashed the tire, which wasn’t exactly the warm welcome we’d been hoping for but it could have happened to anyone.

For more information, visit the DT Swiss website.


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Words: Photos: Noah Haxel, DT Swiss