Long-term Test: DT Swiss XM 1501 Spline One Wheels
ENDURO longterm-tester Benjamin has been running the DT Swiss XM 1501 Spline One wheelset since February on his Rose Granite Chief – time for a review of the Swiss wheelset.
DT Swiss’s goal when developing the XM 1501 Spline One wheels was to find the perfect balance between price, stiffness and weight, creating the perfect trail- and enduro wheelset. With a weight of only 1580 gramm for the wheelset and an MRSP of €846 (current retail price around €600), the ratio of price and weight is good for sure – but will they withstand the hard demands of everyday use in our long-term test?
The rim has an inner width of 22.5 millimeter and fits well for tires from 2.2″ to 2.4″. The height of the rim is 19.5 millimeter and it comes equipped with tubeless rimtape.
The hub is both adaptable and easy to maintain: Both the driver body and the axle mounts can be changed without any tools. This way, the hub can easily be adapted to all usual axle standards and both 10-speed and 11-speed driver bodies. The tested wheelset was fitted with a 15 millimeter axle in front and 142×12 on the rear wheel.
Of course, the season is not over yet (thanks god!), but after more than 1300 kilometers and over 40,000 meters of descents, we can already say that our initial fears were groundless: The DT Swiss XM 1501 Spline One has not had a single problem! They suffered not even one dent, and are still perfectly true in rotation, we also did not need to re-tension any spokes.
Conclusion
The DT Swiss XM 1501 Spline one wheels were able to withstand our tough long-term test without the slightest problem. You get Swiss precision for a fair price. A true top product for all trail- and enduro riders!