With the advent of Boost hubs, even 29ers are able to blow up rear tire clearance. DT Swiss' 29in XM 1501 Spline One 30 Boost Wheelset takes full advantage of that expanded clearance with a rim width sized for mid-sized tires, a combination that adds traction and cushion in equal measures, further magnifying the innate strengths of wagon wheels.
For all those innate qualities of fast-rolling aggression, big wheels have historically had one big drawback: they tend to get noodly when the mashing gets serious. DT addresses that here in two ways. First, the wide rims are themselves less prone to folding during hard inputs; second, the Boost hub width allows for a stronger spoke braking angle, reducing the flex from braking and pedaling.
The rims themselves are built to take a beating. They're not as light as carbon, but they're also a helluva lot harder to crack on rocks and roll-overs, giving them a distinct advantage over multiple seasons in the kind of terrain that best benefits from mid-sized tires' plush traction. The hubs carry equal appeal, as they center on DT Swiss' classic star ratchet freehub body, long the standard for custom wheel builds.
