All About the New DT Swiss Wheels in Zwift

Today, Zwift released two new wheelsets from DT Swiss: the ARC 1100 DICUT 65 and the ARC 1100 DICUT 85/Disc. The disc wheel is a virtual version of DT Swiss’ latest ARC 1100 DICUT DISC, while the carbon hoops are based on DT Swiss’ latest ARC 1100 DICUT DB (for disc brake) models.

Zwift’s 4-star rating system is a good starting point, but it’s not precise enough for our taste. So we ran these wheels through our standard battery of tests to determine exactly how they perform in Zwift and stack up against other wheelsets in game. And guess what? These wheels are fast.

Let’s dive in and learn all about the performance of these two new wheelsets from DT Swiss…

Aero (Flat/Rolling) Performance

Simply put, both wheelsets deliver best-in-class performance at high speeds, with the 65 being the new fastest non-disc wheelset in Zwift, and the 85/Disc being the new fastest wheelset overall.

The 65 is just a bit slower than the ENVE 8.9 on our flat test, edged out by a half second. But our test’s margin of error is 1 second, and the 65 handily outclimbs the ENVE 8.9. This makes them the fastest non-disc hoops in game, saving 46.2 seconds across an hour of flat riding vs the stock 32mm carbon wheels.

The 85/Disc is 4 seconds faster than the Zipp 858/Disc, formerly the fastest wheels in game. That means the 85/Disc is the new king, shaving 52.5 seconds over an hour vs the stock 32mm carbon hoops.

Comparing the older DT Swiss wheelsets to the new, the 65 is 7 seconds faster on the flats vs the DT Swiss ARC 1100 DICUT 62, while the 85/Disc is 4.3 seconds faster than the DT Swiss ARC 1100 DiCut Disc.

Climb Performance

The 65 handily beats the ENVE 8.9 on our climb test, solidifying its position at the top of the non-disc food chain (at least for now). The 65 gains 11.3 seconds on the ENVE 8.9 across an hour of climbing, and in fact outclimbs the more nimble ENVE 7.8 by 3.4 seconds as well! They aren’t the best climbing wheels in game, but they are the best all-around, non-disc wheels, saving 2.7 seconds across an hour of climbing vs the stock 32mm carbon wheels.

The 85/Disc climbs just a bit slower (0.9 seconds) than its closest competition, the Zipp 858/Disc. Both wheelsets are quite heavy and not intended for climbing races, so it’s no surprise that the 85/Disc loses 20.3 seconds to the stock 32mm carbon hoops across an hour of climbing.

Comparing the older DT Swiss wheelsets to the new, the 65 is 2.7 seconds faster on the climb vs the DTSwiss ARC 1100 DICUT 62, while the 85/Disc is 3 seconds faster. Impressive uphill gains, considering the new wheelsets are deeper than the older ones!

Note: all test results above are from a 75kg, 183cm rider holding 300W steady using the Zwift Carbon frame.

Custom Tires

Astute Zwifters may notice that Zwift has begun placing labels on tires, pairing particular tires with particular wheelsets per the manufacturer’s spec. I think it’s a fun little detail. Here’s what you can see on these new DT Swiss wheels:

The front tire on both wheelsets is the Continental AERO 111, while the rear tire is the Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR (the tubeless-ready version of the ever-popular Grand Prix 5000).

Drop Drop Replacement

These wheels effectively replace the previous DT Swiss ARC wheels in the Drop Shop. (That is, if you already owned the ARC 1100 DICUT 62 or ARC 1100 DICUT DISC wheels before today they’re still in your garage, but if you want to purchase new DT Swiss wheels these older models are no longer available.)

Conclusions

Both of these wheelsets will be immediately popular with Zwift racers, because they both perform better than any other wheel in their class.

The ARC 1100 DICUT 65 will be very popular in rolling races or those where the climbs are short and draftable enough to maintain high speeds.

Remember, disc wheels roll faster when paired with TT frames than with road frames (around ~18 seconds per hour faster on flat ground, based on our tests). That means the ARC 1100 DICUT 85/Disc will be popular with TT racers on flat and rolling courses. You’ll also see road racers using them, but only when the course is quite flat.

These wheelsets will soon be added to the following posts:

• Master Zwift Wheels List (added)
• Zwift Speed Tests: Wheel Ranking Charts (added)
• The Top 10 Wheelsets on Zwift (in progress)
• Fastest Aero Bike Frames and Wheels at Each Zwift Level (in progress)
• Fastest Aero TT Bike Frames and Wheels at Each Zwift Level (in progress)
• Zwift Shopping Guide: What To Buy from the Drop Shop at Each Level (added)
• Speed Tests: Concept Z1 (Tron) Bike vs Top Performers (added)
• Zwift Speed Tests Public Data (Google Sheet) (added)

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