The ultimate wheelset: DT Swiss PRC Mon Chasseral
From issue 88
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Part of DT Swiss’ performance line, the PRC 1100 DICUT 35 Mon Chasseral, is the company’s ultimate racing wheel. Optimized for 25C tires, it is based around a 35mm-deep carbon rim that is 18mm wide internally and 25mm externally. Lacing the rims to DT Swiss 240 hubs are the company’s bladed aerolite spokes. While the PRC 1100 DICUT 35 is already a high-end wheelset, the Mon Chasseral label denotes an even more elite version. It receives upgrades of carbon-shell hubs and SINC ceramic bearings, making the already fantastic 240 hubs a notch above for weight and rolling resistance. A single DT Swiss logo on one end and a Mon Chasseral logo at the other finish off the package to create a sleek, minimally styled set that lets the ride do the talking.
The PRC 1100 Dicut 35 Mon Chasseral, a mouthful though it may be, is an excellent complement to any bike, aero or lightweight. Categorizing it is tricky. With carbon-shell hubs and SINC ceramic bearings that roll effortlessly and endlessly, our wheelset weighed just 1,410 grams, making it one of the lightest clincher sets out there. It is a true asset when climbing and its stiffness makes even the most aerodynamic bike feel livelier uphill. But it also has the aerodynamic characteristics of an all-around wheelset 10mm deeper than its 35mm. So perhaps it is for climbing, but maybe it is better billed as the ultimate all-around set. Here is the unfortunate part: the price tag: $4,353, about $1,000 more than the non-Mon Chasseral edition, is a heart stopping number—even in today’s market of superbikes venturing north of $12,000.
If you have the money, you won’t be disappointed with the performance. But keep in mind that above $2,500, and especially $3,000, the extra performance gained per dollar spent drops precipitously. The same price buys two sets of excellent $2,000-plus wheels. They won’t be as versatile as these, but you could have a 60mm-plus aero set better suited for flat days, and still be able to afford another light, or all-around set. That’s also not the point of this wheelset, though. It is DT Swiss showing the world what it can do and how versatile a single wheelset can be. And it succeeds—just at an otherworldly price. $4,353; 1,410g; dtswiss.com
From issue 88. Buy it here.