Sitting at the eastern end of the Jura mountains in Switzerland, Chasseral may not be the most famous climb in cycling, but thanks to the DT Swiss Mon Chasseral wheelset, the road may be getting a few more visitors.
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Chasseral overlooks the town of Biel, the headquarters for DT Swiss, and this new wheelset is a homage to the company employees' favourite climb. Indeed Alex Scmitt, DT Swiss' road marketing manager, told us that much of the development and testing of the new wheels had been done up and down the climb.
The rim has a new resin compound which should improve braking in all conditions
The Mon Chasseral name isn't new to DT Swiss, having a previous life as an aluminium wheelset, but these new wheels are full-carbon. There's plenty to talk about, but of course the two things you're probably most interested in is the weight and price: 1255g per pair and €2798 (approx. £2020 - UK pricing is yet to be announced).
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However DT Swiss is perhaps most excited about how the RC28 Spline Mon Chasseral wheels, to give them their full name, perform going downhill rather than up, with Scmitt saying that the braking surface was the main area of focus when developing the new wheels. The 28mm rims have been brought in line with the rest of the DT Swiss Spline, with a wide 21mm outer and 15mm inner width, but have been given an entirely new resin compound. This compound is apparently more resistant to head and delivers improved braking performance even in wet conditions.
The Mon Chasseral name might not be new, but the entirely redesigned wheel definitely is
DT Swiss is perhaps best known for its hubs and spokes. The Mon Chasseral wheels are built around a Spline 180 hub with ceramic bearings and a full carbon shell, while the front wheel has 20 straight pull spokes and the rear 24 radial spokes.
As with all of DT Swiss' wheels for 2016, the Mon Chasseral wheels will be tubeless ready, with tape and valve included. Only a clincher version will be available at first (although not until 2016), but we're reliably informed that there is a tubular version in the pipeline.
The wheels should land in the UK in 2016
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Henry Robertshaw began his time at Cycling Weekly working with the tech team, writing reviews, buying guides and appearing in videos advising on how to dress for the seasons. He later moved over to the news team, where his work focused on the professional peloton as well as legislation and provision for cycling. He's since moved his career in a new direction, with a role at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
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