Where Spokes & Wheels Are Made - Inside The DT Swiss Factory
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- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
- Thanks to DT Swiss for inviting us to their factory. All opinions are the presenter's own.
Simon has a very special day at the DT Swiss factory, based in, you guessed it, Switzerland. He gets to understand how spokes are made and how their world famous wheels are tested & built.
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Let us know what you think of Si’s guided tour of the DT Swiss factory in the comments below
Simon gets to see technology that is exclusive to DT Swiss as well as handling a hot spoke, yep, a hot spoke. Some things however, remain a secret close to DT Swiss, there is a reason they’ve been in existence for so long
Wheels are tested for both impact as well as imitation of surfaces to ensure that they are perfect for consumers. Oh, and how about those ratchet freehubs, got to love them.
Strain gauges can be attached to prototype and development wheels so that they can be assessed and refined before going into production, the gauges look very cool.
Simon finally gets to check out where the wheels are built for sponsored riders/teams, he also built a wheel himself here is the video for that gcn.eu/BuildWheel
Photos: © Bettiniphoto / www.bettiniphot... & ©Tim De Waele / www.tdwsport.com
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Leave us a comment below!
The Swiss always produce quality.
Guys, this kind of videos are really really entertaining. Keep them coming! And thanks you and DT Swiss for the insight!
Thanks Mauricio. You re welcome.
Why did you blur the name of the spoke machine?
i wanted to buy one to make my own spokes :(
I have DT double butted on wheels going back 20 years and they still look as new,like day they were laced. In saying that my pilar bladed spokes are looking good after several years. Spokes at the upper end are much for muchness now i don't get the top Secret thing. DT have the name and well cashed individuals will buy their product over any competitors.
wheel say: *wrench my nipples!*
www.amba.de/en/all-in-one-spoke-making-machines
No endorse
@@yogibintantourguide But they didnt make a good job bluuring the logo hahahhahahha
Enjoyed watching the process .
Thanks Matthew!
would be curious to see the script for this video. how many times did it say "Simon nods with a look on his face that signifies that he understands", i am about 7 minutes in and at least twice he hasn't managed to pull off the "he understands" bit.
ps. really enjoying the factory tour videos.
And you, Mr Black Hand; you sir hereby receive UA-cam's Snark Of The Week comment. Its on-point directness as well as well as the troubling imagery it creates in the end truly exemplifies what keeps us all engaged and is an important part of what UA-cam's all about... kudos.
?
Its know in the trade as a "Noddy".
Check out news prog's do it lots, often shot after the interview.
For the curious - the EX471 in the back is THE famous wheel Aaaron Gwin finished a downhill race in Leogang a couple of years ago. It survived multiple drops, jumps and rock sections.
Yes, thats true.
Discovery channel, how it's made, gcn edition!
Really interesting insight, thanx gcn & dt swiss!
Thanks Perry! Glad to hear you enjoyed it.
Tommy Hilfiger DT Swiss shirts.. bring up that swagger on that staff clothing
Been using DT Swiss 240 since 2000. Best hubs on the market along with Hope. Ive used everything else and only Shimano comes in 3rd.
Thanks man- highly appreciated. Keep it up!
@@dtswiss Where are your hubs made?
@@tbrowniscool isnt it in taiwan ?
I dont mean to be so offtopic but does anyone know a trick to get back into an instagram account?
I somehow forgot my login password. I appreciate any help you can give me!
@Trent Rylan Instablaster =)
Just of interest, the wire DT use is manufactured by Sandvik in Sweden and is superb quality (the best really). All the major European manufacturers use the same wire (Sapim and Alpina). The real challenge for DT is quality control and manufacturing consistency, so as to maintain their reputation, and for which they don't seem to be doing too badly.
Sandvik Sweden is the Swiss of the North, amazing engineering quality. Unfortunately they are increasingly selling stainless from the East of marginal (or even terrible) quality, under their name. Their accuracy of manufacture was above and beyond what was required, and I fear this knowledge will be lost to humanity if we keep focusing on the dollar only. Good to see DT Swiss has survived so long and not trying to compete with bottom end prices.
Very nice. I have been buying DT spokes for 45 years. Still love them. Thanks for a look in the factory.
Thanks James! Highly appreciated.
As a wheel builder myself I found this to be very cool. Thanks.
thx!
I'm curious about the reason for blurring www.amba.ac logo from machine at 3:07.
so am i...Its a machine tool, not classified information...
Plausible, but then it doesn't explain why Zwick, the manufacturer of the spoke tensile strength tester
amba.de
Please more of such videos! This was really great inside into DT Swiss. Thank you!
Thanks Joachim. Great to hear you enjoyed it!
That dude's t-shirt is solid gold: work-ride balance.
And All of a sudden I feel it's time to service my newly build wheelset with DT spokes and rims
This is a must watch for those who appreciate excellence in bike componentry.
Thx! Highly appreciated.
the sound of these former Hügi free-wheels is unmatched :-)
1:45 Can that wire make it less than 80 days?
Pau Costa Graell hi
Ah Si you missed a golden opportunity for a pun. You should have introduced Alex Schmitt as DT Swiss's spokesperson :D
Founded 1634 to make wire for chain mail armor. Wow.
Just bought 2 sets of DT Swiss MTB & Gravel and they were the easiest wheels to set up tubeless I have ever dealt with! And their toolless convertible hubs should have been featured more also. They're so easy to go from boost to non-boost, or TA to QR....or whatever conversion you want. Amazing wheels👍
I want to see how the Chinese mass build wheels for the masses... Do they still hand tension them or somehow have a machine that tightens all the spokes at once...? Do they have people hand weaving the spokes into wheels...? Think about the massive quantities to supply all the bicyles...
ZiggZagg11 unless you are buying high emd wheels, they will pretty much always be machine laced and tensioned
If you get something around $2000 and up, the company will hand lace them. Most of the wheels that are hand laced are done with the help of a computer rather than a master wheel doing it by their experience.
ZiggZagg11 I suspect Yoeleo hand tensions their spokes as a wheel order takes 30 to 50 days to complete
@mayalman I agree, a superb wheelset for less than 600
they are made exact in the same way and with the same tools as shown here in the video - only at another location and from other people...
I love these videos.
wow so much HepcoMotion MCS aluminium profile in that torture chamber, it's heavenly!
I'm surprised that Si didn't bother to make a big deal about DT Swiss using WD40 in their factory labs 19:34 and try to say that its better than normal bike oil.
The guy Alex, especially at the end, looks like a younger version of Matt !
I have always wondered about how DT Swiss continues to crank out top performance. That ratchet sound is the sound of bliss! Thanks GCN and DT Swiss for sharing!
Thanks Adrian, highly appreciated.
is this where all the failed EXP ratchet hubs were made?
I like that gcn tshirt on Si
0:36 I thought he is meeting with himself.
5:55 lol I was SO confused about the spokes flying out
Make this company "tick"....see what you did there :)
This is amazing stuff, very interesting
the guy said like a spaghetti.... funny enough there's a pasta that you made by rolling it with bicycle spoke :D
1:10 Whoa! Did he open that door with his thumb print?? How cool is that?!
he holsd a red chip in his hand
Yeah - at 7:37 you see it again. Should have waited to watch the whole video first!
A great video..!! Luv to see more.. Keep up the gud work GCN!!
And the wire came from China!
I wish I could buy dt swiss apparel somewhere because I love their logo and colors
Good job Simon, really..
DT Swiss's spoke blackening process is probably nothing more than the Black Oxide process. From my understanding of the process, the spokes are dipped in a alkaline cleaning solution, rinsed in water, dipped in caustic soda (also called Lye, which is what actually blackens the metal by forming a layer of black oxide. It is then dipped in a sealant (usually oil) to 'lock in' the colour.
The same process is used to blacken many types of screws, a good example being socket head cap screws. this is also the process that makes guns black.
Yep.
A Spaghetti
3:27
SirBlot I should have done the same thing...
Shpagetti!
noname here Schpagettie
Thats how Swiss People say Spaghetti
ptrck flkgr Pretty important!
This is a wheelie good video, and I'm happy to see Si as DT's new spokes-person. See what I did there?
God I love a good pun, but you should have just left it open. Do you know what I mean?
You are punishing me guys.
Also the talk about wheel world testing 😁
How heavy is that?
150 or some... weight
They need a presenter with engineering knowledge who can actually converse with these guys while helping to lead the conversation to help explain the processes and possibly highlight some unique features.
4:26 we have a secret area where we stretch and hammer our spoke....🤔 Employee perks?
Hello guys, excellent video and teaching, I would like to have a set of these wheels but for me it is very expensive, I do not have enough money to buy cheap ones, could you help me get a pair? I live in Costa Rica.
🙌🙌🙌🙏🙏🙏
I'm look at my rims and thinking about all the process Thank you from Pacific northwest
Thanks Kelving, highly appreciated. Greetings from Switzerland
7:53 torture chamber in German accent sounds extra evil.
I using dt swiss 180 carbon ceramic.Very ımpresive.I offer every one
Holy shit. I love Industry Nine, but you can't argue with 1634. That is hard to believe.
Q: How do you known this video is not from American? 1) This company is actually making stuff people want to buy. 2) The people in this video can actually speak English. 3) Not everyone in the video is a fat slob.
I guess you guys never heard about Alpina Raggi SPA since 1926, world's top spokes and wheels manufacturer.
If you compare it with SRAMs production in Taiwan, you know why you by Swiss and Europe, aside from the transport costs and emissions. And DTswiss has a awesome, leading crash replacement policy for 10 years for MTB wheels.
Got DT Swiss wheels (PR1600) and got that tingling noise for about 3500 km until the wheel probably settled itself..
Yeah this is why the quality is so high.
Is that a new Cayo? At the end of the show?
Most of DT Swiss product line, basically 100% of their alloy rims and all their forged/casted products are made by Giant in Taiwan
I wish I could have a Shimano groupset for my mountain bicycle.. They do not sell Shimano parts in Yemen where I live.
Christ, what was in that coffee you were giving him, Si?! That was possibly the most chilled out human on the planet!!
Loving the signed Shaun Palmer t-shirt in the background @ 18 minutes
This company its fucking professional .Real pleasure to run great bike in the Swiss Alps .Aaaahhhhh i love it !
3.51 why is the sign blurred out? Again at 16.00
Mad props for the work race balance shirt the production manager is wearing. Love the factory tours.
My dt Swiss wheels have got the worst engagement of any wheels ever. Not really acceptable from a decent company like this and on my 3k bike
Didn't know Vettel's little brother was testing/prototype manager for DT swiss
freehub sound please
At 1:20 ... I (and my nearly cut off finger) would like to see bladed spokes banned except in a TT. If the UCI is going to keep disc brakes out, bladed spokes are a bit more dangerous.
This comment is mainly pointing out the absurdity of the ban on disc brakes; however, I did have a bladed spoke shatter the bone in my left index finger and remove a centimeter of extensor tendon that had to be grafted back together. It happened on May 6th, 2017, and I still don't quite have full use of my finger yet... or even my whole hand since I lost strength overall while it was out of commission.
when the extent of the injury you suffered, i doubt that the spoke being bladed or not would have made a difference
its not about if the spokes are bladed or not, its about momentum, you will have the same outcome even if the spokes are not bladed.
It was a crash where we were in a 38 mile road race with a mile of gravel, and several women couldn't control their bikes and got squirrely. I was avoiding each of them when finally one crashed in front of, but off to the side of me by a little more than a car width. Her bike spit out from under her spinning in front of me, then it hit something and pirouetted up tumbling with the wheel at my head level flying sideways. As it came down, it caught my hand on my hood and my fingers. My bike was pulled out from under me to the side. I flew through the air at 26mph into a tuck-and-roll move. When I came up the only damage I had was my fingers, and my first knuckle was up and back from where it should be.
It was a complete freak accident, and I don't think anything like that would happen again. I was poking fun at the disc controversy.... stuff happens, and bike racing is dangerous. But I'll keep doing it. :)
Laura Vance makes me think about my bladed spokes
my black DT Swiss spokes just became a little more interesting (to me anyway). Really cool video, Love these factory tours.
Thanks man! Great to hear you enjoyed the video! Greetings from Switzerland
I like DT SWISS wheels and hubs.
I love the DT Swiss Freehub.
Hey GCN, I recommend you doing a video on the carbon fiber KTM bikes, they seem to be neglected lol
Cartier Pham they make road race bikes
They are very hard to obtain and ktm needs to reach out the GCN. Dt Swiss, poc and all those other brands reached out to them for the videos
Like a shpegetti 3:27
Always loved my Butted DT spokes. Thanks!
Very interseting video, go visit other factory simon!!now!! :D
definetely double wall rims changed the bike world on aluminium era, specially for MTB, but on carbon era why not try single wall again? since carbon is assembly on layers a thicker single wall could do the job while save weight
They could have done a better job hiding the machine logo. If you are curious, it is an AMBA machine: www.amba.de/en/home
I work acros the street from there :D
My LBS told me that dt swiss spokes are being made in China now, at least a portion of the new batches. He had to go with some sapim double butted for my build.
These "how its made" videos are the best. Si is a pro at them!
Fuck the drama, it's a fucking bicycle wheel!
is the matt black bike, Alex rides a Focus Cayo???
Does DT Swiss have monopoly in spoke business?
I don't hear anything else.
There is a Belgian firm Sapim that also makes very good spokes. There are lots of firms in China and India. In my experience Indian made spokes are strong but they are not stainless and will rust if you don't wipe them with oil occasionally (and immediately if you have ridden through monsoon flood water). Last time I bought any DT Swiss or Sapim spokes (which was about 15 years ago) they cost 40 pence each in the UK. Last time I bought some Indian spokes (about 12 years ago) they cost 100 rupees (about UK £1.20 at the time) for a packet of one gross; that is 144 of them, enough to re-spoke both wheels of two bicycles.
I just purchased a set of DT SWISS hoops
Oh thanks to the GCN, I could see the procedure of my wheelset fabrication and the factory environment.
Hope you enjoyed it 👀
Octogon!!! 😂😂😂 Love their professionalism and products ---- their spoke keys could be art ! ----- but check out Sean Hross on UA-cam...you have been warned...!
Where / who manufactures the rims for DT Swiss?
Best wheels ever!!!
Thanks, highly appreciated
Just bought a pair of DT Swiss ER 1400 discut !!! Upgraded the rear 240 hub from a 36t ratchet to 54t ratchet!!!
I wonder if the guys/girls building the wheels make a decent wage. It seems like in this company they're respected, but I feel like here in the US, they would make min wage and be seen as disposable.
3:08 3:48 - the AMBA ENGINEERING WORKS company is not a porno, it's a tooling machinery manufacturer. No need to scramble their logo.
The bounce weight test in the video was done at 40 jules, +-4kg and the flat surface area hitting the spinning wheel is way broader than the wheel. A child bunny-hopping a bmx on flat road, maybe. How about using a rod or or dowel contact point and applying 90+kg or rider weight. I.e. Avg rider hitting pot-hole at speed
20:33, ole Alex there Is packing more than knowledge about DT Swiss products hahaha. Dude looks like me in tights.
www.procyclingstats.com/rider/alex-schmitt
Interesting. Don’t see many safety glasses or ear plugs being worn in the workplace. Guess getting a spoke in the eye or becoming deaf is not a big deal? At least a bike helmet was worn.
I wonder what the hammer is for at 14:25 on the red machine.
i need affordable gravel bike wheels that can handle up to 140kg :( my body weight is 108kg already xD
I have a 2016 Focus Raven max SL with XTR- I upgraded the wheels to XRC 1200 and even upgraded the hub from 36 to 54 tooth hub-- sounds simply beautiful and yes love the XRC 1200 wheels
I hope none of their stuff is actually made in Taiwan, and that the Swiss 'factory' isn't just the prototype headquarters. Surely they'd never mislead us like that?
All automated machines were getting ripped off with all this bike manufacturers pricing shit like it’s a car or the latest tech Gadget
Si should really get his ass over to the university and study some mechanical engineering. That would really suit him, but don't leave GCN mate! ;)