Rim Development
The development of modern carbon rims is, above all, a story of continuous evolution.
Lightweight high-end rims are not created simply by using "better carbon." They are the result of years of product development, extensive testing, and increasingly refined carbon layups.
This is where the true progress of modern rim engineering lies.
Early carbon rims were often significantly heavier, despite already using high-quality carbon fibers. The reason was not inferior material quality, but the state of development at the time. Manufacturers relied on larger safety margins, thicker wall sections, and less sophisticated layups because the understanding of load paths, resin systems, and localized stress concentrations had not yet reached today's level.
Iteration Across Generations of T700 and T800 Carbon Rims
With each new generation, engineers gained a deeper understanding of how forces are distributed throughout a rim.
- where material is required,
- which areas need targeted reinforcement,
- and where weight can be reduced without compromising strength or durability.
This continuous refinement is what made modern carbon layups possible.
For many years, T700 carbon fiber formed the foundation of high-quality carbon rims and is still widely used today in structural load-bearing areas. It offers an excellent balance of durability, strength, and manufacturability, making it ideal for robust rim structures designed for long-term reliability.
The introduction of T800 carbon fiber marked the next stage of development. Its higher tensile strength enabled lighter and stiffer rim constructions. Manufacturers were able to reduce wall thicknesses and place material more precisely where it was needed. The result was rims that became lighter while offering greater stiffness and more direct handling.
As an example, a 35 mm deep T800 rim with an internal width of approximately 30 mm can weigh around 350 grams, while the same rim with a 45 mm depth typically weighs around 385 grams.
The greatest advances, however, came not from a single fiber type, but from combining different carbon fibers within carefully engineered and precisely optimized layup designs.
T1000 & T1100 Carbon
Modern high-end carbon rims are no longer built from a single type of carbon fiber. Instead, they consist of dozens of carefully engineered carbon layers.
This is where T1000 carbon comes into play.
T1000 enables exceptionally lightweight constructions while maintaining outstanding stiffness. Its higher mechanical properties allow engineers to reduce material even further without sacrificing structural integrity. As a result, today's lightweight carbon rims achieve remarkably low weights while remaining precise, stiff, and durable enough for everyday riding.
As an example, a 35 mm deep T1000 rim with an internal width of approximately 30 mm can weigh around 320 grams, while the same rim with a 45 mm depth typically weighs around 360 grams.
The Combination Makes the Difference
T1100 carbon is then strategically applied only in areas subjected to the highest loads. It is not used throughout the entire rim, but specifically where maximum strength and structural performance are required.
These areas include:
- Spoke hole sections
- Transitions between the bead hook and the sidewall
- Localized high-stress areas caused by sprinting forces or impact loads
This combination is what defines today's high-end carbon rims.
A durable structural foundation built from proven fibers such as T700, lighter and stiffer sections utilizing T800 or T1000, and targeted T1100 reinforcements at the most critical structural locations allow engineers to optimize strength, stiffness, and weight simultaneously.
As an example, a 35 mm deep rim with an internal width of approximately 30 mm, utilizing strategically placed T1100 carbon, can weigh around 280 grams, while the same rim with a 45 mm depth typically weighs around 320 grams.
The result is the lightest and most technically advanced carbon rims of the current generation.
DT Swiss 240
The DT Swiss 240 EXP hub is built around the same philosophy that has made DT Swiss hubs a benchmark in the world of premium wheelsets: low weight, long-term reliability, and straightforward serviceability.
At the heart of the hub is the Ratchet EXP® freehub system. Unlike conventional freehub designs that rely on small pawls, the DT Swiss Ratchet system uses two large precision-machined ratchet rings that fully engage with one another. This distributes pedaling forces evenly across large contact surfaces, reducing localized stress and significantly minimizing wear. The result is a freehub system that remains exceptionally reliable even under high loads, in adverse weather conditions, and over many thousands of kilometers.
The 36-tooth Ratchet EXP® system provides fast and direct power transfer while simplifying the internal construction. By increasing the distance between the hub bearings and reducing the number of internal components, DT Swiss has created a hub that offers improved stiffness, lower bearing loads, and excellent long-term durability.
The tool-free removable end caps make routine maintenance quick and straightforward, allowing the hub to be serviced whenever necessary.
Like every truly high-quality hub, the DT Swiss 240 EXP hub is designed to last far beyond a single wheelset. Rims may change, spokes may be replaced, and complete wheels may be rebuilt—but the hub remains the reliable foundation for years of riding.
DT Swiss 350
The DT Swiss 350 hub is designed for riders who value reliability above all else. Built for everything from smooth asphalt to demanding gravel roads, it combines proven engineering with straightforward serviceability and long-term durability.
At the heart of the hub is the proven DT Swiss Ratchet System. Unlike conventional freehub designs that rely on small pawls, the Ratchet system uses two large precision-machined ratchet rings that fully engage with one another. This distributes pedaling forces evenly across large contact surfaces, reducing localized stress and significantly minimizing wear. The result is a freehub system that remains exceptionally reliable.
A lightweight axle combined with a precisely machined hub shell keeps overall weight low without compromising strength. The proven 36-tooth Ratchet System delivers fast, direct, and dependable power transfer with every pedal stroke.
The tool-free Plug-In design allows the freehub to be serviced without special tools and makes it easy to convert the hub to different freehub standards, ensuring long-term versatility and compatibility.
Like every high-quality hub, the DT Swiss 350 hub is built to outlast a single wheelset.
Newmen Fade
The NEWMEN FADE hub was developed to meet the increasing demands of modern road and e-road drivetrains. Designed around higher drivetrain loads, it combines low weight with dependable performance.
At the heart of the hub is the 36-tooth FADE freehub system. Unlike ratchet-based freehub systems that rely on two interlocking ratchet rings, the FADE system uses three short, wide pawls. Their optimized tooth profile provides large contact surfaces for efficient load distribution while significantly reducing freehub noise. The result is smooth, reliable power transfer with excellent durability.
A compact hub shell with a minimal body diameter contributes to an aerodynamic wheel design while remaining compatible with the most common freehub standards. This allows the hub to integrate seamlessly into modern road and gravel wheelsets.
High-quality, double-sealed cartridge bearings with a specially formulated lubricant ensure smooth rolling performance, low friction, and long service life.
Built for modern drivetrains and demanding riding conditions, the NEWMEN FADE combines efficient power transfer, quiet operation, and reliable performance in a lightweight package.
The Combination Makes the Difference
Ultimately, what matters is not a single component, but how every component works together and why it was chosen.
That is why our wheelsets are built exclusively with components that represent some of the most advanced engineering available in modern wheel manufacturing today.
Our wheelsets are designed to perform, built to last, and proven over years of continuous development.
Our rims are manufactured using advanced carbon layups that combine T800, T1000, and strategically placed T1100 carbon fibers. This is far more than a material choice it is the result of decades of engineering, prototype development, testing, and increasingly refined layup designs.
Modern lightweight carbon rims are not achieved simply by using higher-grade fibers. They are the product of continuous refinement, precise load management, and carefully optimized carbon structures developed over multiple generations.
That is why today's rims can achieve weights that would have seemed unrealistic only a few years ago, while maintaining the stiffness, strength, and durability expected from a wheelset.
In addition, T1000 enables exceptionally lightweight and highly rigid constructions, while T1100 is strategically applied in areas exposed to the highest loads such as spoke holes, bead seat transitions, and other critical structural zones. It is not a marketing term, but an engineering solution used exactly where it delivers the greatest benefit.
The same philosophy applies to our hubs.
A hub is not designed for a single season. It is the long-term foundation of a wheelset built to be serviced, rebuilt, and ridden for many years.
DT Swiss 240 EXP combines low weight with outstanding reliability. Its proven Ratchet EXP® freehub system uses two large precision-machined ratchet rings instead of conventional pawls. This distributes pedaling forces evenly across large contact surfaces, reducing localized stress and minimizing wear while providing exceptionally reliable power transfer. The simplified EXP design, increased bearing spacing, and tool-free serviceability make it one of the most trusted hub systems in modern wheel building.
DT Swiss 350 follows the same proven engineering philosophy while placing an even greater emphasis on durability and versatility. The robust 36-tooth Ratchet System offers dependable engagement, excellent long-term reliability, and straightforward maintenance, making it a trusted choice for both road and gravel riding.
The NEWMEN FADE takes a different engineering approach. Instead of a ratchet mechanism, its 36-tooth freehub system uses three short, wide pawls with an optimized tooth profile. This design provides large load-bearing contact surfaces, significantly reduces freehub noise, and ensures smooth, reliable power transfer even under the higher torque loads of modern road and e-road drivetrains. Combined with high-quality bearings and an aerodynamic hub shell, it delivers a refined balance of efficiency, durability, and quiet operation.
The result is the same across every hub option: dependable performance, long service life, straightforward maintenance, and a foundation built to support countless kilometers and future wheel builds.
The Spokes
Pillar Wing 20/21 Spokes
Completing the designated "Plus" wheelsets are Pillar Wing 20/21 spokes a spoke that has earned its place among the most respected choices in modern high-end wheel building. Aerodynamically optimized, manufactured to extremely tight tolerances, and engineered for high strength, they also offer 10–15% greater stiffness than conventional bladed spokes.
Here, too, the goal is about selecting every single part for a clear technical reason, ensuring that each component contributes meaningfully to the overall performance, durability, and efficiency of the wheelset.
DT Swiss Spokes
The DT Aerolite is one of DT Swiss's lightest aerodynamic spokes, developed to combine low weight with excellent aerodynamic efficiency. Its bladed profile reduces air resistance, while the butted and precision flat-forged construction provides an outstanding balance of stiffness, durability, and long-term reliability. It is a proven choice for high-performance road wheelsets.
DT Aero Comp
The DT Aero Comp is designed for riders who place equal importance on durability and aerodynamic performance. Its butted, flat-forged construction delivers excellent stiffness and fatigue resistance while maintaining an aerodynamically optimized profile. The result is a spoke that combines dependable performance.
DT Competition Race
The DT Competition Race is designed to combine low weight with excellent durability. Its butted construction features an especially thin center section, reducing rotational mass while maintaining the strength required for demanding road and gravel applications. The result is a spoke that offers an excellent balance of responsiveness, reliability, and long-term performance.
DT Revolution
The DT Revolution is the lightest round spoke in the DT Swiss lineup, developed for wheelsets where minimizing weight is a priority. Its butted construction with an extremely thin center section reduces weight while retaining the strength needed for everyday use.
The Result
This is what ultimately defines a truly modern high-end wheelset.
A carefully engineered system in which every single part has been selected for a technical reason.
Our wheelsets combine advanced carbon rim technology, premium hub systems, and high-performance spokes into a package that is precise, lightweight, durable, and built to perform for years to come.
Behind every component lies genuine engineering. From the continuous development of modern carbon rim construction, to the proven precision of DT Swiss, the engineering of the NEWMEN FADE hub system, and the manufacturing quality of Pillar Wing 20/21 spokes, every part has been chosen because it contributes to the overall performance of the wheelset.
The result is a wheelset designed around engineering principles. Every CARL'Z wheelset is hand-built in Germany with meticulous attention to detail, ensuring that every component performs exactly as intended.
Our wheelsets are built for riders who value engineering as much as performance. Riders who appreciate that exceptional products are not defined by individual components alone, but by how those components work together as one complete system.
That is what makes a CARL'Z wheelset exceptional.
CARL´Z
Wheelsets handcrafted in Germany.