I’m really liking the new 35mm wide wheels that I built for the El Mariachi Ti, and I wasn’t looking to upgrade them until I came across someone on the MMBA Forum selling a set of wheels which included both the 36 point star ratchets and the original 18 point items. I emailed him asking if he’d be willing to sell me just the ratchets separately, and he agreed, sending me both the barely-used ratchets (one race) and the special DT Swiss grease for $60, shipped.
For a while I’ve been interested in high-end-high-engagement hubs, but with the normal retail price for these ratchets at around $89 (without the grease) I wasn’t really willing to pay for it. At this price I was willing to give them a chance. Installation was super easy, as DT Swiss freehubs can be disassembled without tools, or really without even removing the cassette. A bit of cleaning to remove the old grease, some of the, pink Hugi grease was applied, and it was all put back together. Spinning the rear wheel makes a much smoother buzzing sound, the higher engagement is obvious on the work stand, and I’m really looking forward to getting out and trying them on trails.
Now I just hope they don’t spoil me…