DT Swiss 240 2020 + Rear Black Hub
The DT Swiss 240 is the hub most of the pro peloton rides without knowing it, because the 240 lives inside so many branded wheelsets. Buy the 240 bare and lace it to a rim of your choosing and you get the same hub with none of the markup. This page covers the 2020-and-later DT Swiss 240 2020 + Rear Black Hub, which is the Ratchet EXP generation of the 240: one ratchet fixed in the hubshell, one sliding, a single spring, and a bigger bearing where the old 240 had a small one.
We build a lot of DT 240 wheels. Road, gravel, cross-country, trail; the 240 is the hub we suggest when a customer wants something light that will still be running smoothly in ten years. The 240 comes from the factory in Switzerland and Poland, and the tolerances show the moment you spin one in your hand.
Like every hub we sell, the 240 is only available here as part of a wheel we build. Pick the rim, spokes and nipples in the configurator and the 240 wheel ships from Georgia laced, tensioned and trued.
Design and construction
Ratchet EXP is the refinement of the Ratchet System it has used for decades. The classic 240 used two floating ratchets and two springs; the EXP 240 threads one ratchet into the hubshell so it cannot move, and lets the other slide on a single spring. That freed up room for a larger freehub bearing, moved it closer to the axle end where the load is, and made the whole 240 assembly stiffer. Both ratchets still engage every tooth at once, which is why a DT freehub spreads a hard pedal stroke over the full ring instead of hanging on a couple of pawls.
The DT 240 ships with 36-tooth ratchets for ten degrees of engagement, and the 54-tooth set drops into the 240 by hand if you want under seven. The 240 freehub body pulls off without tools to swap between Shimano HG, SRAM XD or XDR and Micro Spline. The 240 hubshell is machined to a lighter profile than the 350 and rides on sealed cartridge bearings with DT plug-in end caps, so one 240 converts between axle standards with a cap change.
How it rides
A DT 240 is quick and quiet. Engagement is firm without being harsh, the freehub buzz is muted, and the bearings have that slightly viscous, expensive feel when new that settles into near-zero drag after a few hundred miles. On a road wheel the 240 is a large part of why a good handbuilt set feels so much smoother than a factory pair; on a trail wheel it is the freehub that never skips.
The weight saving of a 240 over a 350 is roughly the difference between a good and a very good rim. If you are chasing grams and want the best of the DT mainstream range, the 240 is the one; if you want the same engagement for less, the 350 is on the next page.
Specifications
| Position | Rear |
|---|---|
| Axle options | QR 5x130mm Rear |
| Driver bodies | Shimano HG 8,9,10 & Dynasys MTB 11spd, Shimano HG 8,9,10,11 & Road 12spd (+$30), Campagnolo 9,10,11 & 12spd (+$30), SRAM XD 10,11 & MTB 12spd (+$48), SRAM XDR 10,11 & Road & MTB 12spd (+$60), Shimano Micro Spline 12spd (+$60) |
| Drillings | 24h, 28h |
| Spoke head | J-bend |
| Brake | rim-brake |
| Left flange diameter | 46.3 mm |
| Right flange diameter | 50.4 mm |
| Left center-to-flange | 33.7 mm |
| Right center-to-flange | 16.6 mm |
| Spoke hole diameter | 2.4 mm |
| Weight | 220g |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Finishes | black |
About this listing
What sets this listing apart from the other 240 versions: rim-brake rotor mount, QR 5x130mm, 24h, 28h drilling, about 220g, in black. Pick the one that matches your frame and rotor and the rest of the hub is identical.
This is the rim-brake 240, with no rotor mount at all: a lighter, simpler shell for road, track and classic frames that stop on the rim. It builds into the lightest wheel the model can make and it is the version to choose for a rim-brake bike; the disc versions of the same hub have their own listings.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The DT Swiss 240 2020 + Rear Black Hub is offered in the drillings listed on this page, with the axle and rotor options shown in the configurator: centerlock, 6-bolt or rim brake, in road, standard MTB and Boost spacing. The 240 takes J-bend spokes in any gauge we stock. A rear DT 240 covers HG, XD, XDR and Micro Spline freehubs.
We pair the 240 with everything from DT RR and XM rims to ENVE, Reserve, HED, Nox and We Are One carbon. The configurator recommends a spoke count from your bike type and weight and only shows rims that match the drilling you choose.
Build a wheel around it
Offered for road rim brake, touring and mountain bike builds in our Custom Wheel Program. Start with the DT Swiss 240 2020 + Rear Black Hub and the configurator pins it for you, then checks each choice you make against it.
Testing, standards and warranty at DT Swiss
DT Swiss hubs pass through the same Performance Test Center in Biel as its rims. DT Swiss states that its laboratory tests replicate what products endure in the field over the whole product life cycle, under an internal factory standard that ensures compliance with ISO 4210. Hub-relevant methods are the drum test, in which a wheel loaded to its permissible system weight spins on an obstacle-studded steel drum for a specified mileage, and a brake and drive torque test in which cyclic braking and driving torques are applied to the hub while the wheel is locked or driven at constant speed. DT Swiss publishes no bearing-life, salt-spray or water-ingress figures.
the torque test also verifies "the freewheel functionality and durability". DT Swiss states that Ratchet EXP is 15% stiffer and gives longer bearing life through its increased bearing distance, and that Ratchet DEG uses larger steel ratchets to spread load over a larger contact surface. Ratchet EXP units built since 2019 with a 0 or 9 in the middle of the production code are covered by a free-inspection notice for premature ratchet wear.
DT Swiss's videos
From DT Swiss
Certifications
- ISO 4210 / ASTM F 2043 — DT Swiss states its internal factory standard 'ensures compliance with the current international standards (e.g. ISO 4210)' and sets test parameters by ASTM F 2043 riding conditions (self-declared, no certificate published) (source)
- Warranty — 24 months legal warranty against material and manufacturing defects; ball bearings are wear parts and excluded (source)
- Service interval — Clean and re-grease every 12 months (normal use) or every 3 months (extreme conditions) (source)
Sources on DT Swiss's site:
- Performance test center | DT Swiss
- Ratchet EXP maintenance notice | DT Swiss
- FAQ | DT Swiss
- Warranty & Fair-Share | DT Swiss
- Ratchet EXP | DT Swiss
Everything in this section is published by DT Swiss. ProWheelBuilder is the wheel builder, not the tester, and the hub reaches us as the maker ships it.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
DT manufactures the 240; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia and not the manufacturer. Every DT 240 wheel we build is laced by hand, brought up in stages with a tensiometer, stress-relieved and trued before it ships, with spokes cut from the measured ERD of the rim rather than a catalog number.
The configurator prices the wheel live, strikes through combinations that are not made, and shows the estimated ship date before checkout.
Warranty
DT Swiss's warranty. DT Swiss covers its products against material and manufacturing defects for 24 months from purchase, excluding wear parts such as bearings and tubeless tape. Carbon rims and carbon wheels bought new since 1 January 2020 carry an extended guarantee to the first owner against defects in material and workmanship, and DT Swiss runs a paid crash-replacement scheme on carbon wheels for up to ten years from purchase.
ProWheelBuilder. Wheels we build around this part are covered by our own one-year warranty alongside the maker's. Within the year: broken spokes replaced regardless of cause, and the labor on the wheel - truing, re-tensioning or a complete rebuild - included. A manufacturer-covered rim or hub failure is a claim we make and manage for you; one they will not cover is answered with an eligible replacement at 25% off retail. Shipping each way is yours. Parts you supply yourself fall outside it.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
240 2020 + Rear Black Hub questions
Can I use this hub with disc brakes?
No - this is the rim-brake version and it has no rotor mount at all, which is exactly why it is lighter and simpler. It is the one for a rim-brake road, track or classic frame. A disc frame needs one of the disc versions of this hub, which are listed separately.
What changed with Ratchet EXP on the 240?
One ratchet is now fixed in the hubshell and one slides on a single spring, which allowed a bigger freehub bearing closer to the load and a stiffer axle. Engagement on the 240 EXP is still all teeth at once.
Can I fit the 54-tooth ratchet to a 240?
Yes. The 240 EXP takes the DT 54-tooth EXP ratchet as a drop-in upgrade, no tools required.
Is the 240 worth it over the 350?
If weight matters and the budget allows, yes; the internals are the same but the 240 shell and axle are lighter. If you would rather spend the difference on a better rim, the 350 is the smart choice.
How is the 240 freehub serviced?
Pull the end cap, slide the freehub off, clean and grease the ratchets, reassemble. Ten minutes on the kitchen table.
Which axle spacing does it fit?
QR 5x130mm Rear. Measure between the inside faces of your dropouts if you are unsure, or text us.
Does it need special spokes?
No. It takes standard J-bend spokes, which the configurator offers in every gauge and finish we stock.
Not sure? Text or leave a voicemail on 470-253-0929 or email info@prowheelbuilder.com — you will be talking to the people who build the wheels.
