DT Swiss EX 511 Disc Brake Rim
The DT Swiss EX 511 is the enduro rim you cannot walk past two race pits without seeing. The factory developed the EX 511 for the fastest riders in the Enduro World Series, and it took the durability and strength-to-weight of the older EX 471 and packed it into a full 30mm inner width for the high-volume tires enduro bikes run now. It is welded, eyeletless and tubeless-ready, and it has been our default alloy enduro rim since it came out.
This page covers the DT Swiss EX 511 Disc Brake Rim in 29in, 27.5in. The EX 511 comes from us only as a finished wheel: pick the hub, spokes and nipples, and we lace, tension and true it by hand in Georgia before it ships.
Design and construction
The factory extrudes the EX 511 from its top enduro alloy and welds the seam, then smooths it, which gives the most precise, strongest joint in the DT aluminum range and a perfectly round bead for tubeless tires. The 30mm inner width supports a 2.4 to 2.6in tire and will take a 2.8in plus tire if your frame allows. The walls are thickened at the bead hook and the spoke bed, and the tubeless bed is optimized so tires seat with a floor pump.
The EX 511 has no eyelets, which saves weight; The factory supplies it for use with its PHR washers, which spread the nipple load in the same way. The spoke holes are angled to the wheel's dish, so the EX 511 builds to high, uniform tension. Standard nipples.
How it rides
An EX 511 wheel is what most enduro riders want: stiff enough to hold a line through a rock garden, tough enough to shrug off the strikes that dent other rims, and light enough that a 29in enduro wheel does not feel like an anchor on the climb. The 30mm bed gives a 2.5in tire a square, supportive shape at low pressure, which is where enduro grip comes from.
If you ride enduro, race enduro or just ride hard trail on big tires, the EX 511 is the alloy rim we recommend first. For park and downhill the FR 541 adds pinch-flat protection; for a lighter trail bike the XM 421 at 25mm is quicker.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 29in, 27.5in |
|---|---|
| ERD | 599 (29in), 561 (27.5in) |
| Inner width | 30 mm |
| Depth | 21 mm |
| Drillings | 32h |
| Weight | 570g (700c/29in), 535g (650b/27.5in) |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Profile | Triangle |
| Spoke bed | 0 |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
About this listing
Version notes. 29in, 27.5in, 32h, about 570g, 30mm inside, 21mm deep, disc. The other sizes and brake versions of the EX 511 have their own listings; this page is for this one.
The disc version of the EX 511 has no brake track, so the sidewall is a plain extrusion that saves a little weight and never wears; it is the one to choose for any disc-brake frame. The rim-brake version, listed separately, has a machined sidewall.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The DT Swiss EX 511 Disc Brake Rim comes in 29in, 27.5in and 32h drilling. It is a disc-brake rim. We build the EX 511 on 350 and 240 hubs, Hope Pro 5, Industry Nine 1/1 and Hydra, Onyx Vesper and Chris King MTB hubs, usually with Sapim Race, D-Light or Competition spokes and brass nipples; Sapim Strong or Alpine on the drive side for e-bikes and heavier riders.
Tire range on the EX 511 is 2.4 to 2.8in. Pick your bike type and weight in the configurator and it recommends a spoke count and lacing pattern.
Build it with us
We build this rim to order. Open the Custom Wheel Program with the DT Swiss Ex 511 Disc Brake Rim already selected and pick the parts around it; it is offered for tandem and e-bike, mountain bike, MTB single-speed and fat bike builds, and the configurator will not let you assemble a combination we would not build.
Spoke head is decided by the hub, not the rim: this rim builds equally well with J-bend or straight-pull spokes, and the configurator only offers the spokes that match the hub you pick.
Testing, standards and warranty at DT Swiss
DT Swiss tests rims as part of complete wheels in its Performance Test Center in Biel. DT Swiss states that test methods and parameters vary with the intended use, the maximum system weight and the ASTM F 2043 riding conditions, and are written into an internal factory standard which "ensures compliance with the current international standards (e.g. ISO 4210)". Published methods include a wheel impact test (with and without tire, monitoring rim buckling, spoke tension and run-out), a drum test in which a wheel loaded to its permissible system weight rolls over obstacles on a steel drum for a set mileage, a lateral stiffness test and a burst pressure test. No impact energies or cycle counts are published.
Each rim page states a maximum system weight and ASTM classification: the R 460 road rim is rated "Max. System weight 110 kg", "ASTM classification 1" and not approved for e-bikes; the RR 481 is rated 130 kg, ASTM classification 2 and "Approved for e-bikes Yes (max. 32Km/h or max. 250W)".
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)
- ASTM classification per rim — R 460: ASTM classification 1, max system weight 110 kg, not e-bike approved; RR 481: ASTM classification 2, max system weight 130 kg, approved for e-bikes (max. 32 km/h or max. 250 W) (source)
- UCI approved wheels — UCI list version 2024.10.02 lists DT Swiss complete wheels, e.g. ARC 1100 DICUT 700C 38 SPO (02.05.2024), GRC 1100/1400 DI 700C CL 30 and CL 50, AR/ER 1600 SP and A/E 1800 SP 700C/650B CL 30, ARC 1100/1400 DI 700C CL 38 (all 13.06.2024); earlier ARC/ERC/PRC/GRC models 2016-2023. Component rims are not listed individually (source)
- Warranty — 24 months legal warranty on all products; lifetime warranty for first owners of carbon component rims bought after 1 March 2025; Fair-Share crash replacement for carbon rims available 10 years after purchase (source)
Sources on DT Swiss's site:
- Performance test center | DT Swiss
- Warranty & Fair-Share | DT Swiss
- Fair-Share Policy & Warranty | DT Swiss
- R 460 | DT Swiss
- RR 481 | DT Swiss
The figures, certificates and media above are DT Swiss's own. ProWheelBuilder does not run these tests; our part is the wheel we build on the rim.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
DT Swiss makes the EX 511; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer. We measure the rim before we cut a spoke, bring the wheel up in three or four rounds with a gauge, stress-relieve it between rounds and true it last, then tape it and fit a valve if you want it tubeless.
Only compatible hubs and spokes appear in the configurator, impossible combinations are struck through rather than hidden, and the price is live.
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. Any wheel we build on this part carries ProWheelBuilder's one-year warranty in addition to the manufacturer's. Broken spokes are replaced for a year whatever the cause, and all wheel-side labor is included - truing, re-tensioning, rebuilding. Where the maker covers a failed rim or hub we handle that claim for you; where they decline, an eligible replacement comes at 25% off current retail. The customer covers shipping in both directions. Components supplied by the customer are not covered.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
EX 511 Disc Brake Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
At 30mm inside this is a trail width, sized around 2.1 to 2.4in tires. That is wide enough to stop a modern trail casing rolling under you in a corner without pushing the tread so flat that it wears down the middle.
What is the difference between the EX 511 and the E 532?
Same 30mm profile. The EX 511 is welded and eyeletless, lighter and stronger at the seam; the E 532 is sleeved with eyelets at a lower price.
What tires fit the EX 511?
2.4 to 2.8in. A 2.5 to 2.6in enduro tire is the pairing most of our customers run.
Is the EX 511 tubeless?
Yes. It is tubeless-ready with an optimized bed that seats with a floor pump; the maker's tape and valves are fitted on request.
Is the EX 511 e-bike rated?
Yes, with the right spokes; it is one of the most common alloy rims under enduro e-bikes. Tell the configurator it is an e-bike and it picks the spoke gauge.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Yes. DT Swiss lists the EX 511 Disc Brake Rim as clincher tubeless compatible; we tape and fit a valve when you choose the tubeless option.
Which spoke count should I choose?
It depends on your weight, terrain and the hub, not the rim alone. The configurator recommends a count from your bike type and rider weight, within the drillings this rim is made in.
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.
