DT Swiss M 502 Disc Brake Rim
The DT Swiss M 502 is the rim we recommend when a customer wants a wide, tough alloy trail wheel without paying for DT Swiss's top-tier extrusions. The M 502 has a 30mm inner width for the 2.3 to 2.6in tires most trail bikes run today, a sleeved joint, stainless eyelets under every nipple and a tubeless-ready bead. It blends performance and value in the way DT Swiss does best: sensible weight, proven construction, no surprises.
This page covers the DT Swiss M 502 Disc Brake Rim in 29in, 27.5in. The M 502 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 M 502 from its high-performance aluminum alloy and joins it with a precision sleeve. Unlike the M 462 and the top-end rims, the M 502 uses traditional stainless eyelets at the spoke holes, which spread nipple load and make the rim forgiving of the very high tensions a wide trail wheel wants. The 30mm inner width gives a 2.4 to 2.6in tire a square, supportive sidewall shape at low pressure.
The M 502 bead is DT Swiss's tubeless profile and seals with 32mm tape and the wide-base DT valve. Standard nipples, no proprietary washers. The spoke holes are angled to the wheel's dish, which is why an M 502 builds up round and true with even tension.
How it rides
An M 502 wheel feels wide and secure. The 30mm bed lets you run a big tire soft without it rolling in corners, and the eyeleted, sleeved rim takes rock strikes without complaint. It is not the lightest alloy trail rim, and a fast cross-country rider may prefer the M 462; a trail or all-mountain rider on a 2.5in tire will not miss the grams.
We build a lot of M 502 wheels for riders replacing a dented stock rim who want something wider and tougher without changing hubs.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 29in, 27.5in |
|---|---|
| ERD | 602 (29in), 564 (27.5in) |
| Inner width | 30 mm |
| Depth | 19 mm |
| Drillings | 32h |
| Weight | 570g (700c/29in), 535g (650b/27.5in) |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
About this listing
Version notes. 29in, 27.5in, 32h, about 570g, 30mm inside, 19mm deep, disc. The other sizes and brake versions of the M 502 have their own listings; this page is for this one.
The disc version of the M 502 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 M 502 Disc Brake Rim comes in 29in, 27.5in and 32h drilling. It is a disc-brake rim. We build the M 502 on DT 350 and 240 hubs, Hope Pro 5, Industry Nine 1/1 and Hydra, Onyx Vesper, Bitex BX 211 and Chris King MTB hubs, usually with Sapim Race, D-Light or Competition spokes and brass nipples.
Tire range on the M 502 is 2.3 to 2.6in. Pick your bike type and weight in the configurator and it recommends a spoke count and lacing pattern.
Put it in a custom wheel
Build a custom wheel around the DT Swiss M 502 Disc Brake Rim — the link drops you into our Custom Wheel Program with this rim pinned, ready for you to choose the rest. It is set up for tandem and e-bike, mountain bike, MTB single-speed and fat bike builds.
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.
DT Swiss gives a 24-month defects warranty on all products; first owners of carbon component rims bought after 1 March 2025 receive a lifetime warranty against material and workmanship defects, and under the Fair-Share policy a carbon rim damaged by a riding error is replaced for a fixed contribution for 10 years after purchase. UCI approval is granted to complete wheels: DT Swiss wheels such as the ARC 1100 DICUT 700C 38 SPO (approved 2 May 2024) are on the UCI list, but component rims are not listed individually.
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
DT Swiss publishes those results; ProWheelBuilder builds the rim into a wheel and does not test it in a lab.
Building it at ProWheelBuilder
DT makes the M 502; 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. Built into a wheel by us, this part is covered by our own one-year wheel warranty on top of the maker's. For a year we replace broken spokes whatever caused them, and we cover the labor on the wheel - truing, re-tensioning, a rebuild if it needs one. If a rim or hub fails and its maker covers it, we run that claim for you; if the maker says no, you get an eligible replacement rim or hub at 25% off retail. You pay the shipping each way. Wheels built from parts you send us are excluded.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
M 502 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 M 502 and the M 462?
The M 502 is 30mm wide inside with stainless eyelets and a lower price; the M 462 is 25mm inside, lighter and eyeletless. Pick by tire width first.
What tires fit the M 502?
2.3 to 2.6in. A 2.4 to 2.5in tire is the pairing most of our customers run.
Is the M 502 tubeless?
Yes. It is tubeless-ready with 32mm tape and valves, which we fit on request.
Is the M 502 strong enough for enduro?
For trail and light enduro, yes. For racing enduro or bike park choose the DT E 532 or FR 541.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Yes. DT Swiss lists the M 502 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.
