DT Swiss R 500 Disc Brake Rim
The DT Swiss R 500 is the value road disc rim in DT's range: a sleeved aluminum rim with a 20mm-class inner width for 25 to 35mm tires, a tubeless-ready bed and a section a little deeper than the R 460 for stiffness, at a price that leaves room for a good hub. It is the rim we build for road and light-gravel disc wheels on a budget that still want DT's sleeve joint and tubeless bead.
This page covers the DT Swiss R 500 Disc Brake Rim in 700c. The R 500 is not sold bare. You choose the hub and the rest of the build in the configurator, and it ships from our shop in Georgia laced, tensioned and trued by hand.
Design and construction
The factory extrudes the R 470 from its own aluminum alloy and joins it with a precision sleeve, which keeps the seam aligned and gives the rim a long fatigue life. The section is deeper than the R 460 with thicker walls, which is where the 120kg rating and the extra stiffness come from. The 22mm inner width is right for 25 to 35mm tires and works up to 42mm for a light gravel build.
How it rides
An R 500 wheel is solid and sensible: stiff enough for a bigger rider, comfortable with a 30mm tubeless tire, and durable. It is a little heavier than the R 460 and R 470. For an everyday road disc wheel at the best price, the R 500 is a DT Swiss rim we recommend.
Specifications
| Wheel size | 700c |
|---|---|
| ERD | 596 (29in) |
| Inner width | 22 mm |
| Depth | 23 mm |
| Drillings | 28h, 32h |
| Weight | 495g (700c/29in) |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Tire type | clincher tubeless compatible |
| Brake | Disc |
| Nipples | External |
| Finishes | black |
This listing
This is the 700c listing of the R 500, 28h, 32h, about 495g, 22mm inside, 23mm deep, disc. Pick the size that matches your frame; the profile and construction are the same across the range.
This is the disc-brake R 500: plain sidewalls, no brake track to wear, a touch lighter. It fits any disc-brake bike and it is the version most of our customers now build; the rim-brake version is a separate listing.
Sizes, fit and compatibility
The DT Swiss R 500 Disc Brake Rim comes in 700c and 28h, 32h drilling. It is a disc-brake road rim with no braking surface. We build the R 470 on DT 350 and 240 hubs, Bitex BX 106, Hope RS4, White Industries CLD, Industry Nine 1/1 and Chris King R45 hubs, usually with Sapim Race, D-Light or CX-Ray spokes or Competition and Aerolite.
Tire range on the R 470 is 25 to 42mm. Give the configurator your bike type and weight; it picks a sensible spoke count and lacing pattern, which you can override.
What DT Swiss says about testing
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
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 Swiss makes the R 500; ProWheelBuilder is an independent wheel builder in Georgia, not the manufacturer. Every R 500 wheel we build gets spokes cut from the rim's measured ERD, is tensioned in stages with a gauge, stress-relieved and trued before it ships. Tubeless tape and a valve are fitted on request.
In the configurator you will only see parts that fit this drilling; combinations that are not made are struck through, and the price updates as you pick.
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. Our one-year wheel warranty applies to any wheel we build around this part, alongside whatever the manufacturer offers. Inside that year, broken spokes are replaced no matter how they broke, and the wheel labor is ours - truing, re-tensioning or a full rebuild. A rim or hub failure that the maker covers, we claim for you and see through; one the maker declines, we answer with an eligible replacement at 25% off current retail. Shipping both ways is yours, and components you supply yourself fall outside this cover.
Full terms are on our Policies & Warranty page.
R 500 Disc Brake Rim questions
What tire width suits this rim?
22mm inside is the all-road and gravel width. Think 32 to 45mm tires: wide enough to support a gravel casing properly so it holds its shape at low pressure, narrow enough that a 30mm road tire still sits right if you swap wheels between bikes.
Which spokes and nipples suit the R 500?
For most riders a double-butted spoke such as Sapim Race or DT Competition with brass nipples; lighter riders can go to Sapim Laser or CX-Ray. The configurator recommends a gauge and count for the R 500 from your bike type and weight.
Is it tubeless-ready?
Yes. DT Swiss lists the R 500 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.
How long will the wheel take?
Build time comes down to parts availability rather than bench time. The estimated ship date is shown in the configurator before you check out.
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.
