DT Swiss has widened the reach of its Degrees of Freedom (DF) hub technology, previously reserved for its high-engagement Ratchet DEG hubs, so that it now works with the brand’s long-standing classic Ratchet freehub design. The system is built to reduce pedal kickback, the unwanted jolt transmitted back through the drivetrain when a suspension bike’s rear end compresses under load, by allowing a small amount of engineered play before the freehub locks up.
Alongside the retrofit, DT Swiss has launched dedicated race-oriented kits for its DEG hubs, aimed at riders who want the anti-kickback benefit without switching to an entirely new hub. The upgrade is designed as a drop-in solution, meaning owners of existing classic Ratchet hubs should be able to fit the new internals without buying a replacement hub outright, keeping costs down for those already invested in the German brand’s ecosystem.
For mountain bike racers, particularly in enduro and downcountry disciplines where suspension performance under braking and pedalling loads is scrutinised closely, kickback has long been a subtle but real drag on traction and control through rough terrain. By making DF tech more widely available and retrofittable, DT Swiss is effectively democratising a feature that until now sat mainly in premium, purpose-built hub packages.
British riders running DT Swiss wheels on trail and enduro bikes should keep an eye out for compatibility charts as the firm rolls out the update, since not every classic Ratchet hub generation is expected to be covered initially. For anyone chasing marginal gains on technical UK trail centres and enduro rounds, a smoother-engaging rear hub could be a genuinely useful, low-fuss upgrade rather than just another marketing tweak.
Sam Allcock is a digital PR entrepreneur and publisher with over two decades in SEO, content and media. He founded PR Fire, the pay-as-you-go press release distribution service, and has worked with brands including Red Bull, Nokia and Liverpool FC. He contributes to HuffPost, HubSpot and The London Economic, and owns a portfolio of news and media titles, of which On Track Magazine is one.
