DFS Carbon (Xiamen) 60/65mm T1000 Carbon Wheelset — First Ride Impressions

[Sander2177]

Ordered a set of DFS Carbon (Xiamen) 60/65mm wheels at the start of April — they arrived by the end of the month. Took them out for a ~30 km ride today and wanted to share some early impressions and data for anyone considering DFS.

Initial ride impressions:
   •   Very light, stiff and nimble.
   •   Feel planted but quick to respond.
   •   So far, very impressed given the price point and weight. $920USD inc shipping to UK

Specs (as received):
   •   Rims: 60mm front (400g), 65mm rear (423.6g)
   •   T1000 carbon, UD paintless finish
   •   5mm straight pull carbon spokes — 40 total — 131.5g
   •   Rim widths: 31.4mm external / 25mm internal
   •   H-Works hubs (20/20 spoke), 276g for the pair
   •   Max system weight: 100kg
                1231grams

Complete wheel setup (with tyres, discs, cassette):
   •   Maxxis Hyper SL 28mm
   •   RideNow TPU tubes
   •   Galfer Wave CL rotors: 160F / 140R
   •   Titanium lockrings (@rhinosworkshop)
   •   Sixwheel cassette-bound 11–34T: 188g (vs 253g Dura-Ace — 65g saved)

Total system weight: 2106g
(Yes, the scales are a bit Mickey Mouse, but consistent across setups.)

Previous setup for comparison:
   •   Craft Racing Works 50/60mm
   •   Conti GP5000 28mm
   •   Same tubes, rotors, and Shimano 11–34T cassette
Total weight: 2291g

Net saving: 185g

Communication with DFS:
Generally good, though as expected when dealing with Chinese vendors, some things can get lost in translation. Nothing critical, just a note for others.

Future build in the works (target: 50/60mm weight weenie build):
   •   Extralite new hubs (24/24): 200g
   •   Stren spokes x48: 110.4g
   •   50mm front rim: 350g
   •   60mm rear rim: 400g
Target total: ~1060g

[Sander2177]

More pics

[Sander2177]

Took the wheels out again today on a 120km group ride.

It was fairly windy one—15 to 20mph gusts—and I was surprised how well the front wheel handled crosswinds. I was expecting more of an impact, especially coming from a 50mm front, but they performed really well.

Lateral stiffness is excellent, and being lightweight, they inevitably climb great too. For reference, I hover around 76–79 kg.

At this point, I honestly don’t see any real reason to buy branded wheels—not even the Chinese “brands.” Just go straight to an OEM manufacturer. They cater to all price points, offer various carbon grades, steel or carbon spokes, and let you choose your hubs. These hubs, for example, are the same as those used in the 8LIEN wheelset.

I swapped over from my 50/60mm Crafts, and to be honest, most wheels feel pretty similar nowadays. Aside from minor profile differences—or the occasional “wave” design (which I’m personally not a fan of)—no one’s doing anything radically new.

British roads should be where all wheels are tested, because they’re absolutely brutal! And so far, these have held up brilliantly.

I’m genuinely impressed.

[Chamomile]

   •   H-Works hubs (20/20 spoke)

Where do these H-Works come from? Only R1, R2, R3, and RX are on the website, and those are either 24 or 21/24 spokes. It's quite difficult to get any info from them about specified hubs or alternatives.

[Sander2177]

Where do these H-Works come from? Only R1, R2, R3, and RX are on the website, and those are either 24 or 21/24 spokes. It's quite difficult to get any info from them about specified hubs or alternatives.

H-Works is an OEM hub manufacturer — their hubs, like the SR270, can be seen here: https://h-works.cn/products/hw-261-rear.

Many brands rebrand these hubs — for example, 8lien Bike uses them on their wheelsets. I currently have a set built with this type of hub.

When I was speccing out a new wheelset, DFS offered me THR hubs instead. They claimed they were higher quality, and I have to admit — they looked solid. However, they didn’t suit my build requirements, so I went another direction.

I originally wanted to use RX hubs, which would’ve brought my wheelset down to just 1,155 grams. But they don’t support 5mm carbon spokes, which was a key factor for me. I may still use them for a future build.

THR contact info:
   •   Email: sales@bike-cycle.com
   •   WhatsApp: +86 150 0787 7693

I have a website but it’s on my work laptop will
Post it Monday has all the specs.

[Chamomile]

That's a big pile of info, many thanks.
If you were about the DFS website, it's https://dfscarbonwheels.myshopify.com. For THR, I can surely make a guess.

My original concern was the MTB hubs. I don't care which hub I use for the road wheelset since there's not much load (in my application, at least). So R1 will work perfectly fine. But MTB hubs - zero info. The guy sent me a table with some general info and weight numbers. The total weight of 305g for both M1 boost is quite light, considering its application in high mountains with big rocks and jumps. Alternatively, an upgrade to M2 costs an additional 200USD, which is kinda questionable for some random no-name hubs. I mean, I can get a well-known and proven DT350 even cheaper, for instance, or Goldix, with some history as well, if I'm on a budget. Oldie-goldie Novatec at last. So, I'm trying to gather anything and form an impression - say, compatibility with DT-like end caps or ratchet or the actual ratchet construction implementation. So far, there were only a few photos and a one-year warranty.

[Sander2177]

That's a big pile of info, many thanks.
If you were about the DFS website, it's https://dfscarbonwheels.myshopify.com. For THR, I can surely make a guess.

My original concern was the MTB hubs. I don't care which hub I use for the road wheelset since there's not much load (in my application, at least). So R1 will work perfectly fine. But MTB hubs — zero info. The guy sent me a table with some general info and weight numbers. The total weight of 305g for both M1 boost is quite light, considering its application in high mountains with big rocks and jumps. Alternatively, an upgrade to M2 costs an additional 200USD, which is kinda questionable for some random no-name hubs. I mean, I can get a well-known and proven DT350 even cheaper, for instance, or Goldix, with some history as well, if I'm on a budget. Oldie-goldie Novatec at last. So, I'm trying to gather anything and form an impression - say, compatibility with DT-like end caps or ratchet or the actual ratchet construction implementation. So far, there were only a few photos and a one-year warranty.

We’ll be insistent they can source products anyways
They sourced me a power meter and chain rings a bit cheaper than I could have gotten them.
Ask if they can get you a hub of your choosing to build a wheel maybe
Or email THR or WhatsApp and request the info.
The comms were good but I took a couple of weeks before I bought any wheels on the end. 
Obviously they will try and upsell

[TommyGun]

Arent H-works Farsports owned company for hubs? At least I noticed that somewhere. But when they list them on Wheelsfar / Farsports then they ure different name. In this case RD270.

[Sander2177]

Arent H-works Farsports owned company for hubs? At least I noticed that somewhere. But when they list them on Wheelsfar / Farsports then they ure different name. In this case RD270.

I don’t think so.
But what’s I do know is they make a quality product.
There are a few other companies I think using the SR270 hub rebranded.
No6 wheels hubs look fairly similar as well.

[Sander2177]

Profiles

[Ar26]

To complete the information on DFS wheels, mine are 50mm deep (25mm inner and 31.4mm outer) with Wing 1420 steel spokes (ideal for the roads where I live).
- With 30mm GP5000 tires, the width is 31.8-32mm (pressure of 4.4 and 4.6 bars).
- The paintless finish is quite shiny.
- The hub (R2) is very noisy. Adding grease reduces the noise for about thirty kilometers, then it starts up again.
- The 50mm wheels with steel spokes weigh 1335g.
- The hubs are equipped with a preload system (see photo). This needs to be adjusted (very simple)

[Sander2177]

To complete the information on DFS wheels, mine are 50mm deep (25mm inner and 31.4mm outer) with Wing 1420 steel spokes (ideal for the roads where I live).
- With 30mm GP5000 tires, the width is 31.8-32mm (pressure of 4.4 and 4.6 bars).
- The paintless finish is quite shiny.
- The hub (R2) is very noisy. Adding grease reduces the noise for about thirty kilometers, then it starts up again.
- The 50mm wheels with steel spokes weigh 1335g.
- The hubs are equipped with a preload system (see photo). This needs to be adjusted (very simple)

So a few questions overall thoughts on quality and service?
Who did you deal with at DFS and how much did you pay including shipping.
I am aware they have or are in the process of moving to new premises so obviously they are increasing production getting busier etc.

[TommyGun]

I don’t think so.
But what’s I do know is they make a quality product.
There are a few other companies I think using the SR270 hub rebranded.
No6 wheels hubs look fairly similar as well.

No6 wheels are actually Farsports wheels. From Wheelsfar (custom build site). They just put their logo on the wheels and add 50% to the price.

[Ar26]

So a few questions overall thoughts on quality and service?
Who did you deal with at DFS and how much did you pay including shipping.
I am aware they have or are in the process of moving to new premises so obviously they are increasing production getting busier etc.

I paid 800 euros (wheels + shipping) in France.
The service is indeed very responsive and provides all the necessary information. Quick responses to various questions, photos, and videos are also provided. It was after reading a review by Sakisashi on this forum that I decided to buy these wheels, even though I was completely unfamiliar with the manufacturer. My only complaint is that I had specified a silent hub when I requested them. The video they
sent me bears no resemblance to the actual sound of the hub. I should also add that some TPU tubes didn't fit through the valve hole; I had to file some of them down.
Aside from these minor inconveniences, these wheels represent very good value for money (for now).

[Serge_K]

I paid 800 euros (wheels + shipping) in France.
The service is indeed very responsive and provides all the necessary information. Quick responses to various questions, photos, and videos are also provided. It was after reading a review by Sakisashi on this forum that I decided to buy these wheels, even though I was completely unfamiliar with the manufacturer. My only complaint is that I had specified a silent hub when I requested them. The video they
sent me bears no resemblance to the actual sound of the hub. I should also add that some TPU tubes didn't fit through the valve hole; I had to file some of them down.
Aside from these minor inconveniences, these wheels represent very good value for money (for now).

Did you get a quote from Peter? I am 99% sure you'd have paid 100+ eur less for the same spec, and having to file valve holes is absolutely not normal.
For less than what you paid, i got a 1200g wheelset from Peter a few weeks ago, 33 wide, 50 deep.
For a silent hub, just put grease in the thing.