DT M502 rims (and the Ex 511)

Planning ahead, the rear rim on the bike (a Sun Duroc 35) will need changed at some point. At the moment I have no desire to run a 2.5 rear tyre (happy on a 2.3/2.35 DHR or 2.4 Conti) so I could go to 28 internal or similar. Open to the Ex471 also but think its a touch narrow.

The Ex511 seems to be rare and £85+ in 29er/32h at the moment. The M502 looks like a viable alternative at £50 but little in the way of reviews and not exactly sure what the extra ££ brings.

Current rim has done ok, now running a Vitorria Airliner which should stop a lot of the dents that are killing this current rim!

I haven’t checked specifically for 29er rims but try checking out ‘star bike’ for DT swiss rims.

I got some xm481’s for 67 euros each which was far cheaper than anywhere else. Not sure if hey do them in 29er but they’re somewhere between the 2 rims you mentioned. Think they’re lighter than the m502 and the Ex511. They’re 30mm internal width in the 650b size I bought them in.

Ive got M502’s on my hardtail and they have been faultless. Hit a few steps and no dents to the rim yet. A little heavy but strong.

Got M502s on my FS and they seem decent enough.  Straight and true after nearly two years.  Found the 30mm internal squares off 2.3 Maxxis a little more than I’d like so switching to WT/2.5-2.6 when the tyres are dead.

Any more feedback? Cheers!

nothing wrong with the ex471 rims. 25mm is plenty wide for the tyres you are suggesting.

Slight segway to the topic, I just built up some 471s yesterday. They seem really nice, but my main takeaway was that the squorx nipples and washer arrangement (though a little footery) is spectacular! I’ve always been a fan of driving nipples from the inside of the rim when building wheels, and these are the nicest type I’ve used… The steel washers with a drop of grease help eveything wind up beautifully!

M502 is a budget alternative to the XM481. It’s not going to be anywhere near as rock garden friendly as an EX471 or EX511. As already mentioned, for the tyre sizes you like, you’re best sticking with 25mm rims.

I’d say a 28-30mm internal rim is still marginally preferable for 2.3 to 2.4in tyres (compared to a 25mm), certqainly wouldn’t upgrade just to get the extra few mm though!

wouldn’t upgrade just to get the extra few mm though

not what my wife says 🙁

I have the xm481 front and rear in 27.5. When the rear rim finaly gives in ill stick a ex511 on.
I think this will be the ideal setup for uk riding. I have previously used a stronger rim on the rear as it gets the most abuse.

I thought the M502 was a cheaper 511? Front yes the XM481 would do (current Duroc 35 front is trouble free)

No – there doesn’t seem to be a budget version of the EX511 yet. The E512 is the budget alternative to the EX471.

E/EX=Enduro M/XM=All Mountain/Trail. Enduro rims have thicker extrusions for a given width. The budget rims are heavier than their PHR equivalents, so the number is higher (as it equates approx to rim weight).

The e532 is the 511s cheaper cousin. Basically the m502 with thicker alu.

If you’re looking for a simple trade out the Stans rims should fit your spokes but the DTs are better if you’re willing to buy new spokes.

I would porbably still have a ln XM481 over an e532 for strength in some ways. The main common issues with rims nowadays is dents I find, and the xm481 does seem very good for that given it’s weight.

Is there any rationale behind DT’s rim naming system, with regard to the numbers?

They used to be something like an approximation to the weight of the rim in 26″ format rounded to a series number like 1, 2 or 3 to show the ‘quality’, but now its just a continuation of the old numbering in 40 increments as the size goes up I think. With no 26s in many options its no longer representative of the weight. Now the last digit still means the ‘quality’ (0>3) but the rest is basically just made up from the old numbering.

If it ends in 1 then it uses the PHR washer system.