No more pedal kickback thanks to DT Swiss DF: Better suspension for everyone! Without disadvantages?

The O-Chain spider for the chainring or the Sidekick hub from E-Thirteen are the best-known systems that have brought solutions against pedal kickback on fullys onto the market in recent years - both clever, effective but with a catch: namely additional weight and high prices. To repeat: When compressing, the distance between the bottom bracket and rear wheel axle increases on most full-suspension bikes. As the chainring and cassette are connected via the chain, there is an interaction that pulls the crank backwards during compression - the so-called pedal kickback. Depending on the kinematics, this phenomenon varies in severity and prevents the rear triangle from compressing freely on full-suspension bikes. With the DF (Degrees of Freedom) freehub system, DT Swiss presents an amazingly simple approach that is intended to solve this problem. Depending on the setting, the freehub can rotate an additional 0, 10 or 20 degrees in the hub shell, independently of the pawls. This gives the crank more freedom of movement, which decouples the drive from the suspension up to a certain degree. The result: more sensitive response behaviour, better traction and an overall smoother ride feel.

The choice of the degree of freedom depends on the area of use: DT Swiss recommends 20 degrees for downhill use, 10 degrees for trail and enduro bikes. At 0 degrees, the system remains direct and - like the conventional DEG hubs - offers an engagement angle of 5 degrees. The system consists of a special threaded ring and two toothed discs and is weight-neutral compared to the inner workings of a standard hub. It can be retrofitted to all Ratchet 240 and 350 DEG hubs from DT Swiss.

Price for the upgrade kit: 119 euros, or 149 euros including special tools to loosen the threaded ring. Once the threaded ring has been installed, the degree of freedom can also be varied on the move without tools: Simply remove the freehub body, place the toothed disc in the desired position in the threaded ring, put the freehub body and cassette back on - done. DF technology is not currently approved for e-mountain bikes. However, a reinforced version that can withstand the higher motor torques is being planned - but then only with 0 or 10 degrees of freedom. In the future, the technology will also be available in complete bikes so that riders can decide individually whether and how much they want to reduce pedal kickback.

How the DF freewheel system rides

The first turn of the pedals feels unfamiliar - especially in the 20-degree setting, you can feel yourself pedalling into the void. After that, the DF freewheel works unobtrusively as long as there is tension on the chain. Long climbs or flat sections? No problem. On undulating trails, the lively engagement of the pawls quickly gets on your nerves with every acceleration. Downhill, the additional degrees of freedom unfold their full potential: the rear suspension reacts more sensitively and feels smoother. The 20-degree setting is so pronounced that you almost feel like you've lost air from the shock. The only point of criticism: With the O-Chain system, elastomers limit the degrees of freedom, with the DF system, metal bangs on metal. In action, the DT freehub therefore feels a little rough, not as smooth as the competition. Because the cassette also reacts to chain slap due to the degrees of freedom and moves forwards and backwards, the noise level also increases.

Conclusion from Max Fuchs, BIKE editor

True to the motto "small part, big effect", DT Swiss presents a system that is light, costs little and can be easily fine-tuned or even deactivated. Bravo! The DF system noticeably reduces the influence of the drivetrain, but doesn't work quite as smoothly as the O-Chain system and also increases the background noise. However, if you want to experiment with your suspension and pedal kickback and achieve an improvement, the DF freehub is worth every cent!