The 30 Course rim brake wheelset sent for review weighed 1,650g (730g front; 920g rear) with the supplied rim tape sans skewers. Clearly, Zipp is not aiming to woo weight-weenies with this wheelset (besides, they have carbon wheelsets for that).
The 30 Course is Zipp’s latest low profile alloy wheelset that caters for clinchers and tubular tyres as well as rim and disc brakes. In this review, CTech editor Matt Wikstrom takes a closer look at the rim brake version of the 30 Course.
In Zipp's ever-growing range of wheels, the Zipp 30 Course disc brake wheels are the least expensive options, but at £800, we'll be the first to admit that "least expensive" doesn't mean cheap. However, for the price on offer they are seriously impressive performers, and it's this that lands them a spot on Cycling Weekly's Editor's Choice for 2017.
Zipp has long made use of Sapim spokes for its wheelsets, and so it goes for the 30 Course wheelset. CX-Rays are used front and rear, a spoke that that is well regarded for its low weight and high strength.
The model year 2021 and later Zipp 303 S, 303 Firecrest, and 353 NSW disc-brake wheels, as well as the model year 2022 Zipp 404 Firecrest and 454 NSW wheels are compatible with tubeless or tubeless-ready tires unless the tire manufacturer specifically prohibits the use of their products on tubeless hookless (straight ...
Ideally suited to tyres of 25mm and upwards, Zipp says the 302 is equally at home on- or off-road, but as they're not tubeless compatible, that comes with the usual clincher caveats. Maximum rider weight is 115kg, and the rear hub accepts Zipp's XDR driver body, allowing use of a 10-42 cassette.
Zipp is an American company that is best known for designing, manufacturing, and marketing carbon-composite bicycle wheels for road cycling, triathlons, track racing, and mountain biking. The company's product range also includes handlebars, stems, seat posts, tires, inner tubes, handlebar tape, and bags.
Zipp Speed Weaponry, pioneers in the carbon wheel market, have introduced their first aluminium aerodynamic road wheelset, the 101. The 1,484g wheelset uses what the company calls a fully 'toroidal' rim shape (narrow at the mouth, wide on the sides).
The existing 302 has an internal rim width of 16.25mm whereas the new 303 S is boosted nearly 7mm to 23mm. Externally it's just 2mm wider than the 302 at 27mm compared to 25mm.
Even if it might seem pricy if you're on a tight budget, Zipp's 404 Wheelset has proven to be great value over time. The flawless combination of rigidity, strength, and aerodynamic performance make these wheels ideal to be used in most weather and road conditions.
SRAM acquires Zipp, providing Zipp with additional expertise and resources.
Zipp Firecrest rims are embossed with Zipp's oval “Z” logo. The carbon on the inner diameter of most all Zipp rims is embossed with “Handmade in Speedway, Indiana” or “Handmade in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.”
When you buy new Zipp wheels and components you are backed by a global lifetime warranty. This includes manufacturing defects, but also any system failure occurring while riding your bike within the intended use of your Zipp product. If your Zipp product fails while riding, we will replace or repair it free of charge.
A joy to ride and at a reasonable price. Being hookless and optimised for a 28mm tubeless setup might be a downer for some, but if you're fully converted to wider tyres and liquid over tubes, buy these ones.
Zipps says the 404 Firecrest wheelset is 370g lighter, 4 watts faster and £720 cheaper, while the 454 NSW is more than 450g lighter, 10 watts faster and £370 cheaper.
This is a high-performance aluminum wheelset engineered to provide versatility for the new era of road cycling that includes disc-brake road applications but also cyclocross and gravel adventures, riding or racing."
The 30 Course Discs have the same 77/177D hubset used in the more expensive 202 and 303 Firecrest Disc-brake wheelsets. They feature precision-set bearing preload and have run smoothly with no play at all throughout testing.
Zipp's 30 Course Disc-brake Clinchers are a really good set of all-round wheels. They're solidly built without being over-heavy, they run true, they're easy to convert to tubeless and they come with all the axle fittings you're likely to need. They're certainly not cheap, so shop around to find the best deal.
Zipp’s 30 clincher is the ‘budget’ version of the 101. Ben Delaney/Future Publishing. Having established its position as a top-end wheel supplier, Zipp is now making an effort to sell more affordable hoops, too. As part of SRAM, Zipp has more cachet on the wheel front than SRAM alone or the now-defunct Flashpoint label.
Still, Zipp claims that the 30 outperforms some other brands’ taller rims, namely Easton’s EC90, in terms of aerodynamics. The claimed gains are bigger at wider yaw angles (up to roughly 60g at a 20-degree angle at an unspecified speed).