The engineers at Zipp never sit still. They simply can’t and won’t leave good enough alone. When you’re in the shadows of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it’s in the air and the only way forward is improvement. As the industry’s benchmark, they are changing the game again.
Over the past few years, we’ve had our hands on a variety of Zipp hoops. And, while there are some wheels that may best them in some ways or come in at more affordable prices, there’s little question that the entire Zipp wheel lineup as a whole is unsurpassed. If you want the best, Zipp consistently stands out and are hung on top-shelf bike builds around the world.
Now, Zipp is raising that bar a notch further with the full lineup of NSW and Firecrest wheels (202, 303, 404 and 808) now available in rim and disc offerings. And, across-the-board the disc versions offer wider internal widths as well as tubeless-compatibility. In fact, their entire clincher line (rim and disc) are now tubeless-ready.
Internal widths are as follows:
- 202/303 Firecrest and NSW: 21 mm (aero optimized for 28 mm tires)
- 404/808 Firecrest and NSW: 19 mm (aero optimized for 25 mm tires)
The internal width is a critical measurement because at 21 mm, tire inflate with a rounder profile and offer a better tubeless experience. For example, Zipp’s Tangente Speed RT25 tire measures out to 27.2 mm on the 303 Firecrest Disc Brake Tubeless wheels — a great width that balances speed, grip and rolling resistance.
Of course, the NSW’s get laser-etched graphics, Cognition hubs and full-bleed ABLC™ Sawtooth™ dimpling while the Firecrest will soldier on with 77/177D hubs and ABLC dimpling.
Gravel riding just got a new benchmark with the 303 Firecrest 650b wheelset. (Gruber Images)
Zipp Goes 650b
As part of this revised offering, Zipp is now making a 650b 303 Firecrest Tubeless Disc Brake wheelset for the burgeoning gravel bike market. These wheels are the perfect match for a bike like the 3T Exploro or OPEN UPPER (to name a few).
Look for a variety of Zipp offerings aboard disc-brake road bikes at your local shop or as an upgrade on your current bike. No question, wider rims with both tubeless and disc brake compatibility are the new normal but Zipp remains the benchmark.
Learn More: Visit Zipp.com/NSW/
