Zipp 303 XPLR SW Wheelset Review – Holy Gravels!

If you’re looking for the secret to riding faster and more comfortably on gravel, let me tell you a little secret — tires and wheels. Looking at the latest trends in gravel racing, they are going with wider widths and lower pressures. For us mortals, the Zipp 303 XPLR SW Wheelset is the cheat code to achieving pro-level performance without having the VO2 max of Tadej Pogacar.

Zipp 303 XPLR SW Wheelset Features:

• Gravel-optimized from the ground up with Total System Efficiency
• ABLC dimples for improved airflow
• Designed for low pressures (under 30 psi) with 50 psi max
• Optimized for Zipp tires or any hookless-compatible 40-60mm treads
• Dimensions: 32mm internal, 40mm external and 54mm depth
• Zipp ZR1 DB rear hub with 66 points of engagement
• Carbon steel cartridge bearings
• 50 psi max pressure
• Up to 298 lbs rider weight
• Weight: 1500 grams (per pair, actual — with valves and tape)
• MSRP: $2200 (set)

Wide, tall and dimples galore

There are gravel wheels and then there’s the Zipp 303 XPLR SW wheels. With their tall height, 32mm inner width and dimples galore, these wheels are built for speed and comfort on gravel. While most gravel wheels max out at 25mm internal, these blow past that and go full-on MTB to offer the fullest tire profile and lowest pressures possible on gravel.

As with Zipp’s latest wheels, these are also hookless. There’s a lot of hubbub about hooked vs. hookless rims, but as long as you operate within the proper pressures and use approved tires, everything is bombproof.

Outfitted with the Goodyear XPLR Inter 45 tires, these wheels are just the right fit on the OPEN UPPER 2.0 I’m testing. Installation and seating wasn’t too challenging — about the usual tubeless frustration, I’d say. I was able to get them seated with a floor pump and some minor finagling. Once inflated and loaded up, they measure out to 45mm wide, which matches the stated width. Other tires may measure wider, so choose your tires carefully if your frame has tight tolerances.

The biggest surprise is just how little air pressure you can ride with and the benefits those low pressures provide. Using the SRAM Tire Pressure Guide, I was set at 28 psi front and 29 psi rear. For the most part, I actually rode them with 29/31 psi, just to be on the safe side (I know, living on the edge). I honestly thought those low pressures would be frustrating and fraught with impacts and squishy tires under max force. I’ll get into some of the truths to those concerns in a bit.

Built to go fast; wicked-fast

With a tall height and ABLC dimpling, the 303 XPLR SW wheels simply look fast. The shape is more v-shaped than stubby and that’s all a part of the stability and speed plan for these 54mm deep wheels. Honestly though, it’s crazy having that deep of a wheelset — they are the deepest cross-section that I’ve ridden in quite some time. Overall, I tend to stick to 35-45mm deep wheels, so these are outliers in depth and, as I would soon find out, they are outliers in speed.

Before I go into the speedy character of the 303 XPLR SW, I want to first recall a conversation I had with a buddy of mine who has these exact wheels on his new Trek Checkmate. He asked if they felt really fast to me because he was hitting PR’s and wondering if he should even ride his aero road bike anymore (sorta kidding, but also sorta serious). I replied to him, saying I was thinking the exact same thing and Strava confirmed that very thing on several segments I’ve ridden extensively for years.

On a couple of rolling segments that are about 3 miles in length, I’ve nabbed multiple top 10 results. I’ve ridden these segments well over 300 times, so getting top 10 is no small feat. Icing on the cake was a PR on a shorter segment that made my 50 yr-old-self feel young again. No question, this bike, wheels and tires are giving me a real boost. It’s also worth noting that the XPLR Inter 45 tires are faster-rolling than both the WTB Vulpine S and Bontrager RSL Girona GR tires I have liked in recent years. So, the 303 XPLR SW wheels are incredibly-fast alone and are made faster by fast-rolling tires like the Goodyear XPLR Inter 45.

In addition, that extra speed is 100% due to the increased comfort and smoothness provided at ~30 psi. Chunky rocks do slow me down, but light to moderate gravel is reduced to nothing but a slight amount of road buzz at speed. The new Zipp ZR1 DB hubs roll fast on sealed carbon steel cartridge bearings. And, that new rear hub is something of a wonder. with 66 points of engagement, I can start and stop with precision without any noticeable lag. In addition, when rolling through tricky terrain where pedal strikes would impede progress, I can always eke out just a little more momentum to make it through. It’s actually uncanny sometimes and it always makes me smile as I roll through these sections without pedaling.

Running low pressures do come with some downsides. I have actually bottomed these out more in the past 5 months than I have with all other wheel/tire combos ever in my lifetime of riding gravel. Sudden, square-edged rocks will compress the tire all the way to the rim, so it’s important to choose lines wisely. None of these impacts have been catastrophic — merely love taps — but, love taps nonetheless. With that, I can attest to the added impact resistance of the 303 XPLR SW. Truthfully, that remains one of the biggest benefits of hookless rims.

With all that added rim depth, it puts these carbon hoops right in the line of danger with rocks flying around. After almost 500 miles, they have seen a fair share of impacts and clear coat scratches, but nothing really noteworthy. If you ride gravel, you’re used to these micro-scratches and the depth of the XPLR SW’s will attract more than their fair share of rocks.

At a measured 1500 grams, these wheels aren’t flyweight. But, with all that added material and girth, that’s quite an accomplishment. On the road and trails, they simply feel smooth and fast. When descending on the road, they are also very confidence-inspiring and remain stable at speed and in crosswinds. Their lateral stiffness keeps me tracking well and never feels sluggish.

it’s worth mentioning that I have noticed the front tire does feel squishy when standing and sprinting. I’ve had to tell myself that it’s normal, but I do always squeeze it when stopped just to make sure everything is good (it always is). The lower pressures don’t feel squirrely at high speeds or when being angulated on hard corners. All of this is due to the straight sidewalls provided by these 32mm wide rims. Low pressures on narrower rims would be dangerous and squirrely.

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