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TECH NEWS

Zipp unveils new 30 Course Disc wheels with wide tubeless-ready rims

Zipp targets gravel/adventure/endurance bikes with tubeless-ready 25mm wide disc wheels

Zipp has unveiled new 30 Course Disc wheelsets, with a 25mm wide aluminium rim available in tubular or tubeless-ready clincher versions, weighing from 1,610g and costing £800. The new wheels are aimed at the increasingly popular endurance, gravel, adventure and cyclocross bikes where discs brakes and wider tyres are commonly preferred features.

The new wheel represents Zipp’s first tubeless-ready wheelset. We’re big fans of tubeless tyres here at road.cc, especially on bikes built to be rugged and versatile, and able to tackle a bit more than just smooth tarmac, but there’s not really been a great deal of choice if you want a tubeless and disc-ready wheelset, but we are seeing new offerings all the time and it's clear Zipp has been paying close attention to changing habits.

There’s also a big trend towards wider tyres, but fitting a wide tyre to a traditional narrow rim is far from ideal. Zipp has stretched the internal rim width out to 21mm, with an external width of 25mm, which will be a better platform for fitting wider tyres, from 25 up to 32mm or so. Zipp says the rim “incorporates design innovations from the Zipp 202 Firecrest Carbon Clincher profile for low aerodynamic drag, greater stability and predictability in crosswinds.”

The new rims are laced to Zipp’s 77 front and 177D rear hubs, the same as used on its 202 and 303 Firecrest Disc wheels. That means the hubs are thru-axle compatible, using different end caps so you can fit them to most bikes. That’s a common approach with mountain bike wheels and future-proofs them, as most disc road bikes at the moment are sticking with conventional quick release axles but there's every chance they could all switch over to thru-axle in the next few years.

The hubs have precision set bearing preload, so no need to adjust them yourself. The hubs also feature improved bearing seals. The hubs are supplied with new quick release skewers with a more ergonomic handle. The hubs are laced to the rims with Sapim CX Ray spokes, with 24 in each wheel.

The Zipp 30 Course Disc-brake Clincher weighs a claimed 1,650g, the Zipp 30 Course Disc-brake Tubular come in at 1,615g. They both use the same profile rim, with a 26m depth and 25mm width. Both wheelsets will be available in June and both cost £800.

More at www.zipp.com

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes

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8 comments

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Mrmiik | 9 years ago
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Interesting to see these reviewed and see how they stack up against the likes of Kinesis Disc wheels, Hunt et al.

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hectorhtaylor | 9 years ago
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Come on Zip, give us a road tubeless wheels for caliper brakes please. Some of us (most?) are and want to remain old fashioned where brakes are concerned...

I can see the point of carbon disc wheels - the resin won't cook on descents, but these aluminium rims could have been machined for rim brakes and a standard hub used to provide an alternative product - perfect for descending. I would have bought them.

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bobinski | 9 years ago
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My Hunt 4 season disc, lighter and 1/2 the price even with Schwalbe One 28's and sealant, arrive new week and are looking increasingly great value.

Avatar
Ian Allardyce replied to bobinski | 9 years ago
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bobinski wrote:

My Hunt 4 season disc, lighter and 1/2 the price even with Schwalbe One 28's and sealant, arrive new week and are looking increasingly great value.

Yup, me too. Can't wait to get them!

Avatar
lookmanohands | 9 years ago
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800 quid for an aluminum disc wheelset no thanks

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Chapo replied to lookmanohands | 9 years ago
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lookmanohands wrote:

800 quid for an aluminum disc wheelset no thanks

It's the £500 stickers.  29

Avatar
joules1975 replied to lookmanohands | 9 years ago
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lookmanohands wrote:

800 quid for an aluminum disc wheelset no thanks

I do love this kind of comment, because it shows either a material snobbishness, or a lack of understanding regarding materials.

Because these are Zipp wheels, there will likely be better value wheelsets out there, but there are plenty of Alu wheels at this price, and it's because they have been engineered to within an inch of their live and perform as well as if not better than similarly priced carbon wheels.

Just cause something is carbon doesn't mean it's good or well engineered, and just because something is aluminium doesn't mean its worse than anything made of carbon.

I've just bought some American Classic Argent disc wheels, which are stupidly light - lighter than anything carbon I've found at less than £1000 - they look good, and don't half shift.

Avatar
Chasseur Patate replied to joules1975 | 9 years ago
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joules1975 wrote:
lookmanohands wrote:

800 quid for an aluminum disc wheelset no thanks

I do love this kind of comment, because it shows either a material snobbishness, or a lack of understanding regarding materials.

Because these are Zipp wheels, there will likely be better value wheelsets out there, but there are plenty of Alu wheels at this price, and it's because they have been engineered to within an inch of their live and perform as well as if not better than similarly priced carbon wheels.

Just cause something is carbon doesn't mean it's good or well engineered, and just because something is aluminium doesn't mean its worse than anything made of carbon.

I've just bought some American Classic Argent disc wheels, which are stupidly light - lighter than anything carbon I've found at less than £1000 - they look good, and don't half shift.

In total agreement with this. Campagnolo Shamals are aluminium and some of the finest wheels money can buy, their RRP is over £800. They go on any of my bikes when the parcour gets lumpy. Carbon does not instantly equal quality.

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