Zipp revamps Firecrest wheels range

Zipp has updated its entire rim brake Firecrest lineup, plus the 202 tubular wheel, with new 77 (front) and 177 (rear) hubs that are designed to be low maintenance and durable.

We told you back in March that Zipp had updated the 202 and 303 Disc wheels with thru-axle compatible hubs, and now the brand has been busy with its rim-brake wheels.

Zipp first introduced its Firecrest rim profiling back in 2010. In brief, rather than being a traditional V shape, Firecrest rims feature a near-constant width from the brake track to the spoke bed. The idea is that this improves the aerodynamics at the back half of the wheel where the spoke bed hits the air first.

The US brand also says that Firecrest wheels offer stable handling at all wind angles, and that the extra width adds to their strength.

Zipp hasn’t altered the Firecrest rims but it has now laced them to 77/177 hubs. The Firecrest models that get these new hubs are the 202, 303, 404 and 808, as well as the 202 Tubular.

Zipp says that the hubs boast:

• Optimised flange geometry and spoke hole attachment pattern with Sapim CX Sprint spokes (CX-Ray for 202 Tubular). This is designed to offer torsional and lateral stiffness without adding weight.

• New robust shape.

• 17mm axle.

• Newly designed quick-release skewers with a wider, more ergonomic handle.

If you want to run a super-wide gear range, the 177 rear hub will take a SRAM XD driver body (you’d need to buy it separately). This will allow you to run SRAM’s 10-42 cassette as part of a 1x system. 

The new hubs don’t have a bearing preload adjustment like older Zipp hubs.

Zipp says that it has added durability with these new hubs, and that improved efficiencies in the manufacturing process have allowed it to reduce prices.

Here are the new prices:

• 202 Tubular £1,600
• 202 Firecrest clincher £1,680
• 303 Firecrest clincher £1,680
• 303 Firecrest tubular £1,600
• 404 Firecrest clincher £1,680
• 404 Firecrest tubular £1,600
• 808 Firecrest clincher £1,920
• 808 Firecrest tubular £1,840

These wheels will be available from next month.

Zipp has also launched a rim brake version of the 30 Course aluminium wheel that we told you about earlier in the year, available as both a clincher and a tubular.

The 30 Course has a 25mm external rim width and a 21mm internal rim width. The new wheels are aimed at the increasingly popular endurance, gravel, adventure and cyclo-cross bikes where wider tyres are commonly preferred.

“The wider rim platform allows for increased air volume, which spreads the tyre casing,” says Zipp. “This helps increase the contact patch with the ground. The result is improved cornering grip and increased comfort.”

The 30 Course features the 77/177 hubset (see above) and the clincher version is Tubeless-Ready.

The clincher version weighs a claimed 1,570g and will be available from October. The tubular model is 1,490g and will be available in November. Both are priced £800.

Finally, Zipp has expanded its range of Tangente tyres, adding 28mm and 30mm widths.

Zipp says that the increased width reduces rolling resistance, offers improved grip, and adds comfort.

The Tangente Course, designed as a sport and a training tyre, has a 120tpi (threads per inch) casing and weighs a claimed 260g in a 28mm width. The 30mm version (above) is 306g.

The Tangente Speed is a race tyre with a 220tpi casing. Zipp says that it weighs 216g (28mm).

“The 28mm Tangente Speed is ungodly fast,” says Zipp’s John Balmer. “Last year we looked at the 25mm version and it was better than the competition, but this version crushed it. It is a super-fast tyre. If you can get a 28 on to your bike you should do it right now!”

www.zipp.com