Unlike the caché carried by Zipp’s road wheels, particularly the 303, their mountain bike wheels simply haven’t caught on as either OEM spec or in aftermarket demand. Which maybe isn’t surprising, but it’s also a bit of a shame, because they’re surprisingly good.
I rode and reviewed the wider, more aggressive 3Zero Moto wheels at their launch and noted that they’re one of few products that lives up to all of the hype. I still have that pair, and they’re great for all-mountain.
But for their 1ZERO HiTOP XC wheels, there was no launch event, just a press release that got lost in the noise of SRAM’s Eagle Powertrain e-bike motor launch. And with only Lauf, Allied, and (at the time) Ari Bikes spec’ing them, they just didn’t get much attention. So, here’s a quick refresher on the specs:
- XC to Trail wheels for up to 130mm travel
- Two models – S (1495g) and SW (1325g)
- SW gets better hubs, lighter spokes, and TireWyz 2.0
- Full carbon rims are the same on both models
- 24 spokes per wheel
- 37.7mm outer width, 30mm internal
- 21.1mm deep
Like the 3ZERO Moto, there’s a compliance story about how the rims are made to help track the terrain. Unlike the 3ZERO Moto’s single-wall design, the 1ZERO HiTOP uses a more traditional design with a cavity (which prevents the spokes from pushing into the rim tape and causing tubeless leaks).
The shape is modern and, honestly, not all that unique anymore. Shallow for compliance, with broad shoulders to prevent pinch flats. Without knowing the resin and fiber makeup, and the lack of “ankle flex” like the 3ZERO Moto, my assumption is it’s the depth and shape that makes it work.
Which is fine, because it works great, so let’s dive into that…
Zipp 1ZERO HiTOP Ride Review
Two of us have been riding the base model HiTOP S wheels for about a year. We haven’t been easy on them, either. For starters, I rode them hard both at the Lauf Elja launch, through three days of big climbs, rocky and rough descents, and some seriously challenging trails in Iceland.
Then we rode them across the U.S. on some of the best mountain bike trails around – Forks (WA), Flagstaff and Sedona (AZ), and Bentonville (AR). Hit those links to see the “Trail Yeah!” videos I did for Lauf, and you’ll see these wheels in action…and find some killer places to ride!
They also continue to see plenty of miles on my home trails in North Carolina. After all that, they’re still impressively true on both bikes. As in, perfectly true radially, and within 1mm laterally. And they’ve required zero maintenance.
For a reasonably light set of wheels aimed at XC to Trail riding, these perform very well. They roll smoothly, and while certainly aided by the 2.6″ Goodyear Peak tires spec’d by Lauf, they do seem to tame trail chatter and maintain traction. These tires are wide, but have low-profile tread, and yet across all of the dirt, loam, rock, and sand we’ve ridden, it’s rare that we’ve felt like we needed more, so I feel like the wheels play some role in that.
The Hubs are… just OK
The big difference between the base-level HiTOP S and top-level HiTOP SW is the hubs. The latter gets lighter hubs with slightly faster engagement (33-tooth w/ offset pawls for 5.45º engagement on SW, versus 26-tooth and 6.54º on S). Neither is particularly quick compared to premium hubs like Industry Nine, Project321, etc.
Even the latest Shimano XTR hubs drop to 3.5º engagement. That said, Chris King is 5.0º and common DT Swiss hubs range from 6.6º to 10º, with only their higher-end DEG models dropping to 4.0º. So, Zipp’s hubs’ engagement speeds aren’t slow for the category, but in real-world riding, I wanted faster engagement, and here’s why:
Late in a ride, when pedaling form gets sloppy and lazy, I could feel and hear the hubs coast-engage-coast-engage while pedaling. It created a light yet frequent “clang” as the pawls re-engaged with the teeth inside the hub.
They’re not overly loud, and in fact I think the coasting noise hits the right balance between silent and obnoxious. But when there’s a constant tactile and audible reminder that I’m not pedaling perfect circles, it becomes annoying. And 6.5º is actually quite a bit of free rotation by the time it gets all the way out to your pedals.
But here are the real problems…
For starters, there are only four pawls. And they’re offset, so only two are engaging at a time. Yes, they’re big, and they’re clicking through meaty teeth on the drive ring, but there’s just something lacking emotionally when you see this inside a not-cheap wheelset.
Second, there’s the tiniest bit of play in the rear hub. And it’s not just my rear hub. Most of the bikes at Lauf’s launch had a little play in the rear hubs. Apparently, it’s a thing with Zipp’s 1Zero HiTOP wheels. So, I took mine apart. Pulled the axle out, the freehub body off, and felt the bearings. Ultimately, I think I found the culprit:
It’s the drive-side axle cap. Or, at least, that’s the only thing I can find that isn’t rock solid.
It appears to be a two-piece design, which makes absolutely zero sense and, at the risk of sounding harsh, is a questionable design even if this is not the culprit. The pics above show how much flop the face of it has compared to its body. Zipp…why not just use a normal one-piece axle cap?
Given that this is the piece that connects the wheel with the bike, this should be rock solid, and it’s not. And, as far as I can tell, it’s what creates a tiny bit of rear hub play once the wheel is installed on the bike.
That said…
The only time I notice this is when I grab the tire and frame and try to wiggle it. The play isn’t noticeable when riding, and it doesn’t cause any shifting issues or brake rotor rub. And after more than a year of hard riding, it hasn’t gotten worse. So, does it matter? I don’t know, but it still seems like a silly design on an otherwise great wheelset.
That’s honestly my only real complaint about them.
Otherwise, the hubs have held up well, spin freely, and look good. Yes, I’d love to have the lighter SW wheels to save on unsprung mass and bragging rights (170g = 0.37lbs).
But at least most of the weight savings is toward the center of the wheel since both S and SW share the same rim. And, if you wanna get into the weeds, some of those weight savings come from the SW using Center Lock rotors and the S using 6-bolt, so by the time you add 10-30g heavier Center Lock rotors, you lose a bit of those gains.
Yes, You Should Consider These
If the Zipp 1ZERO HiTOP weren’t on your list, add them. Priced at $1,400 (S) to $2,050 (SW), they’re both weight- and price-competitive with other premium wheels on the market. And they come with a lifetime warranty.
We’ve beat the snot out of them on Sedona’s hard rock, Flagstaff’s jump lines, alpine rock gardens and high-speed flow trails, Bentonville’s skills parks, and Forks’ incredibly steep enduro trails. And here we are, still riding them hard. They may not get the attention of brightly anodized, deafeningly loud wheels from boutique brands, but the performance speaks volumes.
