Home > Bike Types > Cyclocross

Zipp takes new Course with Aluminum Disc-brake Tubeless and Tubular wheels

29 Comments
Support us! Bikerumor may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Learn More

Zipp_30-Course_disc-brake_road-cyclocross_rear-wheel

Two new wheelsets from Zipp, the 30 Course tubeless-ready and tubular variants, bring more options for disc-brake road and cyclocross riders. Zipp sees these wheels as an excellent multi-use speed weapon designed for everything from road adventures to full-on cyclocross racing. Being the first tubeless compatible wheelset from Zipp, they were developed around a wide 21mm internal width with a true shelf to hold tire beads at the lower tubeless tire pressures we can expect on the road, gravel, and cross courses. Both aluminum tubeless and tubular rims use a similar 25mm wide overall profile that is 26mm deep, combining some of the aero benefits and predictability in crosswinds of their top-level wheels at a lower price point and without the compromise of including a parallel braking surface that shapes the standard 30 wheels.

Roll past the break for more insight into the new wheels and their expected availability…

Zipp_30-Course_disc-brake_road-cyclocross_wheelset

Zipp sees these as a new benchmark for a durable, high-performance aluminum disc-brake wheelset, and it looks like they may signal more focus on disc-brakes combined with the aero background Zipp is known for. The wider rim profile, which Zipp has been pushing for years in the carbon offerings, bring the ability for higher tire air volume, spreading a standard tire casing to widen the tire contact patch with the road. As a result the wheels should lean towards better cornering grip and increased comfort, especially on rougher road, gravel, and dirt rides and events (like those the pros will be suffering through on this weekend’s Paris-Roubaix.)

Zipp_30-Course_disc-brake_road-cyclocross_wheelset_hubs-77D-QR Zipp_30-Course_disc-brake_road-cyclocross_wheelset_hubs-177D-11SPD-TA

Both wheel variants use the versatile new 77/177D hubs developed for the higher-end 202 and 303 disc-brake wheels, with 10/11-speed Shimano or Campy compatible cassette bodies standard. A SRAM XD cassette/driver body is also available separately. The hubs are thru-axle compatible, and wheelsets come with tool-free end caps to swap for the most common axles: front, 12x100mm & 15x100mm; and rear, 12x135mm & 12x142mm. Both wheelsets are built up front and rear with 24 Sapim CX-Ray spokes and secure-lock nipples. And the tubeless-ready wheels ship with rim tape and tubeless valves.

 

Zipp_30-Course_disc-brake_road-cyclocross_wheelset_tubeless-clincher-rim Zipp_30-Course_disc-brake_road-cyclocross_wheelset_tubeless-clincher-rim-profile

Zipp_30-Course_disc-brake_road-cyclocross_wheelset_tubular-rim Zipp_30-Course_disc-brake_road-cyclocross_wheelset_tubular-rim-profile

Both wheelsets will retail for $1,000/€1,045/£800. We were told availability will be from June 2015, but Zipp’s site promises clinchers in May and tubulars not until July (but in plenty of time to glue up cross tires!)

30 Course Disc-brake Clincher
Weight: 1650g per wheelset
Rim size: 26mm deep, 25mm wide, 21mm internal

30 Course Disc-brake Tubular
Weight: 1615g per wheelset
Rim size: 26mm deep, 25mm wide

Zipp.com

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

29 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Kris
Kris
8 years ago

When did $1000 for a set of 1650g wheels become acceptable? Campagnolo Zondas weigh 100g less and can be had for 1/2 the money with (arguably) higher quality. I don’t buy that disk brakes add to the cost, sure the hubs would cost more to machine but the rims should offset that. Also one of the promises of road disk was that the rims would be lighter, so far this doesn’t seem to be the case.

Number one rule of business, charge what the market will bear. I guess cyclists just want to spend more money these days.

KC
KC
8 years ago

Once again SRAM’s anti-Shimano bias is hurting Zipp. You can adapt Centerlock to 6-bolt, but not vice-versa. No Centerlock means no XTR Icetech rotors.

How the heck did HED get more advanced than Zipp?

Peter R
8 years ago

I’d choose No Tubes Grails for $400 less or the new Reynolds ATR for $500 more.

Zipp is a highly regarded product, and obviously very popular, but even Velonews in a recent carbon clincher wheel test noted what most people say, that the hubs are finicky. As race wheels, I can see why some people don’t mind dealing with hubs that may be a bit high maintenance, but I want something that is rock solid and is almost plug and play and forget about it.
Until Zipp can get by that hubs issue (real or perceived) I’ll choose other products.

mateo
mateo
8 years ago

@ Peter – These are completely new hubs from Zipp. There is no preload adjustment as Zipp claims the design/manufacturing eliminates the need.

John
John
8 years ago

Makes you wonder why Zipp’s recently updated Firecrest Disc carbon wheels didn’t get wider rims and tubeless compatibility…

KC: SRAM can’t bring themselves to license Shimano’s centerlock, simple as that.

iridebikes
iridebikes
8 years ago

For the same price you can get a USA handbuilt wheelset from Velocity USA with industry nine hubs, Aileron Tubeless ready rims and Sapim CX ray spokes that are almost 200 grams lighter…. Not to mention you can then specify nipple style/color, spoke count, etc… And these hubs look nice, but i’d choose I9 hubs 10 times out of 10!

jake
jake
8 years ago

Many of the center lock to 6 bolt adapters make noise.

Brendan
Brendan
8 years ago

@KC: as much as I love Shimano’s brake technology, Centerlock needs to die. The fewer hub makers that support it, the more likely Shimano is to release 6-bolt Freeza rotors.

wako29
wako29
8 years ago

@Kris: “Also one of the promises of road disk was that the rims would be lighter” this was always BS. The wheels need to handle pressures of a 120psi tire and pothole hits at 40+mph – all significantly higher forces than a MTB wheel. The fact that a brake track doesn’t exist doesn’t do squat to lower weight. The fact that a disc wheels require much more spokes for braking forces add to the weight greatly. Disc brakes will always add weight when compared to rim brakes. Period. This is a big reason why disc brakes on a road bike suck.

@KC: Centerlock is open source. That’s why several companies (HED, Bontrager, DT, etc) use it. It’s a much better design then 6-bolt, it’s just more difficult to manufacture and uses much tighter tolerances than 6-bolt.

anonymous
anonymous
8 years ago

@wako29
It means you can remove the extra brake track that would normally wear down before the rim became unusable. Or did you think the first time you wore off a micrometer off the braking surface the rim was trash and would suddenly expolode?

Dustin
8 years ago

Who in their right mind would buy these? Only 24 spokes front/rear yet they still weight 1640g. And they are road disc wheels, yet have 6-bolt brake mounts while the best rotors are only available in centerlock. I know, Zipp is owned by SRAM, but lets face it – Shimano has the best brakes on the market, and a lot of people will be using them and want to use the proper rotors. A custom handbuilt set using Stan’s Grail rims laced to White Industries CLD hubs with CX-Rays in a 24/28 spoke count cost less, weight less, will be more reliable with a few extra spokes on the rear wheel, and the hubs are made in the USA and are simply fantastic. And you can pick the color of the hubs/spokes/nipples.

Sat-Ganesha Khalsa
Sat-Ganesha Khalsa
8 years ago

Not tech person but have been watching/reading the development of road tubeless for the last few years

Here is what I see for these and others of the “best tubeless” and what will likely be regardless of value/quality/price point.

1) no need for rim tape, rims have only one hole for the valve.
2) rim bead and width is designed and tested for tubeless tires that allow of variety of tire sizes and tires pressures.
3) strength/spoke count/model of rims for specific rides just like we have now in “tubed”.
4) tires are designed and tested for tubeless.

When ever I get too caught up in tube vs. tubeless I think that if tubes were “best”; cars, trucks, motorcycles would all still have tubes.

Not certain when I will buy road tubeless, I was early adopter of electronic shifting and road disc..it was challenging but now like a lot.

Denny
Denny
8 years ago

@Dustin: “Shimano has the best brakes on the market, and a lot of people will be using them and want to use the proper rotors. ” You obviously haven’t used the new SRAM Hydro brakes. Blow away Shimano in terms of modulation and feel. Power the same/hard to compare since both have more than enough power.

John
John
8 years ago

@wako29: Centerlock requires paying a license fee to Shimano: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_brake#Disc_mounting_standards

Alex @ Hermes Sport
8 years ago

For anyone looking for something like the Freeza rotor with a 6-bolt mount, Jagwire makes a very similar model. http://jagwire.com/products/v/elite_vented_disc_brake_rotors

Mac
Mac
8 years ago

@denny – sram could give them to me and I still wouldn’t use them. Never again.

rob c
rob c
8 years ago

1650gm for $1000 / £800 seems really expensive?

considering the stock Giant P-SLO wheelset on my 2015 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 2 weigh only a few gm more than the Zipp wheels, and came as part of a GBP£2,599 bike that has a sub 1kg carbon frame and Ultegra 6800 with Shimano hydraulic disc brakes.

the stock P-SLO wheels use Giant’s own semi-aero aluminium alloy rim, and sealed bearing disc hubs with DT Swiss internals. Have been abusing the hell out of these wheels for months with no issues to speak of, they feel light, tight and very responsive when accelerating.

Cannot complain really?

Kernel Flickitov
Kernel Flickitov
8 years ago

Pacenti SL25 + King R45D + Sapim CX-Ray

About the same price, less weight, better hubs,far more options, and you support US companies that support wheel builders.

JG
JG
8 years ago

I just picked up a pair of Pacenti SL25s laced to White Industries CLD hubs from Rob Curtis at Psimet. Weight is 1620 grams with double rim strip for tubeless, and cost was about $800. Running tubeless Schwalbe Ones and Ice tech rotors. They are amazing.

Myke
Myke
8 years ago

@wako29. You couldn’t be more wrong about mtb wheels!

pdxfixed
pdxfixed
8 years ago

You guys seem to be forgetting that SRAM already does license Centerlock for their Avid rotors…

Steve
Steve
8 years ago

I concur with the comments here and throw in another choice.
The DT Swiss R23 set comes in at $400 less, same weight, and easy thru-axle change if you don’t choose that version to begin with. The lower R24 set is $600 less and only a 120 grams more. Oh and both are tubeless compatible and centerlock plus include a nice 6-bolt conversion ring.

greg
greg
8 years ago

SRAM does not pay Shimano to make Centerlock compatible rotors. Apparently they don’t need a license to make those. They would need a license to make the lockring, hence SRAM centerlock rotors don’t come with one. Weird, I know. SRAM are in denial. Call up their warranty/tech support for a wheel issue and they ask, “does it have a SRAM or Campy freehub?” C’mon, it’s a Shimano freehub. Unless it’s an xD driver…
These wheels are a bit meh. SRAM is slowly bringing Zipp down. Rockshox will be next (already started – RS1).

Velo
Velo
8 years ago

I think the Shimano centerlock patent will expire in 2021, assuming Shimano keeps paying the fees. Patent #6371252

a
a
8 years ago

nice alu wheels yes, too expensive yes.
You can make high end wheels and ask extra.
you can’t make mid-range wheel and still ask extra.

ive’ 1560gr pacentis sl23, tubeless, disc, w/novatec hubs and replaced bearings and sapim spokes (32×28, cross bike) and this cost me 550USD – and are probably slightly better wheels than the zipps.

Carl
Carl
8 years ago

Many good points with respect to the tubeless option. However, I think the really cool part is the tubular option since it is difficult to find aluminum tubular wheelsets. Disk “road” is kinda silly, but for cyclocross, where disk brakes are truly beneficial, tubeless doesn’t always cut it if you want to run adequately low pressures. Many people can’t afford or don’t want carbon wheels and for that, Zipp manufacturing an aluminum tubular wheel is great. Even if it might be a bit pricy, it is still less expensive than a comparable carbon wheel.

goridebikes
goridebikes
8 years ago

There are lots of valid criticism here, regarding weight, price..

But the lack of centerlock hub criticism is stupid. Get off of Shimano’s (deleted), and realize that it’s not necessary. First, it requires carrying a cassette tool and something to generate high leverage on that tool if you want to be able to service it. 6-bolt uses a low torque and a common T-25 bolt head.
Second, the choices for rotors in 6-bolt are far greater. The availability of 140mm Freeza rotors is a sad day for braking performance. Those rotors are too small and everyone who is freaking out about wanting them is being brainwashed. A 160mm rotor in a standard ice-tech style is more than adequate and WAY better than a 140. When did 10g become more important than actual braking performance? Literally the ONLY reason centerlock is relevant is because shimano produces the Freeza rotors only in centerlock.

Last, centerlock is a CRAPPY STANDARD!!! There is exactly ONE version of 6-bolt mounting. Centerlock has multiple different lockrings, depending on thru-axle, and has actually other standards entirely for large MTB rotors. There is one, and only one 6-bolt mounting style. And it’s compatible with EVERYTHING.

There is absolutely no real redeeming quality of Centerlock, with the exception of it being harder for stupid “mechanics” to strip out bolts since there aren’t any…

Antipodean_G
8 years ago

@goridebikes everything you said.

k
k
8 years ago

death to centerlock

Subscribe Now

Sign up to receive BikeRumor content direct to your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Sign up to receive BikeRumor content direct to your inbox.