Without Limits

The UK's Cycling Plus magazine rated the Zipp 303 Firecrest Carbon Clincher five stars, its highest possible mark. Click to read full review.

The UK's Cycling Weekly trumpets the 303 Firecrest Carbon Clincher's aero attributes and proven toughness. Click to read full item. versatility.

BikeRadar.com called the Zipp 303 Firecrest "the 303 Firecrest is the best all-round road wheelset we've tested." Full review here

"Road: The Journal of Road Cycling and Culture" concluded that the 303 Firecrest Carbon Clincher wheels "clearly have a special feel to them." Click on PDF to read the complete review. 

Germany's RoadBike Magazine  reviewed Zipp®'s 303 Firecrest® Carbon Clincher.

Click PDF for original article in German.  

UK magazine Triathlon Plus reviewed the 303 Firecrest® Carbon Clincher and asked, is this the ultimate all-around wheelset?

Germany's RoadBike Magazine  reviewed Zipp®'s 303 Firecrest® Carbon Clincher.

Click PDF for English highlights of German article.  

The UK magazine Pro Cycling called the 303 Firecrest® Carbon Clincher one of the very best and fastest all-around wheelsets available. 

Triathlon & Multi Sports magazine of Australia reviews the Firecrest® 303 Zipp®'s answer to the any wheel questions: "The 303s are still the standard of what a great all-round aero wheel set should be."

Spain's Ciclismo a Fondo magazine reviewed the 303 Firecrest Carbon Clincher wheelset. Click to right for article; see English translation below.

Ciclismo a Fondo – Sergio Palomar (Jan 2012)

Zipp 303 Firecrest wheels

Last year they have revolutionized the Aerodynamic wheelset concept with their Firecrest rim design for the 808 and 404 high depth rim models. We have been surprised by the Carbon Clincher models due to their very good handling which also offers a light wheelset without requesting a Tubular set on a day to day basis. Now, the most versatile model of the Zipp range, benefits from the same advantages. With a 45mm profile, the 303s behave as some “conventional” higher depth rim profiles wheelsets thanks to their Firecrest design which considers not only the front of the wheel as a wind impact zone but also the interior of the rim. Regarding the tire it stays “inside” the main width of the rim which generates collateral effects and plays a major role in the riding comfort. This is due to the fact that the tire is more open and is acting such as there is more air which spreads the impacts on a bigger rim surface. To end with the technical aspects, we need to mention that Zipp redesign their hubs in order to insure stiffness by moving the non-driveside bearing outward by 7.5mm and canting the non-driveside flange which aline the spokes and provides a better stability to the wheel.

After testing them during few hundred kilometers, we can give you more praises. They have the right rim depth: the inertia does not influence too much and makes it easy to accelerate. As for the lack of lateral stiffness, which has been noticed for similar rims, sincerely we haven’t felt that in any circumstance. Due to the Firecrest rim width combined with the new brake pads; these stay very close to the frame, be careful if you have a thin space to insert your wheel, but for us the wheel never rubbed the frame even during heavy brake.

The pleasant riding feeling comes from the vertical compliance as we explained above, a higher pressure of the tire and a more efficient design which allows the vertical deformation of the wheel face to holes. Their effectiveness on rough roads is pretty quickly perceived compared to other wheelsets with the same rim profile.
Another critical point about carbon wheels is the braking performance. Zipp solves it in an exceptional manner. The 303s are supplied with a specific set of brake pads, Tangent Platinum Pro, developed with SwissStop. We could enjoy the strong braking quality as soon as we began to press the lever. Finally, we cannot forget the aero theme, in which the Firecrest concept brings a really advantage. We went out once with a very strong wind and could noticed how stable they are. If you plan to upgrade the quality of your bike and have few grams less, no doubt, these 303s have powerful arguments to be part of your equipment, including your everyday wheels.

With the new Firecrest rim shape in our 404 and 808 Tubulars and Carbon Clinchers, Zipp wheels make a bigger difference in more ways than ever. Not only is Firecrest more aerodynamic than any other rim design, it improves handling in crosswinds, wheel strength, and overall ride quality. Read More

Advanced Boundary Layer Control (ABLC) refers to the patented and instantly recognizable dimpled pattern found on most of our rims. ABLC smoothes airflow across the rim's surface and is tailored to every model from the 202 to the Sub9 disc. 2009 sees the third-generation of ABLC, with up to 4 times more dimples than before. Read More

Visco-Elastic Constrained Layer Control (VCLC) uses a vibration-absorbing material sandwiched between layers of rigid carbon laminate in the rim. When the wheel receives an impact from the road, much of the shock is absorbed by the VCLC system, delivering a 10% reduction in vibration. Read More

Every aspect of our 88 and 188 hubs sets a new benchmark. The standard steel bearings are the roundest in the industry. The 17mm axle is the stiffest of any road hub we've tested. The wire EDM-cut hub internals are the most precise. The SHIFT spoke hole technology is the most durable. When it comes to precision and performance, there's really no comparison. Read More