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The 303 has historically been Zipp’s ideal all-rounder wheelset – it’s been raced on the road, from cobbled classics to cols, cyclocross and gravel.
The latest generation of the 303 SW carries on that heritage with its 25mm-wide, 40mm-deep rim profile. The thickened sidewalls are optimised for 30-35mm road tyres, but can also handle larger gravel treads. The wheels are claimed to have improved impact strength and upgraded bearings for longevity, too.
At 1,442g per pair (including tubeless tape), they are sufficiently light – especially when you consider each wheel has a built-in pressure gauge powered by a CR2032 cell.
Performance wheels
They’re brilliant wheels – the freehub's rapid 5.5-degree pickup gives near-instant responses.
They feel impressively stiff without being harsh over poorer surfaces, and I’ve been running them mainly with Goodyear’s large-volume 35c Vector tyres, which means a drop in tyre pressure over skinnier rubber, enabling even better comfort.
But it’s the tyre pressure sensors that have put these ahead of a wealth of great wheels I’ve ridden over the last couple of years, from Partington’s astonishingly light (and astonishingly priced) MKII to Cadex’s all-carbon lightweight Max 40 and Hunt’s Limitless Gravel.
Pressure check
Pressure sensors aren’t a new thing. I’ve used the add-on TyreWiz before (and have them on my gravel wheels).
They’re a great idea, although they add on a fair amount of cash to your wheelset cost. They’re cleverly integrated in the Zipp wheels and add minimal weight.
Getting ready to ride used to consist of a quick thumb-push test of my tyres. Now, as soon as I power on my GPS, it connects to the wheels and gives me an accurate pressure reading, so I know if I need to add a few psi before setting off.
Once you get going, you receive constant readings, so if you hit a pothole and think you may have pinched the tyre or burped the seal, you have a live pressure reading in an instant. In the heat of summer, being able to monitor pressure is also a bonus, because, as the air in the tyres heats up, it expands.
It takes the guesswork out of roadside repairs too, and when running gravel tyres on the 303 SW, I could drop the pressures once I’d got to the trail head and use a pump to inflate them back to a more efficient road pressure once back on tarmac.
Having the 303 SW on my bike, and my current favourite electric mini-pump – Prestacycle’s Prestaflator Go – in my jersey pocket has made every ride better. I know my tyres are in tip-top condition and accurate pressure adjustments are at my fingertips.
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