Zipp’s new 302 Carbon Clincher loses dimples, adds affordability

Plus 454 NSW goes disc, stays expensive

Published: May 19, 2017 at 2:00 pm

Are you lusting after some of that Zipp carbon aero goodness but don’t want to spend the equivalent of a new kitchen on a set of wheels? If so, Zipp’s new 302 Carbon Clincher might be for you. This 45mm-deep, £1,299 / $1,500, wheelset offers the cheapest ticket yet to Zipp’s full-carbon prom, and it’s launching in both rim brake and disc brake variants.

If that’s just not expensive enough for your tastes, Zipp has also announced a disc version of its flagship 454 NSW Carbon Clincher. The 454 made waves when it launched last year with its unique whale-inspired Sawtooth rim profile, which claims to reduce aerodynamic drag while also improving crosswind behaviour.

Interestingly, despite the recent launch of Zipp’s new tubeless road tyres, none of the three new wheelsets are tubeless-ready, although it seems more than likely that future versions will be.

Zipp 302 – affordable (by Zipp standards) aero

Zipp’s 302 doesn’t have dimples

Zipp

Available in both rim brake and disc brake versions, the 302 laces 45mm-deep full carbon rims to Zipp’s latest 76/176 hubset with Sapim CX-Sprint J-bend spokes and brass nipples for easy servicing and durability, respectively.

The disc version of the 302 uses centre-lock 76D/176D Zipp hubs

Zipp

The disc brake model offers full compatibility with major axle types, along centre-lock disc mount. Meanwhile, the rim brake version inherits brake track technology from Zipp’s Firecrest wheels – no bad thing, as it’s widely held to be among the best in the carbon clincher business.

The 302 Rim-brake borrows its braking surface from Zipp’s Firecrest rims

Zipp

The rim profile is a bulgy one as we’ve come to expect from Zipp, swelling to a gargantuan 26.5mm at its widest. Despite this, the internal width remains a modest 16.25mm, which is fairly conservative by current standards. The most noticeable feature of the 302s is actually the lack of a feature – those golf ball-style dimples that have been a hallmark of Zipp’s carbon wheels since they first appeared on the 900 disc wheel in 2002 (and the 404 in 2004/2005) are conspicuous by their absence.

According to Zipp, this is one of the ways the price has been kept relatively low, as creating tooling for dimpled rims is particularly expensive. In a similar vein, it looks like these wheels have standard decals rather than the fancy ‘Impress’ graphics of the latest flagship offerings.

Zipp hasn’t provided any lab data, but it’s safe to assume that the 302s will be less aero than the all-singing, all-dancing NSW models. They’re also far, far cheaper, however, with pricing that puts them in direct competition with more explicitly budget-focused brands.

Zipp 302 specs

1645g rim brake wheelset claimed weight (740g front / 905g rear)
1695g disc brake wheelset claimed weight (785g front / 910g rear)
45mm rim depth
26.5mm max rim width
25.6mm brake track width
16.25mm internal width
20 front / 24 rear spoke count (rim brake)
24 front / 24 rear spoke count (disc brake)
Sapim secure-lock nipples
Sapim CX-Sprint spokes
76/176 and 76D/176D hubs
Available in white decals only

Zipp 302 pricing and availability

The Zipp 302 will retail at £1,299 / $1,500 / €1,530 / AU$TBC for both versions.The rim brake model will be available this month, with the disc version to follow in June.

Zipp 454 NSW disc brake – wheels inspired by nature now stop better

The Zipp 454 NSW has gone disc

Zipp

The new 454 NSW disc brake makes the predictable move of adding disc hubs to Zipp’s extraordinary-looking 454 NSW, the first wheelset to make use of the whale-inspired Sawtooth rim design.

Zipp’s Sawtooth claims class-leading aero properties

Zipp

Sawtooth’s wavy rim varies from 53 to 58mm in depth, creating ‘Hyperfoil nodes’ along the inside of the rim that work with the ‘HexFin ABLC Dimples’ (yes, really) to improve airflow and increase the rate of vortex shedding, which Zipp says makes for greater stability.With no braking track on the rim, the new wheelset gets rows of dimples all the way to its edge. It also benefits from the latest ‘Impress’ graphics, which don’t cover up the dimpled surface the way the old decals did.

The 454’s rims are laced using top-notch Sapim CX-Ray j-bend spokes to Zipp’s own Cognition disc brake hubs, which feature ‘Axial-clutch’ technology for reduced mechanical drag compared to a standard ratchet mechanism.

The 454 NSW is built on Zipp’s Cognition Disc hubs with centre-lock disc mounts

Zipp

They are both QR and thru-axle compatible, with interchangeable end caps included as standard.

Zipp 454 NSW disc brake specs

1615g wheelset claimed weight (765g front / 850g rear)
53/58mm rim depth
27.72mm max rim width
26.4mm brake track width
17mm internal width
24 front / 24 rear spoke count
Sapim secure-lock nipples
Sapim CX-Ray j-bend spokes
Cognition disc brake hubs
Impress graphics

Zipp 454 NSW disc brake pricing and availability

The 454 NSW disc brake will retail at £3390 / $4000 / €4000 / AU$TBC. It is available from June 2017.

Matthew Loveridge

Senior Writer

Matthew Loveridge (formerly Allen) is an experienced mechanic and an expert on bike tech who appreciates practical, beautifully-engineered things. Originally a roadie, he likes bikes and kit of every stripe, and he's tested a huge variety of both over the years for BikeRadar, Cycling Plus and others. For a long time Matthew's heart belonged to the Scott Addict, but he's currently enjoying Specialized's sublime Roubaix Expert and having a torrid affair with a Giant Trance e-MTB. At 174cm tall and 53kg, he looks like he should be better at cycling than he actually is, and he's ok with that.