Zipp 101

Swiss Army Wheel

All of Zipp’s marketing oxygen is presently being sucked up by the new Firecrest line, but we’d like to take a look at last year’s darling, the 101’s. The 101’s take Zipp and Hed’s fully toroidal rim shape and brings it to the masses in an aluminum clincher rim, resulting in a $1300 wheelset that strikes a terrific balance between affordability, aerodynamics, ride quality, and weight. We rode our wheels for the last 5-6 months, using Stan’s NoTubes rim tape and Hutchinson tubeless tires. (Full disclosure: Zipp pays for the ad at the top of this site with wheels. Part of last year’s payment was 101’s for Schmalz and me.)

Construction

The 101’s are laced with 18/20 Sapim CX-Rays, radial front and radial drive side, 1x non drive side rear. Shifting the driving spokes to the non drive side effectively reduces the dish on the rear wheel, reducing the tension imbalance between the two sides. In theory this should make the non drive side spokes tighter and less likely to loosen, but my rear wheel got quite out of true when those very spokes lost tension. Truing the wheel back up was a cinch, but this really shouldn’t happen. Schmalz’s wheels have held up fine. (9/6/12 Update: In hindsight this was probably due to me running the wheel tubeless. We’ve since found that tubeless tires reduce spoke tension by quite a lot.)

The hubs are Zipp’s own 88/188 set, the same spec’d on their über high end wheels. The hubs are all made custom for each wheelset, so straight pull spoke heads exit at the perfect angle for each spoke count/rim depth.

We used NoTubes tape to convert these wheels to tubeless. Tape application is surprisingly foolproof, or at least Schmalz-proof – give the rim bed a light sanding, clean, and stretch the tape on. I tried to help him with it but he did a sloppy job with lots of air bubbles, and still the rim sealed perfectly. The tires lose a few psi a day, but they never went flat, even with days of neglect. I rode and raced the wheels on every ride during the test period and never suffered a flat. Schmalz flatted once when a tire was slashed.

Performance

The most striking feature of the 101’s is their toroidal rim cross section, which bulges out at a mid point and tapers down to its outer extreme. The brake tracks are, as a result, not parallel. This tapered shape helps the rim hold on to the airflow on the leeward side in a cross wind. Smoother airflow = less turbulence = less drag. Zipp claims this makes the 101’s as aero as deeper aero rims with less refined profiles.

The non-parallel brake track did not present a problem for braking. In fact, I made no attempt to alter the angle of my brake pads. It was nice to have the solid braking performance of aluminum on an aero wheelset.

The Sapim CX-Ray’s, with their oval cross section, should also be more aero than round or flat spokes. While I was doing my indoor road feel tests I did two extra runs on the rollers with the 101’s and a set of Ksyrium’s to see if one set of spokes cut through the air more easily. While the Ksyrium’s are reputed to have some of the least aero spokes around (big and rectangular), my methods weren’t precise enough to discern a difference between the two.

The 101 rims are 21.08mm wide at the tire bead, putting them between a typical 19-20mm clincher rim and the Hed’s 23mm Ardennes. Wider rims offer several theoretical benefits: greater air volume, which allows you to run lower pressures, smoother tire shape/better transition to the rim, wider and shorter contact patch for less rolling resistance, and less tire squirm in cornering. The 101’s are wider than usual, but the difference is so minimal they don’t ride or corner like the Ardennes. Nor do they have the snap and giddy speed of a carbon tubby at 120 psi, but run tubeless at 90 psi, the ride is wonderfully plush.

Conclusion

The 101’s aren’t the lightest (1554 grams, 1523 claimed) or most aero wheels, but they do so many different things well that they can be your do everything wheels. They’re strong enough to train on daily, and they’re light and aero enough to not penalize you in a race. They’re the perfect wheels for us NYers who often ride through dicey roads to get to a race. You don’t have to worry about potholes and flats on the way there, and once the race start you’re not at a disadvantage. In fact, I convinced Schmalz to convert his 101’s to tubeless after he flatted a tubular in the Floyd 3/4 series with 2 races to go, and we all know how that ended…

 

82 Comments

Oderigo Stiff

Good info… how do these compare to the tubeless Dura Ace wheels that you guys looked at a year or two ago? They sound pretty similar as far as the low spoke count, wide rim design, and semi-aero profile. Are you guys sold on the benefits of tubeless technology?

Andy

Totally sold on tubeless. Feels great, deals with rough roads really well, haven’t had a flat in over a year. Mark Alden did the DA wheel writeup, so we don’t have a direct comparison.

The Sensei

Terms like that crack me up. There is no product out there (that I can think of) that doesn’t require ANY maintenance whatsoever and continues to function flawlessly for as long as you are alive. Everything requires occasional cleaning, lubing and/or small parts replacement to keep it running the way you expect. Failing to do this dramatically reduces the functional life of all parts. But if you want to nuke it to see if it survives, go ahead.

Robin Fork

The screeching of the hub like a banshee is just the freehub wearing out (although totally agree that using a plastic bushing instead of a bearing in the freehub for a $1,000 wheelset is totally cheapo).

It is however a testament to how long the wheels last that so many people with Mavic’s have to replace a $50 part after 10,000 miles because the rest of the wheel is still in excellent shape.

Jelle Fork

Personally I am a Hed fanaboy. But if Andy says that he rode the things for 6 months and is now using them for both racing and training, his assesment sounds pretty objective. Its not like he’s just paying them lipservice or something.

ERgometor

I posted the original “Bomb proof” post. I was kind of mocking the bike mag ussual review lingo. Nonetheless, I do love me some Mavics and the fact that so many guys and gals use these as do everything wheels says alot. Also, you see a ton of 2007 and earlier Sls still going strong on the road and in the cross circuit. How many guys do you see riding 5 year old Zipps every day with little maintenance?

Titouan Helmet

Hed Jet 6 for 1600 bucks gets you 60mm. deep, torroidal shape, everyday training and racing wheel (spokes go through the carbon fairing to an alloy box rim). Not too heavy at 1768 grams for a deep rim and you get an alloy braking surface and better customer service than Zipp. In three years of everday training/racing, I have never had to true them and had one rear spoke break which Hed repaired and sent back out the same day they received them. Hed will also build them with a power tap hub if you like.

Titouan Helmet

Hed gave me 2/3 of the price I paid for the rear wheel that was more than 2 years old and out of warranty in trade in when I wanted a rear Jet 6 built with a power tap last year.

Corentin Tarmac

Does your shorty know that you are going around calling him Schmals in a public forum?

I have a pair of the DA Tubeless SL’s and I like what you’ve done with the 101’s and Stan’s. I never really thought of that. How do the hubs compare to the DA hubs? I cannot say enough about them things!

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Helmut Gescheint

Why not build what you want/need and save money? There is lots of wheel building competence out there. I have a pair of Velocity rims/Chris King hubs/DT Swiss spokes – GREAT, durable, light training wheels – 15,000 Winter miles and the hubs are still perfect. But King rear hub is NOISY! As in – ladies digging in their begonias sit up to look – NOISY. As in – dogs strain at their leashes – NOISY.

West Coast Reader

I wonder if a set of Mavic CPX 33’s or 22’s on similar hubs and spokes would rate with the Zipp 101’s? They have a similar shape/profile without the wind tunnel testing (I think). You’d have to do without the tubeless, unless you convert it I guess?

Just tossing up other options of frugality.

Piero Flange

if you’re not doing a lot of climbing Cosmic Carbones are a perfect everyday racing/training wheelset. I won’t use the B word but they are extremely durable and aero and not all that heavy.

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LR

I’m sure that Helmut Gescheint’s wheels are at least as light as the Zipps, if not lighter. Wheelbuilding is a skill that can be acquired by anyone who is willing to take the time to learn how to do it. You won’t be as fast as the pros who do it all the time, but you can build solid wheels.

This is really all about value for money spent. The Zipps don’t provide a lot of value for $1300. You can get 95% of the performance for less than half the price.

schmalz

“You can get 95% of the performance for less than half the price.”

Do you have hard data to back up that claim?

700x25

Helmuts wheels will be heavier by at least 200 grams compared to the Zipps I am guessing- the set I have with DT 1.2 rims, king hubs weigh in at 1900 grams. Unless you buy the newer road King hubs these things weigh a bunch- ride great, but weigh a bunch.

I prefer hand laced wheels but they are not true tools for racing.

Edwig

“These wheels are maybe 95% as good as Zipps, for 42% of the price. Unless you’re lighting cigars with twenty dollar bills these babies are hard to beat.”

where was the tunnel testing here?

schmalz

There isn’t any, but if you are going to claim that a pair of wheels are 95% of the performance (in this comparison) you have to accommodate for the aero shape of the 101s, which is their point of differentiation. It’s not just about the weight and price in this instance.

Andy

https://nyvelocity.com/content/equipment/2009/grand-unification-test

There’s your test data, Rev 50 vs 808.

Not sure why Schmalz has decided to be combative this morning, but…

Part of my assessment of the Rev-50’s had to do with the fact that Zipp carbon rims aren’t the most durable ones out there. The Rev’s are super strong, so in my mind, a rim that last much longer outperforms one that’s super fast but is more likely to crack.

Which is another reason why I like the 101’s. Aero, but more durable in aluminum.

Stoffel

I agree that the 101’s are more expensive than other al wheels that achieve more or less the same but I love the 101’s. I have Hed Ardennes but the rear wheel tore open at the spokes at two places along the rim and are not repareable other than replacing the rims and having them rebuilt. I bought them from a local racer with hardly any miles on them and I used them on good roads only. I am heavy though and was right at the weight limit for those wheels. Sometimes maybe a little over the limit. I replaced the rear with the higher spoke count version. No problems so far.

I’ve raced the 101’s everywhere and not a single problem ever. They feel fast and no problems with going out of true or spokes breaking etc. They are great do-it-all wheels and the price compares well with other high-end alloy wheels. One will always pay a little premium for some brands and the benefit is not always that significant.

LR

Schmalz asks if I have hard data. Well except for the aero part, all the other data is easy to get. Weights are published, you just need to make sure you compare them properly as most published weights are ideal weights and completely bare wheels. Zipp hubs maybe ok now, but in the past they were not known for being durable. Campy and Shimano both make excellent hubs. Braking wise, I can’t see the Zipps with non-parallel brake tracks offering better performance than regular rims with parallel sides. Their performance is probably adequate, especially if you are comparing to carbon wheels. Durability of a wheel has a lot to do with the builder and the parts selected. There are lots of mediocre, or worse, builders out there in shops and at Zipp. So that is hit or miss. Lots of these high end wheels use the buyer as part of their testing program. I don’t wish to dish out my hard earned money to be someone else’s guinea pig.

schmalz

So, in summation, you have no aero data, you’ve never used the braking surface, you get your weights for wheels from the internet and you have heard that Zipp hubs have been less than durable in the past.

LR

$1300 for a pair of wheels is affordable? Not to mention that 50% of your sampling were not properly built. Sounds like overpriced wheels. For $550 I can get some wheels built up with Campy Record hubs and Mavic open Pro rims that weigh less and are arguable more durable. No offense, but this sounds like a “Bicycling” type review where all you are doing is giving your advertiser more exposure.

Andy

Open Pros are less aero, if that matters to you. $1300 is smack dab in the middle of Shimano DA, Ksyrium, Fulcrum pricing for similar wheels, and half of full carbon. Just depends on your perspective, but ‘affordable’ in this sport has been horribly skewed for a while now.

“No offense, but this sounds like a “Bicycling” type review where all you are doing is giving your advertiser more exposure.” We offer the full disclosure so you can draw that very conclusion.

schmalz

I like the tubeless also. I can’t write as many words about this as Andy, but every time I have to take these wheels off my bike and put on my Powertap training wheels, I feel compelled to ride to the nearest dumpster and toss my bike into it.

+1

You’re response is reasonable, but I don’t think it depends on your perspective. That’s like saying “it’s all relative”, or “it is what it is,”. Where’s that get us? No way in hell it’s the “perfect balance” at 1300 bucks a wheelset (unless there is a motor in there to help me win)

wha

you can get 6-7x (!!) as many neuvation wheelsets for the price of one zipp 101. for racing flat nyc courses (esp. if you ride to them) buying zipp 101s = more money than sense

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Maybe the question should be: If you were spending 1,300 of your own hard-earned dollars would they still be a great wheelset?

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Andy

Wow you guys are super frugal. When I scan through my race photos, I’d say 70% of you race on pricier wheels.

schmalz

I race on wheels I’ve made out of my own hair clippings and adobe blended from my back yard. Cost, nothing.

bc

of affordability, I actually think Andy is absolutely right. It’s not affordable for me but I’m sure it is to most of my peers. In saying that, he is implying that they will last longer than wheelsets half the price, etc. It’s a good review, I’m sure he chose his words carefully. All that said, with a wife and a little mouth to feed, I would get the s&^% kicked out of me if I spent that percentage of a paycheck on something that will do more or less what the same thing as something I could get for 1/5th the cost.

Andy

I didn’t really think too deeply about the affordability issue, because every racer I know has training wheels and at least one set of swanky race wheels. With these, I can (and will) sell my Ksyriums and Rev-50’s, and just go with one set for everything.

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You usually do a really good job reviewing bicycle hardware. You have data that backs up your conclusions. These wheels are supposed to be affordable, light and aero. I’ll skip the affordable part since it is relative. These wheels are not light by current standards. As far as aero goes, your one test where you compare to admittedly unaero wheels you ended up with inconclusive results. The only positive thing about the review is related to going tubeless, which you can do with other wheels. You’ve set a high standard with past reviews which is why this one seems a bit weak.

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I agree that there’s no hard data here. The big advantage these rims offer occur in crosswinds, so until Froncioni finishes his Chung on a Stick aero probe that will be very hard to quantify w/o a wind tunnel.

Any Al rim that’s a bit deeper is going to be heavy. The tradeoff is durability, some aero, and good braking vs weight. In most cases you’re faster with aero savings than weight savings.

Maybe I should’ve talked about the underlying technology more. Zipp made a rim for the wind tunnel that allows for quick prototyping and can hold full tire pressure. This allowed them to test rim shapes with fully pressurized tires. They also had to build machines that could QC the rims, which apparently was very difficult with the curved brake track. All this stuff costs money, and is non existent in many aluminum wheelsets at the same price point.

Arnaud Torque

Your definition of affordable may directly correlate with your ability to post on local cycling websites mid-morning of a weekday.

ERgometor

I still think that the best “bang for the buck” do everything wheelset is a good set of Ksyrium SL clinchers. You can get these now for under $900. They are bombproof, light 1500grams and last forever. Plus the hubs are unbeatable.

I am not sure the Zipp 101s are worth the extra coin

700x25

Economics aside- I appreciate the feedback on the tube less tires and general impressions of one of the “cheaper” sets of zipps out there. Exspensive wheels- worth the money once you are on them, but the cost is bitter.

Tube less- has anyone usd a conti tire? has it held air?

wha

“They are bombproof, light 1500grams and last forever. Plus the hubs are unbeatable.”

is this sarcasm?

has anyone had a mavic wheel whose hub at some point doesnt wind up screeching a f*ckin banshee?

mehi

When I had only enough money to get to a race (had to place to get home or eat) I rode Specialized tri-spokes (had two sets, clinchers and tubulars)The wheels cost $1200 in ’93, my bike was about the same price.

Recently I just bought Shimano Ultegra carbon wheels ($900), and man what a differrence from my ($500) FSAs. If I get fit next season I’ll find some scracth for pair of Zipps, and I can’t afford them!

Ayoub Setscrew

When people say “bombproof,” does that involve C4, TNT/dynamite, or some other chemical-based explosive? It’s not often one encounters in IED on 9W or buried in the sidewalk at Runcible Spoon, but if one were to experience it, it sure would be nice to know the wheels would survive.

Sam Tank

When I first read about the non parallel braking surfaces, I assumed the the surfaces were closer together at the interior, however that is not the case. This angling will tend to push brake pads onto tires with catastrophic results.

In my wind tunnel mind I image an ice cream cone cross section would beat this. An ice cream cone rim would have non parallel brake track also, but canted the other direction with the narrowest point closest the hub.

Andy

Maybe as a though experiment the pads would ride up into the tires, but it hasn’t happened to me and I haven’t heard of it happening to anyone else. The angle is too slight and brake pads by definition have a lot of drag, so the up force is probably negligible. The non parallel brake track has been around for a while, it’s on Zipp’s carbon wheels and some Hed wheels too. I think if this happened we’d have heard about it.

Mental wind tunnels don’t count, much to my dismay.

Julien Chainsuck

How difficult is it to mount tubeless tires on the 101s? I’ve been using Dura-Ace C24-TLs, but the hubs need warranty and replacement is months away. I’ve got the option to get some 101s instead but really like tubeless.

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