Lightly used Zipp 303 Firecrest- should I?
10-29-16, 01:42 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Denver area (Ken Caryl Valley)
Posts: 1,745
Bikes: 2022 Moots RCS, 2014 BMC SLR01 DA Mech, 2020 Santa Cruz Stigmata, Ibis Ripmo, Specialized Levo SL, Norco Bigfoot VLT
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 444 Post(s)
Liked 161 Times
in
101 Posts
Lightly used Zipp 303 Firecrest- should I?
Seller (reliable guy with a good reputation who sells lots of wheel sets...may be associated with a bike shop) says the wheelset only has ~200 miles. It could be a demo, I guess. The front hub has been upgraded by Zipp but the rear is the original 188 hub. He wants around $1,250.
What do you guys think about a 303 like this, and for this price? I'm looking for a light wheelset for my BMC SLR01 frame.
What do you guys think about a 303 like this, and for this price? I'm looking for a light wheelset for my BMC SLR01 frame.
10-29-16, 01:59 PM
#2
On Your Left
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Long Island, New York, USA
Posts: 8,373
Bikes: Trek Emonda SLR, Sram eTap, Zipp 303
Mentioned: 34 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3004 Post(s)
Liked 2,432 Times
in
1,186 Posts
Sounds fair to me.
10-30-16, 08:36 AM
#3
well hello there
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Point Loma, CA
Posts: 15,406
Bikes: Bill Holland (Road-Ti), Fuji Roubaix Pro (back-up), Bike Friday (folder), Co-Motion (tandem) & Trek 750 (hybrid)
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 495 Post(s)
Liked 311 Times
in
194 Posts
Seller (reliable guy with a good reputation who sells lots of wheel sets...may be associated with a bike shop) says the wheelset only has ~200 miles. It could be a demo, I guess. The front hub has been upgraded by Zipp but the rear is the original 188 hub. He wants around $1,250.
What do you guys think about a 303 like this, and for this price? I'm looking for a light wheelset for my BMC SLR01 frame.
What do you guys think about a 303 like this, and for this price? I'm looking for a light wheelset for my BMC SLR01 frame.
__________________
.
.
Two wheels good. Four wheels bad.
.
.
Two wheels good. Four wheels bad.
10-30-16, 09:51 AM
#4
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Denver area (Ken Caryl Valley)
Posts: 1,745
Bikes: 2022 Moots RCS, 2014 BMC SLR01 DA Mech, 2020 Santa Cruz Stigmata, Ibis Ripmo, Specialized Levo SL, Norco Bigfoot VLT
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 444 Post(s)
Liked 161 Times
in
101 Posts
If I'm buying used and not getting a pretty good deal, I'm not very tempted. Thanks for the input. I think I'll pass on this one. If the 303 was tubeless-ready, I'd even spring for a new one. I like tubeless enough to where I don't want to spend $2,000-$3,000 for a new carbon wheelset (in that 35mm-45mm range I want) unless it is truly and technically tubeless-ready in the rim-brake version. The Enve 2.2 SES is but it is a bit shallow (I could live with that) but the reviews frequently point to some sort of flex that causes brake rub. The Bontrager Aeolus 3 is TLR but the braking is supposedly sub-par. Still worth investigating a bit more, I guess.
10-30-16, 10:35 PM
#5
Junior Member
Make sure the hubs are upgraded. There has been a recall due them coming apart while riding. My rear hub brought me to an instant stop and then it wasn't very pretty. Andy
10-31-16, 08:00 AM
#6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Denver area (Ken Caryl Valley)
Posts: 1,745
Bikes: 2022 Moots RCS, 2014 BMC SLR01 DA Mech, 2020 Santa Cruz Stigmata, Ibis Ripmo, Specialized Levo SL, Norco Bigfoot VLT
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 444 Post(s)
Liked 161 Times
in
101 Posts
Thanks for all the advice. I'm going to pass on this. Ideally, the Zipp rims with CKs or DT240s would be nice but I can't afford that new just yet. I'll wait and watch for deals since I have several other bikes and in the winter, the nice road bikes see less use anyway. I'll figure it out. I was wanting something in that 40mm-45mm depth since all the other road bikes have shallower rims so these could be more aero. The Knight rims looks good with the 3mm brake track but I am not seeing many reviews on them. Will keep looking. Who knows...maybe Zipp or Enve will come up with a tubeless version of the 303 or 3.4 SES soon. I know...wishful thinking... 
10-31-16, 08:41 AM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 878
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 129 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
303 are great wheels. I have it in tubular. Great combo of light weight and aero, without going too deep and getting nudged by crosswinds. If you are patient you can get them lightly used on ebay/CL for under $1000
The ones from a few years back with radial drive side spokes weigh in a bit lighter than the current ones, at least comparing my set to the specs on their website. On the older ones the front hub was recalled due to flange ring, rear hubs were never recalled.
The ones from a few years back with radial drive side spokes weigh in a bit lighter than the current ones, at least comparing my set to the specs on their website. On the older ones the front hub was recalled due to flange ring, rear hubs were never recalled.
10-31-16, 09:35 AM
#8
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Denver area (Ken Caryl Valley)
Posts: 1,745
Bikes: 2022 Moots RCS, 2014 BMC SLR01 DA Mech, 2020 Santa Cruz Stigmata, Ibis Ripmo, Specialized Levo SL, Norco Bigfoot VLT
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 444 Post(s)
Liked 161 Times
in
101 Posts
I have heard of many 188 rear hub problems but none of the 177, except maybe for lateral play. I don't know why they did not recall the rear 188s, since several "imploded" and locked up as Flying Foot Doc mentioned above. Not sure if the 177s have that lateral play. I'll watch for the newer ones on eBay. Another slightly related questions if you guys know- are the house-brand ENVE has any good? I'm just asking since I may also keep an eye out for used 3.4 SES wheelsets and jump on one if the price works out.
11-01-16, 03:15 PM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 749
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 26 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
If I'm buying used and not getting a pretty good deal, I'm not very tempted. Thanks for the input. I think I'll pass on this one. If the 303 was tubeless-ready, I'd even spring for a new one. I like tubeless enough to where I don't want to spend $2,000-$3,000 for a new carbon wheelset (in that 35mm-45mm range I want) unless it is truly and technically tubeless-ready in the rim-brake version. The Enve 2.2 SES is but it is a bit shallow (I could live with that) but the reviews frequently point to some sort of flex that causes brake rub. The Bontrager Aeolus 3 is TLR but the braking is supposedly sub-par. Still worth investigating a bit more, I guess.
I'm mainly going to use it for racing.
11-01-16, 04:02 PM
#10
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Denver area (Ken Caryl Valley)
Posts: 1,745
Bikes: 2022 Moots RCS, 2014 BMC SLR01 DA Mech, 2020 Santa Cruz Stigmata, Ibis Ripmo, Specialized Levo SL, Norco Bigfoot VLT
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 444 Post(s)
Liked 161 Times
in
101 Posts
The ones I know of are the Bontragers, NOX Composites, November Wheels, Kappius, and Boyd. I have the NOX A36D on my cross/winter bike but they have rim versions and also a new 35mm rim coming out soon. My NOX rims do tubeless fine. I have run them with narrow Schwalbe Pro One 23s and now have Bontrager CX0 33s on...holding air great, so the tubeless beadlock is at least decent. I have not tried the others.
