Zipp’s 303 Firecrest Force Tubeless DB wheelset is designed for the real world… a world of imperfect conditions, road surfaces, and elements where the bottom line is simple. Efficiency = speed. It’s faster, lighter, and more capable over varied terrain — whether the surface is pavement in all its conditions or no pavement at all. Deeply rooted in Zipp’s drive to conquer the Spring Classics, the new 303 Firecrest is remade with a purpose-made approach for the demands of modern road bikes. When it comes to going fast on a bicycle, efficiency means reduced: Wind resistance, rolling resistance, rider fatigue, weight.

The 303 Firecrest Tubeless Disc-brake was designed using real-world direct measurements (vs. primarily wind tunnel or computer simulation). The results were huge. Its rim is slightly more bulbous in design than its predecessor, with a 30mm outside width, a 25mm internal width, and a 40mm rim depth. The profile provides low drag and an improved transition between rim and tire, boosting aero efficiency on the road. The wide rim stance also features less tire deflection for reduced rolling resistance. The combination of the wider tire, increased tire volume, and lower tire pressure helps to reduce rider fatigue by smoothing out the ride over imperfect pavement and road conditions — the tire and wheel system absorbs the shaking, not the rider.

At the center of the 303 Firecrest Tubeless Disc brake is a versatile and durable new hubset, the German-engineered ZR1 DB. This hubset features 66 points of engagement for quicker response. The 303 Firecrest wheelset is for dedicated cyclists who aspire to the latest in technology. Its competitors… in races, against peers, or simply conquering personal limits. This is about becoming faster and matching your motivation to the most advanced technology.

Features of the ZIPP 303 Firecrest Force

• New grafics and cosmetic identity that scream speed
• Versatile endurance wheelset for the modern road bike with tubeless and hookless rim profile
• Lighter Weight than its predecessor, making it nimble and fast.
• Tubeless Made Easy, optimized tire bed sign allows for simple tool-free installation and removal with no need for an air compressor to seat the tire.
• Ultra-wide 25mm rim profile creates a better tire interface to be fast on or off the road
• New 40mm rim depth makes a light and aero wheel in every situation
• New ZR1 DB hub is engineered in Germany with better seal design for improved durability and quicker response with 66 points of engagement
• Center locking rotor interface

Firecrest Technology

In developing the original 303 wheels, Zipp discovered that a wider rim increases lateral stiffness for sprinting and cornering while also providing greater vertical compliance for greater control, comfort and durability. That wider rim profile led ZIPP to develop our Firecrest technology, which revolutionized aerodynamic efficiency and stability for carbon wheels. The proprietary Firecrest rim shape optimizes the aerodynamic profile of the front half and - here's the revolutionary part - the back half of the wheel. Firecrest moves the wheel's center of pressure to be more in line with the steering axis for stability in even the stiffest crosswinds. All of that innovation along with the precision control of disc braking gives you a wheel that's as smooth as it is tough.

ABLC and VCLC
You'll also see the rim skin is embossed with lot's of dimples of different diameters in a pattern which forces the airflow to form thinner, turbulent boundary layers. This significantly reduces the interference drag. The turbulent layer also adheres to the wheel skin throughout an increased airflow angle of attack, resulting in significantly lower drag in cross-wind situations, which means you have even more control with the ABLC (Aerodynamic Boundary Layer Control) rim. ABLC increases handling performance by minimizing the low-pressure wake left behind the wheel, allowing for greater tire choice with fewer aerodynamic side effects than seen with other designs. Zipp's exclusive VCLC (Visco-Elastic Constrained Layer Control) technology dramatically reduces rider fatigue, particularly in the hands, arms, neck, and posterior - while greater control of the tire contact patch simultaneously improves cornering grip and minimizes rolling resistance.

ZIPP's Hookless Tire Compatibility Guide

Choosing the best tubeless tire for your Zipp road wheels is simple now. See the specific guidelines on selecting a tubeless tire for Zipp road wheels with a hookless rim-tire interface, along with a list of approved tires by make and model: ZIPP's Hookless Tire Compatibility Guide

Included in delivery: wheelset incl. rim tape, 12mm endcaps, valve extension

For Tubeless tires only!