The new Zipp 302 carbon wheelset
Zipp’s newest member of the family is an entry level model that paves the way into the carbon road wheel world in elegant fashion.
The middle of the season rolled around and Zipp presented a new carbon clincher road wheelset. Weighing in at 1654g, the beautifully shaped Zipp 302 wheels are lightweight and not too heavy on the wallet with their 1299 Euro price tag. Here is my review of two months of training and racing on Zipp’s new entry level model.
| Specifications: | Zipp 302 Carbon Clincher |
|---|---|
| Application | Road / Gravel |
| Weight | 1645 g (set) |
| Rim material | Carbon fibre |
| Inner width - rim | 16.25 mm |
| Outer width - rim | 26.50 |
| Depth - rim | 45 mm |
| Tubeless System | None |
| Number of spokes | 20 (front), 24 (rear) |
Sleek look down on the 302s.
The Zipp 302, a symbiosis of elegance and functionality!
First impression
At first sight, the 302 already has the look and feel of a high quality wheelset, just as it should be with a premium Zipp product in this price range. With the wheels come quick releases, valve extensions and rim tape. Naturally, tyres, tubes, brake pads and the cassette have to be acquired separately.
The valve hole ist marked by a small 302.
The front hub seen from the cockpit.
What caught my eye from the start, were the rather large rim dimensions with an inner rim width of 16.25 mm and an outer rim width of 26.5 mm. As ever wider tyres come to market due to their improved rolling qualities and comfort, Zipp is at the spearhead of this trend and the 302s falls into line with its wide rim.
Mounting the tyres on the wheels was a smooth affair and I was soon ready to go.
The first meters already made clear that the 302s are special. Due to their stiffness, any steering command is executed in a very direct manner and accelerating out of turns is loads of fun with the lightweight wheels. The aerodynamic advantages became noticeable at higher speeds. The 302 are fast!
An important factor when evaluating carbon wheels is their braking qualities unless you run the disc version. My practical test with SwissStop FlashPro Carbon pads left me without concerns. Braking performance in dry and wet conditions was good and brake modulation was superb.
The braking track works well with Swissstop FlashPro pads.
Racing on cobblestones
Then the first race day came around. It was my home race „Rund um Dom und Rathaus“ in Aachen, a gruelling cobblestone criterium and it also happened to be raining heavily that day. However, the experience from the previous training rides was confirmed. The Zipp 302 impressed with their agility, stiffness and great braking performance. I’m convinced that they played a big part in enabling me to cross the finish line as the winner.
Cobblestones are the true acid test for wheels and the 302 aced it. A post race inspection confirmed that the bearings were still running smooth and the wheels were still perfectly true. More races during the following weeks in Belgium, Holland and Germany repeated the great performance.
Die Zipp 302 lassen sich gut bergauf beschleunigen.
Aerodynamics matter...
The 20 spokes in the front make for an elegant look.
My verdict
Zipp enters the lower end of the carbon clincher wheel market with a bang. The 302 debut is a real success. I put about 2000 km on the wheelset and I wish I could keep it. If you are looking for stiff, agile, aerodynamic and fast carbon clincher wheels with a stellar look at an affordable price, you have found them.
