Zipp 202 Firecrest Carbon Clinchers: Really worth the money? Full review after spending much time on them!

For the past year, I have been riding on the Zipp 303 Firecrest carbon clincher wheels which have been a very pleasurable experience! The wheels are fast, lightweight, and let's face it, everyone loves the look of a deeper rim profile! If you're born to be a mountain goat, there's not too much that can hold you back from being the KOM on your club rides or local races. However, if you're not blessed with great power-to-weight ration, every bit of rotating mass can really hold you back from even keeping up with the group on those long climbs…

This is where the new Zipp 202 Firecrest carbon clinchers step in: Listed weight is at 1375 grams from Zipp (our set weighed in at 1340 without skewers or rim tape) which is a pretty impressive weight for 32mm aero carbon clincher wheelset. However, some concerns jump to mind: How big of a difference will these be from the deeper 303's? Will I be sacrificing aerodynamics? How durable will this wheelset be with less surface area to dissipate braking heat?

Pinarello Dogma 2 with New Sram Red on Zipp 202 Firecrest Carbon Clinchers.

Here are some of those questions answered after spending many miles on them!

Sneak peak... Campagnolo Super Record EPS

So we received the Limited Edition 2012 Pinarello Dogma 2 EPS, and all we can say is... Time to save up for component upgrades!

More to come soon, keep checking back with us for more on this Campagnolo EPS system. If you don't already know, we are accepting deposits towards these units, so call us now and get 10% off during our Hot December Event!

2012 Pinarello Dogma 2 LIMITED EDITION: Campagnolo Super Record EPS equipped Dogma 2!

Limited edition, special color; 50 pieces total in the US, first bikes available with Campagnolo Super Record EPS for at least a month if not longer. WE ONLY HAVE ONE AVAILABLE FOR SALE RIGHT NOW IN SIZE 56CM!

Retail is $16,500. The picture above shows Fulcrum Darks wheelset and a Pinarello Most Panther saddle, the actual bike will have a Fi'zi:k saddle and Campagnolo Shamal Ultra 2-Way Dark wheelset. If you want to get the only one we have available, contact Tim at 510-529-3040 or email him at tim@wrenchscience.com.

Zipp 303 Firecrest Carbon Clinchers - First Ride Review

If I said I wasn’t a victim of good marketing I would be lying, then again it’s only good marketing that I fall victim to in the first place. As consumers we learn about our products through the disclosure of manufactures and what they decide to share with us. With the hot release of the Zipp 303 Firecrest Carbon Clinchers. I thought to myself “were these the effects of good marketing”. At least That was what I thought. Then I rode them!

These are the 2012 Zipp 303 Firecrest Carbon Clinchers in the Beyond Black setup (with the exception of the decals which will be black) with black hubs, black spokes, and black nipples. The aero rims sits at 45mm tall with a brake-track width of 26.2mm while boasting a massive aero width of 28.5mm. These are equipped with the revised 2012 188 rear hub as well, adding more lateral stiffness to what is already designed to be a high performance wheel. As you read on, please keep in mind that I will be using references from previous rides with Mavic Ksyrium SL's, Shimano Dura Ace C24 clinchers, and Reynolds MV/C (same aero profile as the current Reynolds Thirty-Two carbon clincher wheels) carbon clinchers all equipped with the same Continental GP4000S 23mm tires on the same 2012 Pinarello Dogma 2 frame.