RichLV

Just saw an online retailer advertise a pre-order for Zipp 353 NSW wheels. I searched around but couldn't find any info on this model, not even from the Zipp website. I have a set of 303 Firecrests on order now, but these intrigue me.
Anybody have a scoop on these? They look to be a little deeper that 303s and possibly hookless.

cxwrench

Before the 454 NSW came out Zipp delivered a couple pair to the women's team I worked for at the AToC. Their road product manager told the girls that they were supposed to behave like a 303 in the wind but be more aerodynamic than a 404. The girls asked if they would be ok to use in the mountain stage and the PM confirmed yes, no problem. I mounted tires and when that stage came put them our top 2 GC riders bikes. That was the only time they were ridden in a road stage. They became crit wheels/TT fronts after that. The 2 riders reported that they felt if anything worse in cross winds than the 404 they had used previously. They did have the cool magnetic Axial Clutch freehub which is cool. I would think 300 series wheels w/ the same technology would probably be fine for pretty much anyone in most all conditions.

datlas 

I can't answer the question, but every time I read "NSW" wheels my brain sees "NSFW."

bampilot06

thak god i’m not the only one.

msu2001la

Info out today on these.
45mm depth, 25mm internal width, 30mm external width. 1255g. Hookless rim, tubeless only, 28mm minimum tire width. Disc only.
$4000

msu2001la

Interesting. It sounds like a few pro riders were on the new 353 NSW's over the weekend at the Amstel Gold race. I'd be curious to know what they thought of them.

Seattle Forrest

I used to have an Australian boss, so I keep seeing New South Whales.

Dude used to put his tie up over his shoulder every time he went to the bathroom.

RichLV

Specs look pretty impressive.
But that price tag.....ouch!

Dean V

What would you achieve with a wheelset like this compared to something significantly cheaper from a smaller but still reputable brand?

Litespud

there’s a new GCN video on these on YouTube.

Ghazmh

significant weight savings albeit mostly from now having a lighter wallet.

WhyFi

It's a quasi-halo product - they're certainly not for everybody; a select few with deep pockets are paying a lot more for small gains in a couple of areas. I don't understand why the concept is still not understood.

smashndash

Exactly. If Zipp didn't make wheels like this, they'd lose their brand appeal. Regardless of whether it makes sense for one to buy it (ie - is this wheelset measurably faster than cheaper competitors), it makes sense for Zipp to produce it. Even if uptake is slow.

IMO ENVE is running into this problem right now. They haven't done much in the high end wheelset market since introducing the AR line in 2016.

msu2001la

I'll bite. Which smaller but still reputable brand, and which wheelset are you comparing?

45mm aero optimized profile with 25mm internal width and 1255g on a tubeless disc wheelset is not exactly a run-of-the mill spec sheet.

guachi

Probably little other than making your wallet lighter. Bontrager released several new RSL and Pro wheels last week. The RSL 51 is $2400 for the pair and weighs 1410g. The Pro 51 is 1590g and is $1300. Same cost as the previous wheels they replace. Also, identical aerodynamic profile. The difference is $1300 for 180g of weight. That's 6.35 oz.

msu2001la

Marginal gains are certainly debatable, and "worth it" is going to be different for everyone, but the fact that the Bontrager RSL is 155g heavier while being 2mm narrower than the 353NSW isn't going to be unnoticed by people looking to justify the cost difference.

Zipp also has plenty of options at lower costs than the 353NSW for those that think the line is somewhere well below this.