Carbon Disc Road Wheels: 2021 Zipp 303 Firecrest DB Review

Summary: This XL rider says Zipp 303 Firecrest DB wheels are great.  They are smooth and light, but can be tricky to set up for a large rider. 

With these wheels, the tire width and PSI can really separate an amazingly smooth ride from barely tolerable one. 

Finally, it takes time to figure out the right spin cadence.  Once you do, these wheels hold speed really well and roll pretty effortlessly.

Positives:

  • Light.  Stop and go made easy.  They take off and accelerate fast.
  • Climbs well.  Great for climbing in terms of speed, stiffness, ease of pedaling and to a degree comfort.
  • Love the hub sound.  It is nice and loud, but not obnoxious.
  • Smooth.  Amazingly smooth ride with 30mm TL Schwalbe Pro One tires at recommended pressure of 62 PSI for rear and 55 for front for my weight.  Get them 5 or 10 PSI higher and the ride is pretty harsh.
  • Stable: Barely gets affected by wind


Neutrals:
  • Looks good, but not great.  The graphics don't really stand out, like some of Campagnolo, Zipp, Enve or Roval wheels
  • Holds speed pretty well.  Vision SC 40 DB wheels take less effort to maintain speed.  With these wheels, it took a while to find the right cadence.  But once I did, it felt amazing.
  • Comfort can be tricky.  28mm TL tires turned a smooth Colnago C64 into a rattling experience. Even dropping to 40 PSI did not make a huge difference.  30mm did the trick at the recommended tire pressure, which was 55PSI for front and 62 for rear.  
  • Fork fit.  30mm Schwalbe tires measure close to 32mm on these wheels.  This may be an issue for many road bikes.  It barely fits on my Colnago C64 Disc. As a point of reference, Roval CLX50 DB wheels with the same tires measure below 30mm.



Negatives:
  • Comfort level with 28mm TL tires with any pressure was not good. Even 10PSI makes a huge difference on these wheels.  Much more so than on any other wheelset I have experienced.
  • Cornering can take a little time to get used to.  It is a little twitchy and sensitive, but it os also very responsive on the positive side.


In summary, these are absolutely amazing wheels as they combine low weight, great handling, wider tire fit, and fantastic mixture of comfort, smoothness and road feel.  However, you may need some patience with finding the right tire set, tire size and PSI levels.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

3D-Printed Saddles: Fizik Antares Versus Evo vs Fizik Vento Argo Adaptive vs S-Works Romin Mirror vs S-Works Power Mirror

Image
  Road bike saddles are subjective.  Tons of factors impact  comfort -- w eight, height, body proportions, tailbone structure, fitness level, style of riding, bike frame, fit, geometry, wheels, tire size / pressure, etc.   Even small changes in a saddle angle, position, and seatpost height can turn the best riding saddle into the worst and visa versa.    To provide an objective comparison, I tested three 3D-printed saddles on the same bike with the same wheels, tires, and fit.  Here are the parameters: Rider weight: 230 lbs (approx.104 kg) Rider flexibility: average Miles per year: 5,000 Climbing per year: 300,000 ft Bike: Pinarello Dogma F12 Disc Wheels: Zipp 404 Firecrest  Tires: Schwalbe Pro One Evo 28mm tubeless - 65-70 psi Test terrain: Mixed - from very smooth to decent asphalt to severely broken asphalt to gravel to offroad / double track MTB road  All four saddles took a good amount of road vibrations out and made the road sm...
Read more

Specialized Roubaix Expert Review: First Long Ride (2018)

Image
2018 Specialized Roubaix Expert Review What does define a modern endurance bike for an XXL rider?  For me, the top 3 are: Comfortable, non-jarring ride -- even when you go over chopped up surfaces  Ability to get going fast quickly and without too much of a frame / component flex Fun with hills -- easy to climb and safe to descend  And then there aesthetics.  I like a classy look that stands out from the sea of look-alike shapes and colors. 2018 Specialized Roubaix Expert in Chameleon Purple / Blue delivers on 90% of these requirements. Ride Quality   2018 Specialized Roubaix just glides over road imperfections and small potholes.  It is smoother than any road bike I have ridden and tested.  The difference is even more pronounced when you do back-to-back tests rides on various bikes.  I tested 2016 Bianchi Infinito CV vs 2018 Trek Domane SL6 vs 2018 Specialized Roubaix Expert. The riding impressions may be different fo...
Read more

Pinarello Dogma F12 Disc Review -- 4,000 miles @ Sea Otter Classic 2022

Image
I could have written yet another review on how great and dividing F12 looks, analyzing the curves, and comparing its aerodynamics and characteristics to other bikes.   But that has been done many times already.   Instead, I ma going to write about my impressions from a recent Gran Fondo, especially since I have ridden 4,000 miles on this bike at this point. So here we go.  I am an XL rider, weighing 230 lbs.  And here is my story. April 9, 2022.  Sea Otter Classic 2022.  GranFondo Carmelo.  Mile 24 of 92.  I have been riding for a little over an hour.  After a slow mass start, I have been passing most of people on my way.  I don't feel tired a bit.  It almost feels like the bike is riding itself.  It is not the lightest bike, but the aero and asymmetric design helps the bike to slice through the wind.  Every bit of my effort seems to go into the forward motion.  The first rest stop is coming up.  I refl...
Read more