My review of the zip 404.... and its not good

ghostryder · Apr 16, 2014

About 5 months i purchased the zipp 404 wheel set. After the first ride the wheels had to be trued, which was a bother but i thought nothing of it. A week later and the same issue. I called the shop i bought it from and had them replaced. The second set is like the first, and i have had them trued now about 4 to 5 times. Sometimes i get so tired, i just let it rub the brake pads for days until i take it to be fixed.

The wheels are fast and smooth but whats the point when they are so fragile. I am sending them back for the second time and replacing them with the Mavics. Fast is good, but everyday durability and fast is even better.

I just wanted to share my experience, and find out if anyone else had the same issues, and if so, what was your decision.

Thx

Srode · Apr 16, 2014

That would piss me off - I've never had to have my 101's trued. Will be interesting to hear what others experience has been.

goodboyr · Apr 16, 2014

I have had no issues with my 404's and 303's at all. Two years now. Are these zipp rims built up with other hubs or full zipps?

Fireform · Apr 16, 2014

I've had 4 sets of Zipps including the 404 firecrests. I've had issues but staying true was never one if them

dgaddis1 · Apr 16, 2014

How much do you weigh ghostrider?

Jay Strongbow · Apr 16, 2014

Are you sure that's a review of the wheels and not the person trueing them?

Rokh On · Apr 16, 2014

I have not had this experience with either my 101's or 202's. In fact quite the opposite. I hit a pot hole on a fairly fast down hill on my 101's. The end result - flats. Expecting the worse I was shocked to find the wheels were fine. Others that hit the same pot hole were not as fortunate.

TJay74 · Apr 16, 2014

I had similar issues with my Reynolds Carbon Assaults. End result was 3 or so nipples that were stripped out. After not having them for a month I got some miles in on them yesterday, hopefully they will hold true now.

LouisVuitton · Apr 16, 2014

ghostryder said:
About 5 months i purchased the zipp 404 wheel set. After the first ride the wheels had to be trued, which was a bother but i thought nothing of it. A week later and the same issue. I called the shop i bought it from and had them replaced. The second set is like the first, and i have had them trued now about 4 to 5 times. Sometimes i get so tired, i just let it rub the brake pads for days until i take it to be fixed.

The wheels are fast and smooth but whats the point when they are so fragile. I am sending them back for the second time and replacing them with the Mavics. Fast is good, but everyday durability and fast is even better.

I just wanted to share my experience, and find out if anyone else had the same issues, and if so, what was your decision.

Thx

The problem is not so much the wheels, but the stock Zipp hubs are notorious for being crappy. They are not stiff and they do not hold high tension well. That's why most people who are in the know, but these wheels (best carbon wheels IMO) and have them custom laced to superior hubs like alchemy, Chris king, dtswiss, etc. plus your weight can be a factor with the stock zipp hubs if you're a heavyweight. I know tons of people haven't had issues with running these wheels with stock hubs, but that doesn't mean that they are good enough for every rider out there.

goodboyr · Apr 16, 2014

We were asked by the op if we had issues and we answered. I was hoping this thread didn't deteriorate into the usual "zipp hubs are crap" stuff which has been discussed in many threads already. But if you wish........my zipp hubs are just fine.

tvad · Apr 16, 2014

goodboyr said:
...my zipp hubs are just fine.

As are mine. As are my Zipp Firecrest 202 wheels, which are as true as the day they were first installed.

EricMoots · Apr 16, 2014

I weigh 225 and have a set of 303 Firecrest clinchers. Built with White T11 hubs by Wheelbuilder.com and have never had to have them trued once. I've been using them since last year, still straight as an arrow.

LouisVuitton · Apr 16, 2014

EricMoots said:
I weigh 225 and have a set of 303 Firecrest clinchers. Built with White T11 hubs by Wheelbuilder.com and have never had to have them trued once. I've been using them since last year, still straight as an arrow.

This +1. This is what will solve your problems and is the true way to go for the long-term. Custom build with aftermarket hubs. You won't have to worry about your wheels going out of true.

fasteddy · Apr 16, 2014

It sounds like the wheels need to be properly tensioned

OldChipper · Apr 17, 2014

fasteddy said:
It sounds like the wheels need to be properly tensioned

This.

I had a similar problem with the rear wheel when my 303s were new. After the second time back, the shop re-tensioned the whole wheel and they've been fine ever since. Haven't touched em with a spoke wrench since.

AvantDale · Apr 17, 2014

Had my 404's since May 2012...no issues.

Fignon's Barber · Apr 17, 2014

At a price of $2700, you should not consistently have problems like this. I don't understand why, after 20 years, they can't make a decent hub. I mean, 19 years ago couldn't someone at Zipp take apart a Record or Dura ace hub and just copy it!

tvad · Apr 18, 2014

Fignon's Barber said:
I don't understand why, after 20 years, they can't make a decent hub.

I've read thread after thread about Zipp wheels, and yes, a few people have mentioned problems with their hubs over the years (and sometimes it's the same people repeating the issues in several threads...so the number of incidents appears larger than the actual number), but to claim that Zipp "can't make a decent hub" seems like hyperbole, and it's emblematic of how things on the internet get blown out of proportion.

goodboyr · Apr 18, 2014

This^

Jay Strongbow · Apr 18, 2014

Fignon's Barber said:
At a price of $2700, you should not consistently have problems like this. I don't understand why, after 20 years, they can't make a decent hub. I mean, 19 years ago couldn't someone at Zipp take apart a Record or Dura ace hub and just copy it!

I don't know if the hubs are good or not but I do know that the same exact hubs that people ride on with no problem are not responsible for one individual having his wheels go out of true 5-6 times in what sounds like a short period.
Problems like that are obviously due to who ever is doing the trueing not knowing what they are doing or the OP weights like 300 pounds and likes to hit pot holes.

My review of the zip 404.... and its not good

ghostryder

Srode

goodboyr

Fireform

dgaddis1

Jay Strongbow

Rokh On

TJay74

LouisVuitton

goodboyr

tvad

EricMoots

LouisVuitton

fasteddy

OldChipper

AvantDale

Fignon's Barber

tvad

goodboyr

Jay Strongbow

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