Built in Indy, Tested on Lemmon: A First Ride and Review of Zipp’s Latest 353 NSW Wheels

Here at Regroup, we’re Zipp fans through and through. From the company’s Midwest roots, to the fact that it was founded the year I was born, to its amazing people who push the limits of carbon wheel technology, merging it with advancements in making the bike smarter, there’s a lot to be excited about, and I’m excited! And let’s not forget that Zipp stands behind its product, with a promise to replace any wheel damaged during riding for the life of the owner. That all adds up to one amazing brand and, in our opinion, the pinnacle of wheel manufacturing in modern times. So when we got word that Zipp was planning to introduce an update to its highly popular 353 NSW wheelset and that we’d get the opportunity to visit Zipp’s HQ to meet the team and see the wheels get made, our excitement level went beyond classification.

Watching a wheel come to life is sheer magic. From cutting carbon fiber rolls into many tiny strips, to the multiple lines that carefully place each of the different fibers in a mold to Zipp’s exact specifications, the whole process is a manufacturing meditation. If one set of wheels makes most of us happy, imagine an entire warehouse of hundreds of the best wheels on display. It’s a thing of beauty and an experience I won’t soon forget.

Following our visit, meeting most of the team, and learning about what lies ahead for Zipp, I was fortunate to have a birthday party (Happy Birthday, Doug!) on the books to ride Mt Lemmon with a small group of friends where I planned to try out Zipp’s new 353 NSW wheels. And yes, you know you have the right friend group when birthday parties entail riding in epic places up epic mountains.

Of all the great tests of riding in our state, Mt Lemmon, situated 120 miles south of Phoenix on the north side of Tucson, is the ultimate for any roadie. Cyclists from around the world, including many pros, ascend Mt Lemmon in the winter to train and get their climbing legs ready for the race season ahead. For those unfamiliar, Mt Lemmon is America’s Alpe d’Huez – but longer, smoother, and sunnier. From base to summit in the town of Summerhaven, the climb averages 5% over 26 miles with a total elevation gain of nearly 7,000 feet (2,100 meters).

For testing the new 353 NSW, Lemmon is a dream ride. Climbing into the sky before descending back down the mountain via switchbacks and windy out points, the right wheels make or break your day’s enjoyment level. For this year’s ride, I chose my Sarto Raso TC paired with the new SRAM Red E1 2x drivetrain (don’t get me started on the new brakes and how amazing they were descending Lemmon… more on that another day). I went for maximum gear range, choosing the 10-36 cassette, 46-33 Quarq power spider, and 165 cranks (yes, I’m on the Tadej shortie crank train… guilty as charged). For tires, I chose the Zipp + Goodyear Vector NSW tires in 700×30 filled with Orange Seal and inflated to 58 PSI in the front and 62 PSI in the rear, PSI-perfect thanks to the AXS Tire Pressure Guide and monitored by Zipp’s newest AXS Tire Pressure Sensor, formally known as TyreWiz, and which is now completely integrated into the rim bed. Check out our other story for more from Zipp engineer Ben on this topic.

For comparison, the previous generation 353’s on my Factor Ostro VAM measure the exact same (30mm) as do the same tires on the new wheels. This makes sense since both wheels keep the 25mm internal dimension optimized for 30mm.