When we first saw these, they were a bit of a surprise in more than one way. First, is that the Zipp 101 Clincher Wheelset uses alloy rims. It's a Zipp-made, high performance wheelset with a low spoke-count. At least that much sounds familiar. Lest the material choice dissuade you from taking a close look, be aware that they offer the same aerodynamic benefit as the 202 Tubular Carbon wheels, but you'll get that performance here in a far less costly package.

The 101 Clincher Wheelset does what Zipp has been doing with all their wheels -- shattering preconceptions en route to making amazing wheels. The 101 looks like their 202, but it isn't just that rim translated into aluminum. It has its own shape. The 101 rims are 30mm deep and 23.79mm wide, so both shallower and wider than the 202 rims. The shape is designed to work best with clincher tires and to find the sweet spot between aerodynamics and light weight. It uses a fully toroidal shape to squeeze out the greatest benefit in the wind. Because of the aerodynamic shaping, the brake tracks are not parallel like on most wheels, but tip inward ever so slightly towards the tire.

In terms of aerodynamics, the 101 wheels are just as fast as the carbon 202 wheels. This means that they will save you approximately 14 watts or 42 seconds over a conventional wheelset in the course of a 40k time trial. Free speed -- nothing to complain about there. As we discussed above, the shape was optimized for certain size tires. While you can run a 21mm tire, the optimal sizes are 23-25mm. We're glad to keep on riding our 23mm clincher tires, knowing that they're the fastest option. And to be honest, the promise of more comfort makes 25mm tires even more appealing than ever, especially since they're likely as fast as the smaller tires on these wider 101 rims.

The Zipp 101 Clincher Wheelset is available in Black with White decals. You'll need to select between Campagnolo or Shimano/SRAM compatible freehub options. They come with rim strips and Zipp steel skewers. The wheels have 18 front spokes and 20 rear spokes laced into Zipp's 88 front and 188 rear hubs. The Sapim CX-Ray stainless steel ovalized spokes are far and away the best in the industry. They're lighter than most round butted spokes, and the coining process used to produce their aerodynamic shape makes them stronger and very durable. They are anchored to the rims with Sapim alloy nipples.