The 30 Course Disc Brake Rear Wheel sets the standard for tubeless ready aluminum clinchers. A variation on the 30 Clincher series. The difference is that with the 30 Course, the pro level 177 rear disc hub is used, and the rim is a disc specific version of the 30 clincher. The 30 Course series wheels are Zipp's first tubeless ready models, and having the stout, wide, aluminum rim paired with the lightweight disc hub results in 880 gram gram wheel with excellent engagement that is ideal for tubeless use on your disc cyclocross, road or gravel/multi-purpose bikes.

The 30 Course Disc specific rim does not have a standard brake track. The 26mm deep rim has a 25mm max outside width, with an internal bead width of 21.5mm. These wheels are intended to be best used with tubeless or clincher tires from 28mm to 45mm. Check the specification on your tire before mounting. There are multiple reasons the wider rim is beneficial. First, the wider bead width allows larger casing tires to expand and create a wider footprint, or contact patch. This increases traction, better carries the sidewall of the tire, improves ride quality, and corners with less tire distortion. Zipp borrows rim shape technology from the famed Firecrest 202 clinchers, to achieve low aerodynamic drag, greater stability and predictability in crosswinds. The tubeless ready rim is sealed. External spoke nipples are used for easy truing, but require magnetic placement. No tape is required, just use the included tubeless valve and the best sealant for your tubeless tire. An unlike some other lightweight tubeless ready wheels, the 30 disc rim is rated to 125psi for those times when you are running a narrower tire for speed and lower rolling resistance.

The second generation rear disc hub comes in at 177 grams- which is an attention grabber, for sure. However Zipp has also addressed a challenging aspect of the previous design as well- the bearings. Now Zipp presets the bearing pre-load, so you don't need to worry about adjusting them. The older system was a little too sensitive and many riders had difficulty either running the pre-load too loose or too tight, both of which could result in bearing or shell damage. The bearings themselves have also been upgraded and have an improved seal that keeps them running clean and fast with the 17mm aluminum axle. While newly designed quick releases and end caps are standard, the 135mm wide 177D rear hub is also compatible with thru-axle systems, both 12/135mm and 12/142mm. Simply change out to the desired end caps (included); a process that can now easily be done by hand.

The 177D rear hub is laced to the disc and thru-axle specific 30 Course tubeless clincher rim with a proprietary spacing and lacing system that starts at the hub. 24 Sapim CX-Ray lightly bladed, straight-pull steel spokes are used, along with Sapim's external Secure Lock nipples to ensure excellent tension for lateral stiffness and vertical compliance, but also to prevent hub wind-up or torque damage from the disc rotor. Lacing is 2x on both drive and non-drive sides, which makes truing and tensioning less variable. The CX-Ray spokes allow for high tension, but have are resilient to impact, with the straight-pull design allowing the wheel to compress slightly to save rim integrity.

The SRAM XDR freehub-equipped 30 Course Disc Brake Clincher Rear Wheel provides the best of Zipp's hub technology, along with carry over aerodynamics from the 202 Firecrest rim. With the tubeless option, and wide footprint, when paired with the rear wheel, will deliver a strong, light, and fast disc wheelset that is the equal to anything in it's category, and better than most, especially at the combined cost of under $1000. If you need a disc road/cross tubeless wheelset that weighs 1650 grams, buy this rear, and grab the front as well, and get rolling on this great offering from Zipp. Return to Top