GRAVEL
ROAD
Written with ❤️ by
Hugo
Zipp unveils the new 202 NSW, a carbon road wheelset that stands out quite clearly from what the market has been pushing for several years. While many launches spotlight ever-taller rim profiles, all-round options, or designs meant to maximise aero on every terrain, this 202 NSW follows a different logic: a return to a very light wheelset, relatively low-profile, and clearly oriented toward the mountains.
🚀 In brief:
Zipp brings back a low-profile carbon wheelset with the 202 NSW, a 35 mm profile built first and foremost for the mountains.
The wheelset is claimed at 1,090 g, with 23 mm internal hookless rims and ZR1 SL hubs with ceramic bearings.
The positioning is clear: target climbers, very hilly sportives, and road builds where every gram counts.
On paper, the product is quite appealing. Not because it completely reinvents the segment, but precisely because it brings back a configuration that had somewhat disappeared: a high-end 35 mm carbon wheelset, claimed at only 1,090 grams for the set. For a rider living in a very hilly region, who often rides in high mountains, or who is preparing sportives where elevation matters more than long fast flats, the positioning seems coherent.
Zipp presents this 202 NSW as its lightest wheel to date, designed for “pure climbers.” The brand naturally emphasises climbing phases, but also points out that this set is not limited to an ultra-specific use uphill: it would retain a sufficient level of aerodynamic efficiency on the flats and good stability on descents.
This is probably where the launch gets interesting. For a long time, the idea of a low-profile wheel almost automatically evoked a highly specialised climbing product, sometimes a bit dated in its approach.
Today, Zipp tries to argue something else: a light wheel, but not disconnected from modern demands for efficiency, internal width, tyre compatibility, and overall behaviour. The promise is therefore not only to save weight. It is also to offer a mountain wheel that remains credible for today’s road riding.
This is the heart of the product. The 202 NSW is built on a 35 mm-deep rim with 23 mm internal width and 28 mm external width. It uses a hookless profile, with stated compatibility for 28 to 32 mm tyres, and a recommendation starting at 28 mm. Maximum pressure varies by tyre size, with 5 bar for 28-29 mm and 4.5 bar for 30-32 mm.
In practical terms, this confirms that Zipp is not just dusting off an old climbing-wheel recipe. The brand fully aligns it with contemporary standards: generous internal width, pursuit of lower pressures, reduced vibration losses, tubeless, hookless (straight sidewalls).
Zipp says it carries over the carbon layup of the 353 NSW with a biomimetic layup combining multiple carbon grades depending on the areas of the rim. The stated idea is to increase stiffness near the spoke heads while maintaining strength at the tyre bed and the perimeter exposed to impacts.
As always with this kind of technical narrative, it’s wise to stay cautious about what constitutes a true, measurable benefit in use versus the technological packaging of the launch. But the simpler takeaway is that Zipp positions this 202 NSW at the level of finish expected from a very premium wheel: sophisticated carbon, Alpina Hyperlite spokes in a 20-hole pattern, 2-cross lacing, ZR1 SL hubs of German design, and GRW ceramic bearings. The hub offers 66 points of engagement.
The number that immediately grabs attention is, of course, the weight. At 1,090 g for the pair, valves and tubeless rim tape included, the 202 NSW enters a very exclusive zone.
In absolute terms, that figure alone never makes a good wheel. But in the specific case of a build intended for high mountains, it remains central. Because for this kind of use, the rider often seeks to optimise accelerations, liveliness at low speed, the sensation of lightness when climbing out of the saddle, and the bike’s ability to stay reactive when the gradient really bites. And that is precisely where a wheel like this can make sense.
The pair comes in at €3,800 RRP, with €1,700 for the front wheel and €2,100 for the rear, in Shimano/SRAM HG or XDR freehub body versions.
It is clearly a very significant sum. We are unambiguously looking at a very premium product. But there is a well-known reality: Zipp wheels often tend to be found fairly quickly below their suggested retail price at many retailers. And that slightly changes how the product is viewed. If this 202 NSW follows the same commercial trajectory as other models from the brand, it could become more interesting a few months from now.
This Zipp 202 NSW strikes us as a fairly relevant new release, precisely because it doesn’t fully follow the market’s dominant direction. The return of a relatively low carbon rim on such a high-end model brings a breath of fresh air to a segment sometimes obsessed with absolute versatility and ever-taller profiles.
The product’s strong point is the coherence of the concept: very light, modern width, clear mountain focus, premium spec…
The caveat is the familiar one: hookless won’t suit everyone, and the very targeted positioning inevitably limits the appeal for riders looking for a single do-it-all set.
But for a cyclist living in the mountains, or aiming for performance on very mountainous events, this 202 NSW clearly has something appealing… Except for its price.
| Riding style | Road bike |
|---|---|
| Frame | Carbon |
| Weight (g) | 1090 |
| Hookless | No |
| Rim height (mm) | 35 |
| Internal width (mm) | 23 |
Help other cyclists discover it!
The latest news from the past 7 days, delivered straight to your inbox.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.