Interesting question...the same could be said about the old trek TTX vs the SC. The way people talk in here, you might as well ride a beach cruiser if you ride a TTX...But the TTX is still a fine and extraordinarily fast bike. The same can be said for the Zipp wheels. For a decade they reigned and now with the release of the firecrest, some might thing they are worthless....I do not. If you can grab a set of clinchers at a good price, I say go for it.

They are still nice wheels, just a bit on the heavy side! Although braking is much nicer with the alloy rim with the carbon fairing.

I do not see the originals as obsolete given the current pricing!

Except that for clinchers I have a suspicion that the hed Jets might be better anyway. I don't know that for sure though.

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

Either Bike Radar or Velonews has what appears to be a pretty impartial review of the Firecrest's. They sound neat but not "holy crap this is THE WHEELSET FOREVER" for me..

cheers
S.

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// qui audet adipiscitur

Well...here is a follow up question:

Would you buy, at current 2011 MSRP a pair of Zipp 404 aluminum clinchers or go straight to the 404 Carbon Clinchers?

No deals or discounts, just as the pricing stands

Heres my thoughts. Using them only for TT and Tri? not planning to do Kona?

I go 808 firecrest front, wheelcover on a cheap ass wheel on the back. (you could go 404 instead but man up! ;)


Using it for bike races or plan to do kona? Well *I* simply can't nearly afford a full set of firecrest so I wouldn't do it. I'd go with the aluminum clinchers.

I mean all of this stuff is splitting pretty fine hairs in a fun hobby, so don't spend money that affects your financial security no matter how good it is.

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Kat Hunter reports on the San Dimas Stage Race from inside the GC winning team
Aeroweenie.com -Compendium of Aero Data and Knowledge
Freelance sports & outdoors writer Kathryn Hunter

I'd get a set of 404 CC wheelset with a powertap in the rear to train on. I'd get a single 808 front to race on and a wheelcover for the 404 rear. I'D BE THE MAC DADDY OF MY LOCAL GROUP RIDE!

If the difference is $400 for the wheelset, no question about it I'd get the carbon clinchers.

I would bet that
1) you will wish you bought the firecrests for the extra 400$. Why spend that much for 2nd string?
2) There will be deeper discounts on the old 404s to clear out the inventory.

Well, there's the question of what that extra $400 could be used for, you know? I mean, if you use it on training, maybe it's a net gain to go for the slower wheel but more powerful motor.

Asad

I recently bit the bullet and bought the 404 CC's in firecrest ... i'm training on armadillos using them for the motor part and racing on light tires with plans to get a disc cover ... I never had the old 404's so I can't give a good comparison but they beat the pants off of my mavic cosmic carbonne premiums ... downside to note is the breaking surface is WIDE on the CC's... you can't go from a regular wheel to the CC's just by flipping the switch on my DA 7800, it requires a cable adjustment for me ... just food for thought if you have several sets of wheels you plan to use these are my only wheels other than an old set of aluminum zipp 303s for the trainer or rainy dad overall i'd say if you keep them for several years and you annualize the extra $400 its really only an extra 100/yr if you're going one season on them then going to upgrade its a different ball game, good luck with your decision