I checked their site and couldn’t confirm the question. I’m looking at a pair of Zipp 808 firecrest clinchers. They’re 16/20 spoke count and 10 speed. Would that make them 2013? They’ve got the red freehub and beyond black hubs, so it should be easy/cheap to upgrade to 11 speed right?
2013 was the first year zipp made their wheels 11 speed. So the wheels would be 2012 or prior.
You know when the 808 went from a 20 spoke rear to 24? Just see where they updated all wheels to 18/24
After looking at decals again I think I’ve aged them. They’re beyond black but say speed weaponry under Zipp on the decal, so 2011? Which would mean the freehub can’t be upgraded to 11 speed?
Are you sure they are the original decals and not rebadged ?
The beyond black hubs match. I know the source of the wheels, not really concerned with that. He just has no idea the age, and I don’t want them if I have to replace the entire hub to make them 11 speed
Check the hub history guide vs. the wheel history: http://www.zipp.com/support/identify/hub_timeline.php
I think the colored hubs only came after Oct. 2011 which should mean the set you’re looking at have the V7 188 rear hub. Take a look at the two illustrations under the Oct. 2011 update section above. The V7 hub she’ll is noticeably wider on the NDS as they moved the bearing out 7.5mm on that side. To convert this wheel to 11 speed you need the Zipp axle and freehub conversion kit plus a slight wheel redish. The kits are supposedly only available thru Zipp dealers for install, but I’ve seen them on eBay and TriSports recently had them on sale for $200.
The conversion kit will actually work on the 188v6, but it requires including a custom spacer to take up the 7.5mm hub shell width difference. This conversion still requires a redish and is not officially supported by Zipp.
Thanks. I’ve mentioned checking the timeline. There are a lot of changes in a short time span around this wheels build date and I’m having a hard time dating it even with this
It’s simple, your wheel was designed for ten speed.
When 11 speed come out, Zipp fitted a different axle, end cap and freehub body, but kept the 20spoke count and the radial driveside lacing.
This was a stopgap really as the redishing of the wheel then began to cause failures of the driveside hub flange, so a new true 11 speed hub was made with crossed spoking and extra spokes.
The decals changed from including speed weaponry to not when 11 speed come out in late 2013, but the hub was just the stopgap one.
They have now changed the firecrest range to a new SRAM hub and used slightly cheaper spokes to differentiate it from the new firestrike range which uses a new wider rim but continue on with the sapim CX-ray spokes and the crossed spokes hub developed for the latter model 11 speed firecrests.
Thanks. I’ve checked that timeline. Looking at the hub, wheel, and decal it has to be an Oct 11 wheel. Has the black hub so it’s at least Oct 11 but still has speed weaponry on the decal so not a 12 wheel based on the decal timeline. So it will roughly be $200 to convert?
So you’re saying it’s not worth converting to 11 speed because redishing the wheel will lead to failures? Not my wheel yet, I’m just trying to find out if it’s worth getting
Well, in Australia, it costs $200 wholesale to get the conversion kit, don’t know about anywhere else.
If you go the conversion route and you are not heavy and have access to a really good wheel buidler that will balance the spoke tensions well, you will not have any problems.
But if you are a heavier rider and a hamfisted mechanic does the conversion and leaves some overly tight spokes on the drive side, you may very well suffer flange breakage if you use it a reasonable amount.
I have converted a dozen or so, but checked tensions on the drive side so not to exceed what the hub was designed for.
After the conversion, the wheel runs a slightly lower average tension due to being conservative on the driveside and the extra dishing lowering the non drive side tension.
None of the wheels I have converted have had trouble, but there are flange failures out there and if you google it you will find them.
Zipp really are pretty good with the failures though and usually replace it straight up, whether in warranty period or not, but if you have wheel that has changed hands then you are getting into shady area in regards to possible warranty help with a converted wheel and not the original owner…
Got a good wheel builder but am a heavier rider. Looks like I’ll have to pass on the wheels
Is this like aging a wine? Send me your wheel, and I will put it through the appropriate aging process on my bike. Sorry, couldn’t resist.
Is this like aging a wine? Send me your wheel, and I will put it through the appropriate aging process on my bike. Sorry, couldn’t resist.
I was thinking the same thing. Put it in a cool, dark room and rotate it every three months?