Zipp 202 NSW returns as the brand's lightest wheelset ever at 1,090g

Zipp has brought back the 202 NSW — the lightest complete wheelset the brand has ever produced. At a claimed 1,090g including tubeless rim tape and valves, the revived 202 sits 5mm shallower than the 303 at 35mm deep, making it Zipp's shallowest current road offering and the first true lightweight specialist in the disc-brake lineup since the original 202 was retired. The wheel took a year to develop and builds directly on the carbon layup lessons from the 303 and 353 NSW models introduced in 2025.

The rim is 35mm deep with a 23mm internal width and uses Zipp's Biomimetic Laminate construction — a mixed-modulus carbon layup with over 50 unique prepreg strips and five different fibre types. The spoke bed uses stiffer fibres to resist tension loss under load; the tyre bed uses tougher fibres with a more impact-resistant epoxy to handle rim strikes. The hookless TSS (Tubeless Straight Side) profile is rated for 28–29mm tyres at up to 72 psi, or 30–32mm tyres at up to 65 psi. The 23mm internal width is a deliberate step back from the 25mm found on the 303 and 353 — Zipp's design engineer Ben Waite told Rouleur the narrower bed was the only way to keep total system weight at the 28mm tyre size, rather than requiring a heavier 30mm minimum as ETRTO standards dictate at 25mm internal.RouleurCycling Weekly

Hubs are the ZR1 SL, engineered in Germany and new for this wheelset. The bearing spec is GRW hybrid ceramic with ultra-corrosion-resistant races; engagement is a pawl-based 66-point system with a 5.45-degree engagement angle. Cycling Weekly noted that Zipp is sticking with non-contact bearing seals for lower rolling resistance, but the engineers were frank: neglect regular greasing and the ceramic setup will suffer. End caps pop off without tools, allowing a smear of grease to refresh the seal — a task Zipp says must be done routinely. Spokes are round-butted Alpina Hyperlite stainless steel in a 20-hole, two-cross laced pattern front and rear, with external alloy nipples. The decision to run steel rather than the carbon spokes now offered by DT Swiss, Roval, and NEWMEN was a deliberate one — Zipp cited a lack of long-term durability data on carbon spokes, an unusual stance that GRAN FONDO noted makes the sub-1,100g weight claim all the more impressive.Cycling WeeklyGRAN FONDOBikeRumor

Compatibility is disc brake and 700c only. The wheels ship with tubeless valves and pre-installed rim tape included. Freehub options cover Shimano HG and SRAM XDR in the box; a Campagnolo N3W body costs extra. Maximum system weight (rider, bike, and kit combined) is 115kg. Zipp backs the wheelset with a lifetime warranty covering structural rim damage including crash impacts — a meaningful guarantee for a wheelset at this price.BikeRumor

The 202 NSW retails at $4,200 / €3,800 for the pair — $1,900 / €1,700 for the front and $2,300 / €2,100 for the rear, sold individually or together. That positions it at the top end of the climbing-wheel category, above the DT Swiss ARC 1100 Dicut and in line with comparable NSW-tier pricing from Zipp's own 353. GRAN FONDO's test returned an actual weighed figure of 1,064g including tape and freehub body, comfortably under the claimed 1,090g. Zipp's own spec sheet lists 1,090g as the claimed weight including tape and valves.BikeRumorGRAN FONDO

Zipp framed the 202 NSW's mission around a specific race calculation. As Ben Waite explained to Rouleur, an aero setup with the 454 NSW is fastest on flat stages — but on the bikes typically used for those stages, total weight sits 400–500g above the UCI 6.8kg minimum. On days where the race is decided on a steep climb, stripping that mass matters more than adding depth. The 202 NSW shaves over 300g from the 454 NSW and more than 400g from its predecessor, making it the mechanically obvious switch when the road tilts upward. Tom Pidcock, riding for Q36.5, tested a prototype set during the mountain stages of the Volta a Catalunya earlier this year before the wheel's public debut. The 35mm depth is shallow enough to stay composed in crosswinds — a real-world advantage Cycling Weekly confirmed during testing in the Alps when a Force 9 gale arrived mid-ride — while still providing meaningful aerodynamic return on the descent. Whether the climbing-wheel category has the audience to justify a $4,200 price tag in an era where deep rims and Chinese carbon dominate is the open question; the engineering case, at least, is complete.RouleurCycling WeeklyBikeRumor