General Info: Zipp's 404 is their most popular and versatile wheelset. It is often used for road racing, cyclocross, time trialing, and triathlons. As a result the amount of supply of this wheel is large and often the amount of demand is also large. If you miss a Zipp 404 listing don't worry there are always plenty of them available for sale at any given time. Often times triathletes will buy a set of 404's before graduating up to a 808/Disc wheel in the rear and either keeping the 404 front or upgrading to an 808 front.
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| Zipp 88 & 188 Hubs |
Model Specific Info: Zipp changed the dimple pattern and added their new 88/188 hubs to this model of the 404. The aerodynamic rim profile shape changed slightly and Zipp claimed the wheelset is 9 seconds faster over the course of 40KM than their last 404 and is 71 seconds faster than than their baseline wheel - the Mavic Ksyrium. Part of this change was due to a new wider 21mm rim bed, and part of it came from the spoke reduction from 18/24 to 16/20. Zipp suggests that the increased rim bed width allows you to run wider tires for increased comfort and decreased rolling resistance without sacrificing aerodynamics.
Bottom Line: The new 88/188 Zipp hubs are a nice upgrade and who can argue with increased aerodynamics. As more people upgrade to Firecrest wheels we should see more and more of these wheels become available on the secondary market. Be careful though, many people try to sell 2005-2008 Zipps as 2009/2010. Pay attention to the new hub and lower spoke count for proper identification.
Clincher
MSRP SET - $2285 => Fair Used Price @ $950 - $1150
MSRP Front - $1051 => Fair Used Price @ $400 - $525
MSRP Rear - $1234 => Fair Used Price @ $525 - $625
Tubular
MSRP Tubular $2285 => Fair Used Price @ $900 - $1100
MSRP Front - $1051 => Fair Used Price @ $400 - $500
MSRP Rear - $1234 => Fair Used Price @ $500 - $600
