Review from
Cycling Plus
If you prefer clinchers over tubulars, have a biggish budget and are looking for a fast set of wheels then the Zipp 404 clinchers might just be the ticket.
Zipp claims a pair of 404s will save you 20 watts – about a minute in a 25-mile time trial – over a set of normal wheels. We tested this using an Ergomo power meter, riding the wheels on a couple of undulating six-mile circuits. The test was fairly crude but we found they saved between 20-35 watts compared to a higher spoke count Dura-Ace/Mavic Aksium combo. We were blown away at how quick they were down hills, too.
The Zipp 404 clinchers are good enough to be used in any given situation where speed is of the essence: road races, criteriums, time trials and even sportives. If you were under the impression wheels couldn't get any faster, then these are the ones for you. They're also available in a Clydesdale (1780g per set) version or built up with a PowerTap hub.
In conclusion...
A versatile set of deep-dish wheels, but not cheap
Rating: 9/10