I am in the process of upgrading my wheelset.

My options are a Brand new set of Zipp Firecrest 404 tubulars or used set of Gen III or Gen II Lightweight tubulars.

I live in South Florida and do group rides with about 160 miles/weekly, my longest rides are 65 miles. No hills or climbs. I weigh 150 lbs.

Help.....I need some expert advise.....

LW Gen 3 gets my vote. Since you're getting a used set, just make sure the braking surface is still in good shape.

What are the advantages of the LW Gen 3 versus the Zipp 404 Firecrest ?

biggest advantage IMO is weight

According to the type to riding you do, the more aerodynamic zipps make more sense, plus you're fairly light so the not so super stiff character won't disappoint either. They are very similar in heavy winds maybe zipps a tad better. More serviceable, and will have own warranty.

Having said that, you should get the lightweights.


(If there a near perfect set)

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Dogma 6650g

Great thanks, what do you think about stiffness ?

I'm on an S-Works Venge currently and am pretty use to a stiff ride.......being that said is the LW stiffer ?

If you're getting the Standard 3s, they're plenty stiff.

What about a new set of Zipp Firecrest versus a set of LW Gen 2 ?

i'm no expert, but if you weigh 150 lbs and only ride in flat areas, you have more options than just the Zipp or LWs. i would also consider looking into the Enve wheels as well, either 45s which are closer to the 404 or LW genIII. but if you experience crosswinds on the flats, look into the Enve 3.4.

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- Storck Fenomalist + Campy SR11 + Enve 45
- Parlee Z5 SL + DA7900 + Enve 3.4

the list is very short but LWs are one of the stiffest out there.

Don't go for gen IIs. Outdated spokes can be problematic.

On a venge and your conditions id say Zipps, a more comfortable ride and as above, Enves are meant to be terrific and handle great in winds. Only experience I have with them are that they break very well, like the zipps.

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Dogma 6650g

Maybe take a look at the Enve lineup. The 5 year warranty kind of speaks for itself.

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If you want my advice, this is WWs. Of course you should get the LWs! Pose value aside, I think everyone should have a set of LWs (or ADAs) in their WW inventory just to see for themselves what all the fuss is about. They really are that good.

From the perspective of stiffness, they are certainly super-stiff. I am lighter than you and only produce 1,200 watts in the sprint, so I'm not the best guy to speak on wheel stiffness, but I run 20/20s and regularly get my teeth rattled.

If you want a set of really fast wheels, though, you can probably pick-up a set of ex-tri-geek Hed Stinger 9 or 6/9s for cheap. That will be cheaper and faster than LWs or Zipps for sure. They are stiff enough, but the deep rim definitely moves-around a lot more than the LWs...

hey gchin, what part of So.Fla. are you riding in? Given you have 954 in your name, I'm going to assume Ft. Lauderdale, and probably riding up A1A. If that's the case, given your size and the wicked cross-winds coming off the ocean, I would personally stay away from the larger sidewall size of the 404's and lean toward the 303's.

just my opinion (BTW, you save on weight, too).

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Yeah the Lightweights are stiff, but it's their stiffness/weight ratio that really blows you away. That said, if you don't do climbing then realistically the 404s are your best bet. Lightweights are not very aerodynamic if we are to believe the data, but their crosswind performance is very poor - they're pretty skittish in high crosswinds, especially at my weight (130lbs). I'm a climber and I wouldn't trade my Lightweights for anything, but I find there are better wheels for the flatlands - LWs really shine on the climbs, they are nothing on my 808s for the flat rides.