Little help on a wheel decision

[pmr]

So a guy in my cycling club is selling a pair of his race wheels.

They're 2006 Zipp 303s. Built on American Classic hubs with C-Xray spokes.
Includes tires, glue and an ultegra cassette for $450aud.
He's the second owner of them, the first having not ridden them much if at all, and he only ever for racing.

I intend to have a look at them before I buy, but the deal sounds good. I mean, an ultegra cassette + tub tires is already around 150-200 dollars. And at $450 dollars I won't be insanely upset if they get beaten up, so it sounds like a good deal to me.

For that price with cassette/tires/glue incl. I don't think I can go wrong for ~1-1.1kg tubs, even if they are that 'old.'
For around the same price I could get some 1.3-1.4kg alloy clinchers built, but I wouldn't have a free cassette or tires.

Thoughts?

Note: I can't really afford wheels more expensive than that price. So buying 2012 new zipps just isn't part of the equation.

[bricky21]

A couple of things to consider...How worn is the cassette? How worn are the tires? And If the tires are still good I would still pull them off and re glue them. It does seem like a pretty good chance to get some carbon hoops on a tight budget though

[btompkins0112]

Ahhhh.....buy them. 303's are awesome.....if you don't buy them I will!!

[pmr]

Cool, glad to see I wasn't wrong in my thoughts.

[theremery]

1. take your time when you inspect them and look carefully around each spoke hole as it enters the rim. Even the tiniest hairline crack= walk away.
2. What is your weight? Zipp rims are not the stiffest out there. If you are a big lad who gets his wins from sprint finishes....consider other wheels as a better option. Like to finish solo or a lighter built bloke? -> 303's are a great option as an all rounder.
3. AC hubs are light and easy to service. Best you be used to servicing them because their seals are pretty much a joke. Bearings are cheap as chips, however, and the bearing swap takes 5 mins for the front hub and about 10 mins for the back hub with a bit of practice. I rate racing on nice fresh bearings (with a small amount of run-in time).
Check them carefully and go buy at that price tho.

[sawyer]

Think that vintage is pre- Carbon Bridge rims? If so, I'd avoid. They weren't strong enough. Happy to be corrected if this is BS.

[pmr]

Sawyer: Unsure - anyone else like to chime in?
Theremery: Pretty much what I was thinking. Thanks for the tips on the hubs. I weigh ~152. I should be okay with that. More of a climber/enduro but I can hold my own in a sprint.