Zipp 303 FC vs 404 FC?

[AadamI77]

I am about to pull the trigger on one of these wheelsets and struggling to decide which one would be more suitable.

I weigh 68kg, own an Canyon Endurace CF SL bile and looking for a wheelset for better -
Engagement
Speed
Weight
Overall performance

All my rides are on road and each ride averages around 1500ft of elevation and at around 17mph.

I like the looks of the 404 more since they have deeper rims and therefore more Aero.

My current wheelset are stock and are anything other than what I require...

Any owners of either of the two with pros vs cons?

[dcj10]

I've experience of both sets of wheels you are shortlisting. IMO they are both quality wheelsets with strong and local warranty support, here in the UK. I got the 303FC when it first came out. Then the 404FC about a year later. I'm riding less elevation than you, but still quite hilly: 800ft climbing per hour of riding. I ride solo except for the occasional sportive-type event.

On solo rides, I'm not consistently faster whichever wheelset is in the bike. The wider internals on the 303FC helps comfort if that is important to you. It is for me, as my local roads are pot-holed in places. The 303 feels overall nicer to ride than the 404 and doesn't impose itself on your chosen cornering line. Since the start of this year I've gone over to a set of Farsports Feder 230 with unfashionally shallow 25mm deep rims. You can feel the extra lightness immediately on these wheels, even in comparison to the 303. It's not like they are giving up speed compared to either of the Zipps, according to the oracle that never lies (Garmin).

Edit: I weigh similar to you - 70 kgs currently.

[PinaRene]

I own a pair of Zipp 303S, Zipp 404FC and a pair of Zipp 303 FC ( tubulars) for my BMC. They are all great wheels to ride but where I live ( South West of The Netherlands ) the Zipp 303 are the best choice. I do love riding the 404FC with not too much wind though.

The ride of the 404FC is great when riding flat rides around 30km/h average. The 303S are used with more wind, bad roads or conditions and roads I don't know in advance or where I've never been.

The 404FC and 303S are setup tubeless ( Schwalbe Pro One 25 mm and Veloflex Corsa 28 mm ). Bearings and body pickup is great on both sets although Zipp claims a better body pickup for the Zipp 404FC.

But the best set is my Zipp 303FC tubulars with the Cognition hubs. Ceramic bearings - 27mm Veloflex Ravens, well they spin for hours ( it must be minutes) and they are the all to go wheelset. If it's the hills in Amstel Gold Race area - Tour the Flandres cobbles, this is the wheelset I use.

The 303's are also aero enough for my average speed on most of my rides - better on the windy days here, and they are a bit lighter than the 404FC...

Somewhere bellow this topic I have a post with the weight of all my Zipp wheels. The 404FC came in heavier than expected 1510 gram vs 1450 claimed.