Zipp 101 XPLR Tubeless Disc Front Wheel - 700c

$649⁹⁹ $897⁰⁰

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Color

Black Kwiqsand

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Zipp | SKU: 00.1918.651.001 | Option: Kwiqsand

This product is HSA / FSA eligible

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Zipp 101 XPLR Tubeless Disc Front Wheel - 700c Info

The Zipp 101 XPLR Tubeless Disc Front Wheel is sold individually, which makes it a straightforward way to replace a damaged front wheel, build a mixed wheelset, or start a gravel wheel upgrade one wheel at a time. It's part of Zipp's first purpose-built gravel wheel platform, and the 101 XPLR trades the aero-first thinking of Zipp's road wheels for a design built around control on rough, technical terrain.

The centerpiece of that design is Zipp's MOTO Technology, a concept the brand carried over from its 3ZERO MOTO mountain bike wheels. The single-wall carbon rim is built to pivot and flex slightly within the spoke bed rather than staying rigidly fixed to the hub, an effect Zipp calls "ankle compliance." On washboard gravel and chattery terrain, that flex lets the rim absorb small impacts independently of the tire, which takes the edge off high-frequency vibration without the weight or complexity of a suspension fork. The rim stays laterally stiff through corners and under braking, so the compliance shows up as comfort and control rather than vague or wandering handling.

Rim dimensions reflect where gravel tire width has gone: a 27mm internal width and roughly 36mm external width, built on a tubeless, hookless profile. That width gives a wide gravel tire proper support at lower pressures, which is where a lot of the 101 XPLR's traction and comfort advantage on rough terrain comes from — a wider bead seat lets the tire hold its shape and resist rolling under side loads instead of squirming.

Zipp builds the wheel around its ZR1 hubset, using 24 straight-pull Sapim CX-Sprint spokes laced to the front hub. The ZR1 hub uses a 66-tooth ratchet engagement system, which gives quick pickup when you get back on the pedals after coasting through a technical section — useful on gravel, where power delivery often needs to be immediate rather than smooth and gradual. The wheel uses a 12x100mm thru-axle front spacing and a Center Lock rotor interface compatible with 140mm or 160mm rotors, so it drops into most modern gravel disc frames without adapter hardware.

This is a wheel for riders pushing their gravel bike into terrain that starts to resemble mountain biking — loose descents, rock gardens, and rutted doubletrack — rather than fast, smooth gravel roads where a lighter, more aero wheel would make more sense. Available in Black and Kwiqsand, the 101 XPLR front wheel is the right pickup for a rider who has already decided that control and comfort on rough terrain matter more than shaving grams.

The RA Perspective

The MOTO Technology on this wheel is one of those things that sounds like marketing until you ride it on genuinely rough gravel. The rim's ability to flex slightly within the spoke bed takes real edge off chatter and small impacts, and it's noticeable within the first few minutes on washboard or broken pavement — less buzz coming up through the fork than a standard stiff carbon rim.

Because it's a single-wall, hookless design, we tell customers to run it with tubeless tires specifically sized for hookless rims and to respect Zipp's maximum pressure guidance. It's not a wheel to run with high pressure or non-tubeless-compatible tires, and riders coming from a standard road or gravel wheel should double check their tire choice before installing.

Selling it as a standalone front wheel is genuinely useful — we get riders who cracked a rim on one side, or who want to try MOTO Technology on the front before committing to a full wheelset. It's also a smart way to build a slightly asymmetric setup if you're chasing a specific ride feel.

We'd recommend this wheel to a gravel rider who spends real time on rough, technical terrain and wants a noticeably smoother, more controlled front end, not to someone chasing the lightest or fastest gravel wheel on smoother routes.