Zipp 101 XPLR Tubeless Disc Front Wheel - 700c

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.