Zipp 101 XPLR Tubeless Disc Wheelset - 650b

The Zipp 101 XPLR Tubeless Disc Wheelset - 650b was Zipp's first wheel built specifically for gravel rather than adapted from a road platform, and the rim construction shows it. Instead of chasing pure stiffness, Zipp built the 101 XPLR around what it calls MOTO Technology, a single-wall rim design that lets the edges of the rim flex slightly as they hit obstacles, rather than transmitting every impact straight into the wheel and the rider. It's a gravel wheelset built around the idea that control and comfort on rough terrain matter as much as raw stiffness.

MOTO Technology works by allowing the rim to pivot from either side of the spoke bed as the wheel rolls over rocks, ruts, and washboard sections. Each edge of the rim is designed with extra compliance built in, which creates a feeling closer to suspension than a traditional rigid carbon rim. Zipp's case for this approach includes higher impact resistance, a reduced chance of pinch flatting, more traction through rough corners, and the ability to run lower tire pressures without the rim taking the hit directly. The tradeoff most riders will actually feel is reduced fatigue over a long day, since less of that terrain feedback makes it into your hands and body.

This is the 650b version of the 101 XPLR, which Zipp positions as delivering an even more compliant and versatile feel over difficult terrain than the 700c version of the same wheel. The rim itself is carbon and hookless, built with an asymmetrical profile, a 36mm external width and a 27mm internal width, and 28 spoke holes for a wheel built to handle real off-road loads rather than just wider tires. It's a tubeless-only rim — there's no clincher tube compatibility here — which is standard for a wheel built around running lower pressures on rough surfaces.

Both wheels roll on Zipp's ZR1 hubset, which uses a tight seal design for durability and 66 points of engagement for a quick response when you need to put power down on a loose climb or accelerate out of a rutted corner. This wheelset is available with either an HG11 driver body for Shimano or SRAM 11-speed drivetrains or an XDR driver body, so compatibility depends on which build you're pairing it with. Riders who want to dial in tire pressure precisely can add Quarq's TyreWiz as a separate accessory, which Zipp designed to work with the 101 XPLR for exactly that purpose.

Zipp built the 101 XPLR on the premise that gravel riders deserve the same level of purpose-built engineering road riders have had for years, rather than a wheel that's simply a road platform with wider tire clearance bolted on. This wheelset is available in black or Kwiqsand finishes, and it's suited to riders tackling long gravel days, mixed-terrain adventure routes, or gravel races where comfort and control over rough ground matter as much as outright speed. For anyone spending hours on unpredictable surfaces, the 650b Zipp 101 XPLR is built to take the edge off without giving up performance.