A customer left a ZIPP 303 and 404 with me for work.
I've already finished the main work, but since this is their first time with tubular tires,
they asked for a lesson on how to glue them, and I also took them in for a general inspection.
The rear wheel had a TUFO tire glued with TUFO rim tape,
and I had a tough time removing the leftover tape residue on the rim.
The front wheel had Miyata (Japanese bicycle components manufacturer) tubular tape.
Since the tires were already glued on,
you might wonder why the customer says this is their first tubular experience—
it's because they're not the original owners of these wheels.
Also, you can tell from the rim sticker around the valve hole,
but this 303 and 404 are from different eras. The 303 is the older one.
Writing all this down, the previous owner might figure it out if they read this.
As for the inspection, both wheels had virtually no runout and were perfectly centered.
However, the front wheel was clearly loose, so I tightened it on my own judgment.
(I didn't intentionally tighten anything that wasn't actually loose)
↑Those carbon-like covers on both sides of the front hub
(and on the non-drive side of the rear hub from this era)—
they move around loosely and don't actually function
as dust seals at all.
They're purely decorative.
The reason they disappeared in the next model and beyond is
apparently because ZIPP distributors worldwide said,
"Please, stop doing this."
There must have been a lot of complaints.
I have a rear wheel built with this type of hub myself,
and I removed the decorative cover from it.
The cartridge bearing seal is now completely exposed
and water/dust protection relies on just that seal,
but honestly, the carbon cover doesn't make much real difference.
↑The end cap is blue because it uses a Campagnolo-compatible freebody.
The freebody itself is also anodized blue.
Between these 303 and 404, aside from hub specifications,
there don't appear to be major differences,
but the 303 has 12mm brass nipples,
while the 404 has 14mm aluminum nipples.
I've already finished the main work, but since this is their first time with tubular tires,
they asked for a lesson on how to glue them, and I also took them in for a general inspection.
The rear wheel had a TUFO tire glued with TUFO rim tape,
and I had a tough time removing the leftover tape residue on the rim.
The front wheel had Miyata (Japanese bicycle components manufacturer) tubular tape.
Since the tires were already glued on,
you might wonder why the customer says this is their first tubular experience—
it's because they're not the original owners of these wheels.
Also, you can tell from the rim sticker around the valve hole,
but this 303 and 404 are from different eras. The 303 is the older one.
Writing all this down, the previous owner might figure it out if they read this.
As for the inspection, both wheels had virtually no runout and were perfectly centered.
However, the front wheel was clearly loose, so I tightened it on my own judgment.
(I didn't intentionally tighten anything that wasn't actually loose)
↑Those carbon-like covers on both sides of the front hub
(and on the non-drive side of the rear hub from this era)—
they move around loosely and don't actually function
as dust seals at all.
They're purely decorative.
The reason they disappeared in the next model and beyond is
apparently because ZIPP distributors worldwide said,
"Please, stop doing this."
There must have been a lot of complaints.
I have a rear wheel built with this type of hub myself,
and I removed the decorative cover from it.
The cartridge bearing seal is now completely exposed
and water/dust protection relies on just that seal,
but honestly, the carbon cover doesn't make much real difference.
↑The end cap is blue because it uses a Campagnolo-compatible freebody.
The freebody itself is also anodized blue.
Between these 303 and 404, aside from hub specifications,
there don't appear to be major differences,
but the 303 has 12mm brass nipples,
while the 404 has 14mm aluminum nipples.