The Zipp 101 XPLR 700c is the US brand’s first purpose-built gravel wheelset. And in typical Zipp fashion, it lands with a little extra innovation to stand out in what is fast becoming a crowded field.

In a nutshell, the 101 XPLR (‘explore’) leads with control and traction at its core. Or rather, at its carbon fibre rims, where Zipp’s single-wall Moto Technology delivers what the US brand calls “ankle compliance” - the wheeled equivalent of how the human ankle flexes to maintain grip when rounding a sharp turn at speed. Moto works by allowing the XPLR’s rims to locally flex during cornering, handily boosting traction by keeping them parallel to the ground and your tires more squarely planted to the terrain. Think of it as a little bit of extra grip and suspension kicking in each time you turn, smoothing out your ride and magic-carpeting rocky roads. But all that flex has other advantages, too, like easier tire installs, less chance of pinch flats, and the ability to run lower tire pressures.