Born of science. Realized by hand.
ZIPP is part of the SRAM family since 2007 and is known worldwide for its aerodynamic high-end wheels for road, gravel, cross, mountain and triathlon. ZIPP was founded in 1988 by motorsport engineer Leigh Sargent with the mission to make cycling athletes faster. The company focused on producing the most powerful and robust wheelsets and components. Over the last three decades, ZIPP has succeeded in doing just that by focusing its core competencies on development engineering, carbon composites, computer simulations and wind tunnel development.
Thanks to these competencies, ZIPP has been able to present a series of innovations in the bicycle industry: from the first carbon disc wheel, to the first carbon crank, to the first wheel that creates negative resistance in the wind tunnel. These innovations helped athletes win the world's toughest races on the world's most demanding roads, from the paved roads of Belgium to the Queen K in Kona.
Aerodynamics Rethought: ABLC (Aerodynamic Boundary Layer Control)
ZIPP's ABLC technology is based on the idea of using "dimples", a surface similar to a golf ball, to effectively minimize air turbulence on the rim. The special design helps to deflect the airflow sideways to the rim surface. The outcome, perfect aerodynamics even in strong winds. With the ABLC SawTooth Dimple design, Zipp has further optimized the aerodynamic properties of the ABLC surface principle for higher speeds and achieved greater stability in crosswinds.
More Control, More Comfort, More Speed: Zipp Firecrest
ZIPP's Firecrest technology has revolutionized the fundamentals of wheel design, setting new standards in aerodynamics, ride quality and stiffness, even in strong crosswinds. The aim is not only to optimize the front half of the rim, but also the half facing away from the wind. Previously, the rim tapered from the rim base to the spokes in a pronounced curvature. Firecrest rims have an almost constant width up to the spoke bed and thus the air flow around the rear half of the rim can be effectively controlled: the handling becomes much more stable even in cross winds.
NSW - the Reference in Carbon Wheel Construction
The NSW wheels of the 303 (Gravel/CX), 202, 404, 454 (Road), 808 and 858 (Triathlon) series are the state-of-the-art models from Zipp. NSW stands for "Nest Speed Weaponry" and is a reference to the legendary development laboratory in Indianapolis, also known as "The Nest". In 2018 Zipp developed the NSW wheels 454 and 858 with SawTooth. This revolutionary rim design features a varying rim height that resembles the surface shape of a whale's fin. Based on wind tunnel tests, state-of-the-art flow simulations and extensive road trials, ZIPP has developed the most high-performance wheel to date, which reduces both drag and lateral force at all wind angles.
Zipp 303 S & 303 Firecrest - the Premium All-Round Wheelset
The 303 series wheels were created from the ambition to create the best wheels for the hard gravel and cobblestone passages of the spring classics. This has led to innovations that make 303 carbon wheels the benchmark in terms of stability, comfort, lightweight and aerodynamics. With the new 303 S and 303 Firecrest wheelsets, the specialists at ZIPP have put their full energy into width: With 23 mm and 25 mm rim width on the Firecrest models, these 303 series models are ideal for wide tyres such as the ZIPP Tangente Course, tubeless setups and low air pressure. No matter if asphalt, gravel, twisty descents or a strong crosswind, the ZIPP 303 wheels keep you on track and provide comfort with low rolling resistance.
