Zipp’s 808 NSW Carbon Clincher is the debut of a new line for Zipp, and a big step forward in wheel technology. The wheel is faster by three to four watts , stiffer, rolls better, and stops quicker. It not only eclipses their 808 Firecrest, but distances the competition.
NSW is short for Nest Speed Weaponry, the top-secret facility within Zipp where the latest ideas are hatched and incubated. Some of their work has already been seen in the 404 Firestrike wheels, but those were limited-production. This is a full-on run.
It’s already been proven in competition. Weeks before it was released, it dominated the world championships going both first and second. Then at the world championship team time trial, the 808 NSW front was paired with a disc rear and also went one-two.
The first big change, and probably the most important, is the evolution of the rim shape. They’ve held by the 82mm rim depth that has proven so valuable, but they widened the rim at the brake track, up from to , slightly increased the max width from to . This makes the rim appear to have more vertical sides than in the past.
The dimpling pattern as been modified. They call it Aerodynamic Boundary Layer Control, or ABLC, and the new pattern, which they call Sawtooth, thanks to the wrapping of the dimples over the sides. Basically, the pattern is designed to reduce drag in high yaw (crosswinds) and improve crosswind stability.
The brake track has been improved with their Showstopper technology, which is molded grooves that help channel water off the rim as it spins and cool the track as well. Better, more consistent braking in the wet, in the dry, and even when you’re dragging the brakes.
The last bit of rim improvement is probably the flashiest. It’s their ImPress graphics, which essentially screen the logo onto the rim. This is lighter, and more aero than Zipp’s super-light, super-thin, stickers.
Zipp also redesigned their hubs. They call it Cognition. What you need to know is that that they’ve improved both front and rear designs. The front, weighing 110g, features a scalloped edge for the spoke beds where the pressure from the spokes is more evenly distributed and doesn’t deform the bearing bore under high loads, like when you’re sprinting out of the saddle. The rear, weighing 225g, has a new pawl design with an Axial Clutch, which reduces pawl drag when coasting. Sapim CX-Ray spokes are used: still the best in the business.
Even with the wheel being faster and stiffer, the overall weight has dropped by 75g to 1810g, 830g in front, 980g in back.
As should be expected, you can choose between a Campagnolo-compatible 9/10/11-speed cassette body, and a Shimano/SRAM body. You can also pull these bodies and install a SRAM XD cassette body for even more diversity of applications.
The wheels, sold individually, come in a Zipp wheel bag )which can be secured to a second such bag), a black anodized Zipp titanium skewer, a Zipp valve extender, a Zipp butyl tube, Zipp Platinum Pro Evo pads (please specify), And Zipp rim tape.
As a set, these are smoking fast wheels. If you go with the 808 NSW front, it could be paired up with a rear disc for more speed. If you go with the 808 NSW rear, it could be paired up with a mid-depth front for more steering control.
The Zipp 808 NSW Carbon Clincher will leave others desperate to catch up.
When you’re time trialing or racing on the flats, 82mm deep rims provide most of the aero benefits of disc wheels, while being lighter, more comfortable, better on rough roads, and more stable in crosswinds. Zipp’s 808 NSW Tubeless Carbon Clincher is all those things and more.
They wanted to build tubeless and optimize the rim shape for 25mm tires—this way, you get low rolling resistance and a modicum of comfort, no matter how stiff your bike is. TT bikes are notoriously stiff and the wider tire allows for lower pressure to take much of the edge off road vibrations. So, to get to that shape, the started with a 19mm inner rim width and tubeless channel. The external measure at the brake track is , with the rim moving out to 28mm a bit farther down, and, of course the 82mm rim depth.
Because riding encompasses more than just headwinds, they designed the rim shape to be stable in crosswinds and help that cause along with their ABLC SawTooth dimple pattern. It improves aerodynamics in “no wind” (aka headwind) situations, but it’s greatest strength is reducing loads created by crosswinds. You’ll have few concerns piloting these wheels on gusty days, even if you’re small and riding aero bars. Overall, the wheel is faster than older 808s in all wind conditions.
The brake track is Zipp’s ShowStopper textured braking surface. This is the 317 curved, vertical grooves on each side of the brake track that help move water off the surface and reduce stopping distances. In the wet or dry, this surface brakes as well as the best aluminum rims on the market.
Zipp’s Cognition hubs are deployed for the central movement. It utilizes a flangeless, radial front hub and a minimal, flanged rear hub that features two-cross spoking on both sides. The flanges are designed to be as light as possible without sacrificing strength. The rear hub utilizes Zipp’s Axial Clutch pawl mechanism, which reduces drag when coasting. The mechanism is on three cassette body choices: a SRAM 10/11-speed cassette body, a Campagnolo-compatible 10/11-speed body, and or a SRAM XDR driver body for wider-ranging cassette options, including 1x 10-42 cassettes. Spokes are the light and aero and strong Sapim CX-Ray.
Weight is 1855g for the set, 857g front, 988g rear.
The Zipp 808 NSW Tubeless Carbon Clincher wheels come with: Zipp Tangente Pro Evo brake pads, Zipp Tangente quick releases, Zipp wheel bags, Zipp tubeless tape and valve factory-installed, valve core removal tool, Cognition Oil for rear hub, and cassette body spacer.
Now that triathlon and time trial bikes are built around disc brake wheels, Zipp knew they needed to optimize their 808 wheelset for the benefits and rigors of disc braking. The result is the 808 NSW Disc Tubeless Clincher.
The 808 wheelset is super speedy. Many prefer an 808 back to a disc wheel, as it’s lighter and easier to control in crosswinds. Some folks like to run double 808’s, while other run an 808 in back with a shallower front wheel, like a Zipp 404. Either way, you’re getting a wheel that is best on flat roads and constant speeds, though strong road racers might also find it a great wheel for flattish road races and crits.
This 404’s depth is 82mm, which has been the depth of the 404 for years. The width has changed for these wheels, with a max width of , an internal width of 19mm, and optimized for 25mm tires. They figure the bike you put these wheels on will probably be ridden almost entirely on pavement, and thus the benefits of a narrower tire come into play. It’s lighter and since you don’t need the same air cushion, there’s no reason to carry around the wide tire carcass. You can go wider if you want, but probably go no narrower than 23mm.
But the change in width also comes with a second change. The extending of the SawTooth dimpling pattern all the way to the rim edge. As you should know by now, SawTooth is a design of indents molded into the outside rim walls that is comprised of twelve nodes. These are designed to start working for you at speeds of 20mph and then work better when faster. They essentially change the behavior of the wind around the rim to minimize side wind pressure on the rim in crosswinds, thus making the wheel more stable at high speeds.
The interior of the rim has been changed as well. There is not only a bead hook at the end of the rim, but a ridge running below it, to better hold the bead of tubeless tires. This is to improve the interface with tubeless tire beads. This improves the sealing of the tire to the rim, which is a plus for safety and security. Factory-applied tubeless rim tape finishes the rim package.
Thanks to the need to make the rim sidewalls strong enough to handle the pressure of clincher tires, these carbon rims are super-strong. Stronger than aluminum rims, so worry not about their durability. They are race light, but training wheel tough.
Sapim CX-Ray J-Bend spokes are used both front and rear to lace the rim to the hub. These spokes are light, aero, and stiff. 24 spokes, two-cross, both front and rear.
These NSW wheels utilize Zipp’s Cognition hubs. The front features scalloped flanges for the spoke beds. J-bend spokes resist the twisting forces disc-braking can put on spokes. This results in less pressure on the spokes, increasing lateral stiffness and durability. The rear has a pawl design with an Axial Clutch, which reduces pawl drag by 50% when coasting, and with a 36-tooth engagement, you’re driving the wheel the moment you start pedaling.
The disc-mounting method is Centerlock only. Lock ring not included. The hubs come with Zipp’s Tangente quick release skewers as well as hand-removable end caps to fit 100x12mm and 100x15mm thru-axles in front and 142x12mm rear thru-axles.
The wheels weigh in at 1860g per set, 910g in front, 950g in back.
The wheels, sold separately as front and rear, also come with a wheel bag, a Zipp tubeless valve factory-installed, valve core removal tool, Zipp Cognition Oil, and a freehub body spacer to take the 11-speed hub down to 10-speed if you need. The single wheel bags can be secured together if you have a pair. SRAM/Shimano and Campagnolo 11-speed cassette bodies are standard; a SRAM XD-R driver can be swapped in as well.
In case you’re wondering, yes, you can use standard clincher tires and tubes. You’ll just need to remove the tubeless valve.
The Zipp 808 NSW Disc Tubeless Clincher is the wheel that meshes perfectly with the latest generation of disc brake triathlon and time trial bikes.
Now that triathlon and time trial bikes are built around disc brake wheels, Zipp knew they needed to optimize their 808 wheelset for the benefits and rigors of disc braking. The result is the 808 NSW Disc Tubeless Clincher.
The 808 wheelset is super speedy. Many prefer an 808 back to a disc wheel, as it’s lighter and easier to control in crosswinds. Some folks like to run double 808’s, while other run an 808 in back with a shallower front wheel, like a Zipp 404. Either way, you’re getting a wheel that is best on flat roads and constant speeds, though strong road racers might also find it a great wheel for flattish road races and crits.
This 404’s depth is 82mm, which has been the depth of the 404 for years. The width has changed for these wheels, with a max width of , an internal width of 19mm, and optimized for 25mm tires. They figure the bike you put these wheels on will probably be ridden almost entirely on pavement, and thus the benefits of a narrower tire come into play. It’s lighter and since you don’t need the same air cushion, there’s no reason to carry around the wide tire carcass. You can go wider if you want, but probably go no narrower than 23mm.
But the change in width also comes with a second change. The extending of the SawTooth dimpling pattern all the way to the rim edge. As you should know by now, SawTooth is a design of indents molded into the outside rim walls that is comprised of twelve nodes. These are designed to start working for you at speeds of 20mph and then work better when faster. They essentially change the behavior of the wind around the rim to minimize side wind pressure on the rim in crosswinds, thus making the wheel more stable at high speeds.
The interior of the rim has been changed as well. There is not only a bead hook at the end of the rim, but a ridge running below it, to better hold the bead of tubeless tires. This is to improve the interface with tubeless tire beads. This improves the sealing of the tire to the rim, which is a plus for safety and security. Factory-applied tubeless rim tape finishes the rim package.
Thanks to the need to make the rim sidewalls strong enough to handle the pressure of clincher tires, these carbon rims are super-strong. Stronger than aluminum rims, so worry not about their durability. They are race light, but training wheel tough.
Sapim CX-Ray J-Bend spokes are used both front and rear to lace the rim to the hub. These spokes are light, aero, and stiff. 24 spokes, two-cross, both front and rear.
These NSW wheels utilize Zipp’s Cognition hubs. The front features scalloped flanges for the spoke beds. J-bend spokes resist the twisting forces disc-braking can put on spokes. This results in less pressure on the spokes, increasing lateral stiffness and durability. The rear has a pawl design with an Axial Clutch, which reduces pawl drag by 50% when coasting, and with a 36-tooth engagement, you’re driving the wheel the moment you start pedaling.
The disc-mounting method is Centerlock only. Lock ring not included. The hubs come with Zipp’s Tangente quick release skewers as well as hand-removable end caps to fit 100x12mm and 100x15mm thru-axles in front and 142x12mm rear thru-axles.
The wheels weigh in at 1860g per set, 910g in front, 950g in back.
The wheels, sold separately as front and rear, also come with a wheel bag, a Zipp tubeless valve factory-installed, valve core removal tool, Zipp Cognition Oil, and a freehub body spacer to take the 11-speed hub down to 10-speed if you need. The single wheel bags can be secured together if you have a pair. SRAM/Shimano and Campagnolo 11-speed cassette bodies are standard; a SRAM XD-R driver can be swapped in as well.
In case you’re wondering, yes, you can use standard clincher tires and tubes. You’ll just need to remove the tubeless valve.
The Zipp 808 NSW Disc Tubeless Clincher is the wheel that meshes perfectly with the latest generation of disc brake triathlon and time trial bikes.
The Zipp 858 NSW Clincher Wheel is the latest step in speed. The wheel takes advantage of Zipp’s Hyperfoil technology to create a wheel that’s deep in a headwind, but much shallower in a crosswind. And thanks to the increasing popularity of disc brakes, it is offered in two distinct versions, the rim brake model and the disc brake model. This is a wheel for riding the flats, mastering time trials, and killing the bike leg in multi-sport events. Zipp triathletes say it’s versatile enough to be your single race wheelset.
You’ll notice the waves in the rim shape. Those are Hyperfoil nodes. The rear wheels have 24 nodes, while the front rim brake has 18 and the front disc brake 24. The nodes are clocked with the spokes to make them work better. The nodes are inspired by the way whales move through water, and achieve something Zipp likes to call AeroBalance. That’s their way of saying that the wheel is fast but stable. They’ve found that the wheel is as stable in crosswinds as their 404, but faster than their 808. Cool trick. The deepest parts of the rim are 82mm like the 808, but are combined with sections as shallow as 77mm. When you add on the Sawtooth dimple pattern and HexFin dimples, it’s faster still.
The Carbon Clincher Rim Brake version has Zipp’s ShowStopper brake treatment, which improves both wet and dry braking, particulary the dry. It has 18 front spokes, 24 rear. The set weighs 1750g, 808g for the front, 942g for the rear. The rim width goes up to on the outside in front max width rear, and has a 17mm internal width.
The Carbon Clincher Disc Brake version is a bit different owing to the needs of rotor disc brakes. The front and rear rims are identical. They’re 24-spokes, front and rear, with the same 24-spoke wide, 17mm internal width rim. The HexFin dimple pattern is extended to the end of the rim to further aerodynamics because you don’t need a brake track.
Zipp loves Sapim CX-Ray spokes. They’re light, fast, strong. The rim brake version uses straight-pull spokes while the disc brake version uses J-bend. The different forces on the wheel dist
Both wheel sets feature Zipp’s Cognition hubs. The rim brake version utilizes a flangeless front hub and a minimal, flanged rear hub that features two-cross spoking on both sides. A similar-looking scalloped, flanged design is employed both front and rear on the disc brake version. It is a bit different, as Zipp found that J-bend spokes are better for disc wheels, and, as such, the flanges are designed to be as light as possible without sacrificing strength. The disc brake version hubs are designed for Centerlock splined rotors only. The disc brake hubs come with quick release skewers and hand-removable end caps that can convert the wheel from quick-release to 100x12mm, 100x15mm thru axles in front, and 142x12mm thru-axles in the rear.
As should be expected, you can choose between a Campagnolo-compatible 9/10/11-speed cassette body, and a Shimano/SRAM body. You can also pull these bodies and install a SRAM XD cassette body for even more diversity of applications. The cool thing about the rear hub design is the low drag pawl design. Zipp calls it Axial Clutch, which reduces pawl drag by 50% when coasting, and with a 36-tooth engagement, you’re driving the wheel the moment you start pedaling. Sapim
Each wheel comes with a Zipp Tangente titanium skewer in Black, a Zipp valve extender by Silca, Zipp individual wheel bag, Zipp Tangente Platinum Pro Evo brake pads, Zipp, Tangente Tube that fits 700cx20-28mm tires, and Zipp rim tape.
The Zipp 858 Wheelset makes it easy to ride deep-dish wheels in all conditions.