Zipp today announced an overhaul of its deepest, most aero road bike wheels, the Zipp 808 and 858 NSW. Like many new cycling products, today's launch touts improvements, but surprisingly for an aero wheelset, the primary focus is on weight, not aerodynamics. [303 Firecrest and 353 NSW, and 404 Firecrest and 454 NSW. This is mainly due to the brand's adoption and continued deployment of certain technologies. These include an ongoing commitment to disc brakes, the use of hookless beads, wider internal rim beds, adapted manufacturing processes, and new Cognition V2 hubs.

The resulting improvements were similar to those of the previous model, including weight savings, competitive pricing, stability against crosswinds, and at least equal aerodynamic performance.

For the 858 NSW, a one-watt improvement in aerodynamics is not as important, according to SRAM; rather, according to Nathan Schickel, SRAM's product manager, the goal is to achieve the same aerodynamic performance as the current model, so that engineers can focus their attention on other areas. attention to other parts of the car. That "other part" is the main topic here: a significant weight reduction of 243 grams brings this 85mm wheelset down to 1530 grams. This is lighter than many of the competing brands' mid-section wheels on our best road bike wheels list, and lighter than Zipp's own (admittedly much cheaper) 303 S.

Zipp attributes this result to the use of CiR (carbon internal reinforcement) laminate in the rim. By reducing the amount of carbon where it was not needed, Zipp reduced the rim weight by 10%. This is in addition to the change to hookless beads, which also reduced weight due to reduced materials and improved resin distribution.

Zipp also claims that the change to hookless beads makes the rim stronger due to tighter geometry and tolerances during manufacturing. In addition, the manufacturing process is greatly simplified, allowing Zipp to reuse molds. This helps to eliminate waste and reduce costs. As a result of these cost savings, the new 858NSW sells for the same price as the previous model, £3570.00 ($4400.00/€4000.00) per pair.

The lower-spec 808Firecrest is definitely the bigger story here. While the 1635g weight of this wheelset may still be deemed too heavy to compare to mid-depth wheels for those considering purchasing an everyday fast wheelset, the comparison to its predecessor certainly makes for impressive reading.

The same change to hookless and a slight reduction in rim depth from 82mm to 80mm further reduces the weight to 265g. The price has also dropped, from £2572.00 to £2345.00 for the pair, and the same difference can be seen in the international price. Aerodynamic performance is said to be the same, with improved crosswind stability. Again, the 808 Firecrest has a 23mm inside rim width, best paired with 28mm tires. It spins on Zipp's ZR1 hubs.

The 808 Firecrest is priced at £2235.00 ($2300.00 / €2500.00).

Both wheel sets will be available for purchase at local dealers and online soon after launch.

And as a final point we couldn't ignore, with all the new acquisitions joining SRAM's headquarters, Zipp is seemingly playing the role of the father of them all: no more of a dad-gag than announcing the 808 and 858 wheels on August 8 at 8:58 AM (CST). No movement. Do more, bicycle industry.