We love...
Stability in crosswinds: our sub-10st tester set 19 Strava PRs on a
blustery Peak District day.
Cognition hub: the ratchet mechanism disengages when coasting
so you can rip down descents friction-free.
Light weight: for all the material in the undulating Sawtooth rim
shape, a weight of just over 1,500g is impressive.
Could be improved
The noise the 454 NSWs make when heat builds up on a long
descent is ear-splitting, but fortunately they stop well — something
that is the Achilles heel of many a top-end carbon clincher.
The price also can’t be ignored. You can buy a very good bike for
the price of this wheelset.
ALTERNATIVES
Lightweight Meilenstein
Obermayer £4,969
Considerably more expensive than
the Zipp 454 NSWs and weighing
just 940g (tubular), the
Meilensteins are
handmade in
Germany and
are incredibly
stiff for their
low weight.
The flat
spokes are
bonded
directly into
the rim and
hub, and line
up directly with
the angle of the
V-shaped rim wall and
it’s this that makes them so rigid.
However, despite having a 47.5mm
deep section rim, aerodynamics is
not the Meilenstein Obermayers’
forte. The V-shaped profile means
they will not be as effective in
crosswinds as the 454 NSW — but
in a hill-climb they’re unbeatable.
http://www.vielosports.comENVE SES 4.5 £3,200
They’re just over £200 cheaper than
the Zipp 454 NSWs and lighter at
just under £1,400g and although
we haven’t tested them against
the Zipps, the ENVEs
were the fastest
in the 40-
50mm rim
depth group
that we
tested with
WattShop.
With rim
depths of
48mm and
56mm and
designed in
conjunction with
F1 aerodynamicist Simon Smart, the
4.5s perform exceptionally well in all
conditions — and they have beautiful
Chris King hubs.
http://www.saddleback.co.ukCycling Weekly | February 8, 2018 | 35