Australian Triathlete – July-August 2017

42 | AustrAliAn triAthlete

ZIPP 454 NSW

cArBoN cLINcher

Z

ipp is not really a brand that

needs any introduction in the

world of triathlon. In fact, to say

Zipp is the most recognisable

brand to a triathlete would not be an

exaggeration. They are considered by

most to be the market leader in wheel

technology and are usually the first to

introduce new ideas to the wheel market.

Zipp has grown up with triathlon and

used triathlon as a playground to develop

and advance their vast array of products.

And for most of its lifespan triathlon has

been the beneficiary of these

advancements in technology.

Zipp was founded back in 1988 and

was in fact born out of the motorsports

industry in Speedway, Indiana. Fiercely

proud of their American heritage, they

began with a simple disc wheel and are

generally accredited with having

introduced the use of carbon fibre in

wheels production for bikes. They soon

followed the disc wheel with deep rim

wheels, tri spoke wheels and even the

fabled Zipp 2001 tri bike. Stems, cranks,

handlebar systems, tri bars, bar tape, tyres

and multiple amounts of wheels have all

followed. They were at the forefront of the

change to wide rims and are known

Product Tested:

Zipp 454 NSW

carbon clincher

tech talk

R Oad test

worldwide for the distinctive dimples on all

their wheels, which is designed to induce

boundary layer turbulence and prevent

detached airflow in crosswinds. To our

knowledge, they are still the only company

using such a design.

For over a decade now, when it comes

to race specific wheels, Zipp have offered

the 404, 808 and Discs (900 and Super 9)

albeit in continually evolving designs. All of

these wheels are available in Firecrest

Clincher, Tubular, Clincher disc brake,

Tubular disc brake and NSW versions,

which brings us to the new Zipp 454 NSW

Carbon Clincher. This is the biggest change

to the Zipp lineup in over 10 years and has

resulted in a completely redesigned rim

and wheel.

Like most triathletes, we had seen

photos of the new 454 NSW wheelset, but

it’s not until you pull them out of the

wheels bag and see them for the first time

that the shape really hits you. To say it’s

unique would be an understatement. The

saw tooth profile is very pronounced and at