Buying a set of wheels for over £1,000 may sound a little extravagant. But, I’ve never regretted buying the Zipp 404 wheelset. I think they offer the best combination of aerodynamic performance, strength and rigidity.
I use a Zipp 404 front wheel in time trials because it offers the largest deep section rim that you can use. This aerodynamic advantage is the main criteria for a time trial and does make a significant difference. It is estimated the deep section rim can give an average gain of 1 to 4 watts of energy in very nearly all conditions and races, but especially time trials
On a hilly time trial, I may use a Zipp 404 wheel as opposed to a disc wheel. The main criteria is how much climbing is involved or whether it is very windy. As a general rule I try to use the disc, but, it is good to have the option of a deep section 404.
The advantage of Zipp 404 wheels is that they can be used in road races, where they give a benefit of most aerodynamic wheels. They are also incredibly light and are what I use for the hill climb season.
Specs of Zipp 404 Wheels
- Aero Rim Width 22.5mm
- Rim Depth 58mm 58mm
- Weight Front 550g
- Weight Rear 682g
Zipp 2008
Zipp Products for 2008 including
- Zipp 202 wheels lightweight wheelset of 1060g, but still with aerodynamic wheelrim
- Zipp 1080. Extra deep rim section
- Sub 9 Disc Wheel. only 1000g with state of the art aerodynamic advantage
