Zipp's aluminum wheel collection moves upscale with the new 101, a 1,484g clincher wheelset with a full toroidal-profile rim and the company's latest 88/188 hubset.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
The new Zipp RZR bar-end shifters feature SRAM's return-to-center internals so the aero-shaped levers are always pointed straight ahead for optimal aerodynamics.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Zipp claims its new Super-9 disc wheel is virtually as aero as its Sub-9 but its flat 27mm-wide profile is more likely to fit in certain frames and delivers a stiffer ride.(Image credit: Emily Wren/www.emilywren.com)
Zipp will add yet another tool in its already well-stocked aero chest with the introduction of the new Super-9 rear disc wheel for 2010. In contrast to the bulging multi-profile Sub-9, the Super-9 is essentially pan flat, measuring a still-thick 27.5mm wide throughout before smoothly stepping down to 23mm at the tubular tire bed.
According to Zipp marketing manager Andy Paskins, the Super-9's extra thickness makes it nearly as aero as the Sub-9 but offers a stiffer and more responsive ride that is better suited to shorter and more intense courses where comfort is less of a priority. In addition, the narrower width will address the fitment issues that cropped up with the Sub-9 on some frames such as the Cervélo P4 and S3.
Claimed weight is just 995g – 3g lighter than the Sub-9.
At the other end of the spectrum, Zipp has replaced its long running Team Issue aluminum clincher wheelset with the 101 – essentially an aluminum version of the shallow-section carbon fiber 202. Indeed, the 101 rim wears a similar full toroidal cross-section measuring 30mm deep and 24.5mm wide that Zipp claims is nearly indistinguishable in the wind tunnel but in a package that is far more affordable and easier to live with on a day-to-day basis.
Zipp has also upgraded the hubs on the 101 from the Team Issue to its latest 88/188 set with wider and taller spoke flanges, easily adjustable bearing preload and rattle-free anodized aluminum end caps. Sapim bladed stainless steel spokes (18 front, 20 rear) join everything together and claimed weight is just 1,485g per pair.
2010 will also see the debut of Zipp's new RZR shifter, essentially the mechanical equivalent of SRAM's 1090-R2C bar end changer but with a more bulbous carbon fiber lever that we first saw on Lance Armstrong's Astana team issue Trek Equinox TTX SSL at this year's Giro d'Italia. Zipp claims the new shape offers a six-second advantage over 40km relative to the flat R2C lever.
As with the R2C, the RZR lever returns to the forward-pointing position after each shift to minimize drag and since it's mechanically identically, the RZR is also compatible with Zipp's weight saving VukaShift extensions.
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