ZIPP WHEELS


2012 Zipp 404 Firecrest Carbon Tubular Wheelset

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When it comes to aerodynamic wheels, there aren’t too many companies that can compete with Zipp in terms of performance, vision, and sex appeal. Their dedication to creating the best product available has resulted in their wheels winning everything from Paris-Roubaix to Alpe d’Huez to Kona – multiple times. Though it may be easy to become a little jaded when listening to the marketing speak that comes out of every wheel company, there’s no ignoring Zipp when they say that the Firecrest shape is the best advancement in wheel design they’ve ever made. The Zipp 404 Firecrest Carbon Tubular Wheelset will blow your mind with not only its speed, but also its predictability in all wind conditions.

With a 58mm-deep rim, the 404s have long been the go-to wheels for riders who want an aero rim without having to worry too much about having a wrestling match with their wheels as soon as the wind picks up. That’s one reason that Zipp uses them as the rim on which to test their new rim shapes. So, why Firecrest? It comes from the naming conventions Zipp engineers use when they’re testing different rim shapes – they give each new design, whether it is eventually used or not, the name of a bird. It just so happens that this rim, which was christened Firecrest, came back with such astounding numbers that Zipp quickly realized that they had a rim revolution on their hands.

The new design comes from Zipp’s belief that focusing on how the shape of the back half of the rim can become a second leading edge improves aerodynamics. Zipp being Zipp, this meant that they went through many iterations before finalizing the Firecrest. Though its profile may appear a little bland, it is anything but. The complexity of the rim shape performed so well in the wind tunnel that the Firecrest 404s returned better numbers than the 808s used in the 2010 Tour de France. And they performed well across the board regardless of tire width or wind direction.

Not only were the aero benefits off the chart, it became clear that at critical yaw angles the handling became more stable than any Zipp wheel or any competitor’s wheel. The 404s are now easier to handle in cross winds than the 303s, for instance. By optimizing the back half of the rim, the center of pressure caused by the wind is pulled back behind the hub so that the crosswind becomes much more predictable. The wind essentially hits the wheel on the steering axis, taking away the lever effect that typically happens when the wind catches the front half of the rim. This makes the wheel feel like it self-corrects with little need for input from the rider. Saxo Bank’s Baden Cooke said it felt like the wheel rode within the wind and not against it.

Aside from these advancements, the Zipp 404 Firecrest Carbon Tubular Wheelset also offers the VCLC vibration-dampening properties unique toZipp products to help give you as soft a ride as possible. Combined with the aero dimpling, you will be saving so much energy that by the end of a five hour ride over rough roads, you’ll still have enough snap in your legs to take the final sprint.

The Zipp 404 Firecrest Carbon Tubular Wheelset comes in Falcon Grey and Beyond Black in either Shimano or Campagnolo compatible freewheels. Choosing the best high quality, all around, everyday wheelset just got a whole lot easier.

Please Note: Zipp's Tangente Platinum Pro and cork brake pads are designed specifically for use with their carbon tubulars. Use of brake pads other than these is highly recommended against and will void the wheel warranty.