Zipp

Super-9 Disc Brake Carbon Disc Wheel - Clincher

Zipp's first foray into the world of wheels was the wind-cheating disc—produced in the late '80s. Although the technology and design of the disc has changed quite a bit in the past three decades, and disc brakes have become more common on time trial and triathlon bikes, Zipp continues to dominate the peloton, and the Super-9 Disc Brake Carbon Disc Wheel continues Zipp's mission to have the fastest disc wheel on the planet.

Through extensive wind tunnel testing, dubbed the "carbon clincher project," Zipp's engineers discovered that, aerodynamically speaking, clinchers are significantly faster than tubulars. The transition from the tire surface to the rim surface allows for the airflow to stay attached over the wheel, providing a reduction in pressure drag. In comparison to tubulars, the clinchers' carefully molded shape more closely follows the contour of the tire. In other words, the reshaped rim actually tips inward slightly, rather than aligning parallel. This shape places the disc's widest point just below the braking surface. This keeps the tire tucked down into the relatively wide tire bed so that it doesn't balloon out over the top of the rim.

The Super-9 Carbon Clincher still features the recognizable dimpling pattern that's found on the 900 and the Firecrest models, which effectively smooths air flow in order to minimize drag. Zipp calls this its Aerodynamic Boundary Layer Control (ABLC). This pattern is where the surface is embossed with over 4900 golf ball-like dimples in five different sizes. As a result, along the curved rim section, the dimples work to create a slight turbulence directly above the rim surface. This creates an artificial boundary layer that forces the laminar boundary layer toward the forward part of the rim in order to become turbulent. This process enables airflow to remain attached over more of the rim for a longer period of time, providing a lower level of integrated drag. The drag that ABLC creates is called skin friction drag. And although it's greatly increased, pressure drag (which is ten times higher than skin friction) is accordingly decreased. So, you experience less drag at effective wind angles between 10 and 20 degrees.

The hub used is Zipp's durable 177DD model, with internals manufactured using Zipp's high-voltage, Wire EDM technology. This specialized manufacturing process, usually reserved for avionics and Formula One gearboxes, lets Zipp machine 50% harder materials at tolerances 20 times greater than standard machining and heat treating. The result is a sub-200g hub that's able to withstand the torque of a four-cylinder car engine.

The Super-9 Carbon Clincher, which weighs in around 1,175 grams, is an ideal triathlon or time trial setup when paired with a Zipp 808 or 404 front wheel. And the clincher designation means you are able to easily fine tune your tire selection to the race course.

The Zipp Super-9 Disc is available with black or white decals and a Shimano/SRAM compatible freehub body. Please note that the Shimano body is compatible with 11-speed cassettes, and the hub is compatible with CenterLock disc rotors only. Other freehub options are available separately to fit SRAM XDR or Campagnolo cassettes. The wheel fits bikes with quick-release axles, but also includes end cap adapters for 12 x 142mm thru-axle bikes.