Originally, the Zipp 808 with its 82mm section was thought of as an aerodynamics first time trial and triathlon wheel. It didn't take long for riders to discover the benefits of the 808 could be carried over into road racing, criteriums and long days at the front of the peloton. For those of you into bike bling, the deep section of 808 wheels provide a simply awesome superbike visual appeal. New black rim decals are borderless, thinner and lighter.

The Firecrest® rim shape of the 808 Firecrest Carbon Clincher is getting rave review because it increases aerodynamics, stability in crosswinds, brake performance and strength all at the same time. That's because Firecrest shape moves the center of pressure closer to the steering axis, so crosswinds exert lower side force on the wheel. Weight is 1000g for the rear and 1800 grams for the set.

The Firecrest rim for better performance in every wind condition. Its 26mm width makes it 15 seconds faster over 40k then the previous 808. The 808 Firecrest equals or exceed the performance of any 90mm-deep rim as well as many discs. At high wind angles the 808's advantage is even greater and the Firecrest rim shape make the 808 remarkable stable. Essentially, it provides the speed of a deeper rim with the handling of a much shallower one making it perfect for windy, non-disc-legal courses such as Kona.

The 808 Firecrest Carbon Clincher is built with a the 177 rear hub along with an updated spoke-lacing pattern for the rear wheel - refinements that result in improved stiffness and durability. The new hub was developed in cooperation of superstar sprinter Mark Cavendish plus other pro athletes and teams. The 177 hub has larger precision Swiss steel bearings for increased durability.

2-cross lacing on both sides also helps to increase stiffness and durability. The self adjusting 177 rear hub has 25 percent more torsional stiffness than a leading competitive hub. This measure of stiffness is crucial for the direct power transfer to the rear wheel for out-of-the saddle sprints and climbs. The hub also is laterally (side-to-side) stiffer that its rival or predecessor.