Originally, the Zipp 808 Firecrest with its 81mm 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 Tubular 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. The black hub, spokes and graphics delivers a style punch. Weight is 735 for the front and 1630 grams for the set.

The 808 features the Firecrest rim for better performance in every wind condition. Its 27mm 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 much deeper rim with the handling of a much shallower one making it perfect for windy, non-disc-legal courses such as Kona.

Other benefits of the new rim shape include better lateral stiffness for improved acceleration and a more solid feeling when cornering. The rim's composite structure is designed to absorb impacts by flexing slightly outward - which gives you a comfortable ride and long-term durability.

The Zipp 808 is built with Zipp's Carbon Bridge technology that dramatically increases impact resistance with a Kevlar thread running perpendicular to the carbon laminate on the tire bed of the rim. Between layers of carbon in the rim construction lies Zipp's VCLC system, which uses a shock-absorbing material to reduce vibration by 10%. The VCLC system also helps your wheels stay glued to the pavement under all conditions. A Zipp 88 hub features a 17mm axle for high strength and super-round stainless steel cartridge bearing for low friction.