Owner’s Survey: Zipp Firecrest Wheels

101218-zipp-002As we mentioned in our recent review of Shimano’s new Ultegra wheelset, more so than any other component, upgrading your wheels can make a huge difference in the performance and ride quality of your bike. Wheel manufacturers are constantly striving to create the smoothest riding,  lightest, most aerodynamic wheel for professional racers and recreational enthusiasts alike.

Zipp Speed Weaponry has been pushing the boundaries of bicycle wheel aerodynamics since their inception in the late 1980’s. Their design goal is stated right in their name: Speed Weaponry, tools to make you faster. The development of carbon fiber technology has taken the bicycle wheel into new realms of performance, with Zipp leading the industry.

Continue reading

Review: Shimano Ultegra 6700 Tubeless Wheelset

If we deconstruct the bicycle as a machine down to it’s most basic elements, we are left with two wheels and a frame to connect them. When we examine the physical effort required to move a bicycle forward, air resistance, rolling resistance, weight of the bicycle and the rider, and the incline of the ground are all variables. The force required to spin the wheels is constant. So it comes as little surprise that cycling enthusiasts frequently look to their wheels when trying to extract greater performance out of themselves and their bike.

Continue reading