Zipp 454 NSW Carbon Tubular Rear Wheel (QR 10x130mm)

Zipp has taken its R&D very seriously in creating the 454 NSW Carbon Tubular Rear Wheel (QR 10x130mm), looking at the movements and behaviours of some of nature's most streamlined creatures and applying their findings to this finely-crafted rim. Having studied the effortless gliding of whales and sharks through their ocean habitats, Zipp has translated that to how this wheel travels over road terrains. 

Inspired by the pectoral fin of the whale and the microtexture build of the shark's skin as they cut and move through underwater currents, the 454 NSW Carbon Tubular Rear Wheel is equipped with Hexfin Aerodynamic Boundary Layer Control (ABLC) and a SawTooth rim profile to reduce air-drag and side force to ultimately improve performance as you speed from stage to stage. 

Technologies:
Showstopper
The industry-leading Showstopper brake track allows you to brake later with more stopping power and greater control, regardless of weather conditions or the length of the descent.

SawTooth
The name given to the Zipp NSW variable depth 77/82mm rim profile. This design is the result of rigorous wind tunnel and real-world testing. The rim shape takes natures elegant design solutions and combines their precise engineering finesse to deliver a wheel that performs like nothing else before.

Hyperfoil
This technological design refers to the individual nodes that are part of the Sawtooth rim design. Each of these structures feature the Hexfin ABLC dimples that stabilise handling in gusting and strong wind conditions by increasing wind vortex shedding. The dimples create a secondary vortex around the outer rim surface, which in turn heightens the wheel control and saves rider energy from being wasted.

Hexfin Aerodynamic Boundary Layer Control (ABLC)
The Sawtooth dimple design consists of 12 nodes that are specifically clocked to start aerodynamic shearing at a rate of 50hz at a rider speed of 20mph. Sawtooth accomplishes this by inducing small sheet vortices that shed at a low magnitude, but at a higher natural frequency, thus decreasing the laminar bubble effect on the aerodynamically shielded side of the rim's profile to further reduce high yaw drag and improve crosswind stability.