ZIPP FIRECREST 404 CARBON CLINCHER FRONT WHEEL

Zipp’s first full-carbon clincher wheelset, the 404 Carbon Clincher has been described as the most heavily anticipated wheelset of all time. And following two years of development for its revolutionary rim shape and carbon technology, they’re confident that the 404 Carbon Clincher lives up to the hype.

Its Firecrest™ aero profile is the first deep-profile carbon clincher design to offer the superior aerodynamics, ride quality, strength, and handling of a wider rim body. Yet the 404 Carbon Clincher weighs just 1557 grams per set, putting it among the lightest deep-profile carbon clinchers available.
Designed specifically to account for the differences in airflow patterns between clincher tires and tubulars, 404 Carbon Clincher far exceeds the aero performance of any other clincher wheelset in its class.

As Zipp proved with the Paris-Roubaix-winning 303 Tubular, a wider rim offers greater vertical compliance for control and comfort on rough surfaces while increasing lateral stiffness for sprinting and cornering. The same holds true for Firecrest rims with clincher tires. And because the hook beads are farther apart, the tire itself takes on a more stable shape without adding rolling resistance.

Heavy, continuous braking on carbon surfaces can cause spikes in rim temperature and tire pressure that impact
performance and handling – especially with clincher tires. To solve this challenge, our US-based composites supplier created a new heat-resistant resin exclusively for Zipp. This technology improves heat dissipation so substantially that ours are the only carbon clinchers to pass stringent European safety testing without limitations on rider weight or brake pad options.

Naturally, we chose to launch our groundbreaking carbon clincher designs with our most versatile wheelset, the 404. Its 58mm rim depth is a classic all-around performer that has carried athletes to victory in every kind of event – triathlons, criteriums, breakaways, field sprints, even Grand Tour mountain stages. Now, the 404 is available with the convenience of clinchers, the light weight of an all-carbon rim, and the unrivaled performance of Zipp technology.

Firecrest™ – A better wheel in every way.
For every rider, every discipline, and every ability level, aero wheels make a difference. Every test we’ve ever run has confirmed this basic truth and we’ve never seen data from anyone else that argues differently.
With the new Firecrest rim shape in our 404 and 808 Tubulars and Carbon Clinchers, Zipp wheels make a bigger difference in more ways than ever. Not only is Firecrest more aerodynamic than any other rim design, it improves handling in crosswinds, wheel strength, and overall ride quality.

More speed.
Discovered as we developed our carbon clinchers, Firecrest refocused our thinking from the front to the back of the wheel. Previous rim shapes were designed to smooth airflow coming off the tire, and tapered inward from the widest point of a toroidal bulge. But Firecrest rims have a less pronounced bulge and maintain a near-constant width almost all the way to the spoke bed. Without giving up the proven benefits of the toroidal shape, Firecrest is the first aero profile that effectively controls airflow around the back half of the wheel.
The performance benefits are substantial. With Firecrest, the latest 404 Tubular (58mm rim depth) matches the aero performance of the pre-Firecrest 808 (81mm depth). And the new 808 Tubular is faster than any competitor’s 90mm rim.

More stability.
During the design process, we realized that the advanced mathematics and massive computing power that helped us create a faster wheel could also help reduce the impact of crosswinds on handling. Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), we’ve discovered subtle variations in rim shape that improve stability without increasing aerodynamic drag. By moving the center of pressure – the focal point of side forces on the rim – to its optimal location near the steering axis, Firecrest offers stable, predictable handling at every wind angle. In real-world conditions, Firecrest rims are markedly more stable than other rims of equal or even shallower depth.

More strength.
As we discovered with designs like the Paris-Roubaix-winning 303, a wider rim increases lateral stiffness for sprinting and cornering yet offers greater vertical compliance for more control, comfort, and durability on rough surfaces. The same holds true for Firecrest rims. In both tubular and clincher versions, the wider design better protects tires and places more rubber on the road while cornering without adding rolling resistance.