Zipp Speed Podcast

Ride Ready eliminates the time and potential frustration of installing tubeless tires with sealant, rotors, and cassettes. The goal is to maximize rider convenience and the performance of your new Zipp wheels with new Goodyear tires and SRAM components to make you faster. First, select your wheels; Ride Ready offers two of Zipp’s most popular and versatile options.

Zipp’s new high-end carbon bar, the SL 80 Race, is designed for the new SRAM RED AXS, from placement of Wireless Blips to ergonomic touches that will keep you fast and efficient in every hand position. Get all the details of this new jointly developed bar with Zipp Product Manager Nathan Schickel.

In this episode of the Zipp Speed Podcast, we gathered top experts from Zipp to discuss our hookless wheels and the technology behind hookless and clarify two recent incidents in the pro peloton. We hope this podcast provides good information about Zipp hookless wheels and tires.

In this episode of the Zipp Speed Podcast, Zipp product Manager Nathan Schickel and Senior Design Engineer John Leachman explain what’s new with the new Zipp Super-9 tubeless disc-brake road and clincher track disc wheels.

Learn the step-by-step details of how we make Zipp wheels. SRAM Indy Factory Engineering Manager Ruan Trouw describes the process from when carbon fiber arrives at the Indianapolis factory to when wheels are boxed up and shipped out. This episode is Part III of our three-part Zipp Speed Podcast series, which is all about how Zipp uses carbon fiber to design and manufacture its wheels.

This is the second episode of a three-part series all about carbon fiber. Part I looked at the basic properties of carbon fiber. Part II focuses on designing carbon wheels, and Part III will examine manufacturing with carbon. It’s time for Part II of our All About Carbon Zipp Speed Podcast Series. In this episode, Zipp design engineers Aaron Packard and Ben Waite discuss the potential and challenges of designing carbon fiber bicycle wheels. Aaron focuses on mountain bike wheels and Ben on road wheels. Also, please listen to Part I on the Basics of Carbon.

This is the start of a three-part series all about carbon fiber. Part I looks at the basic properties on carbon fiber, Part II focuses on designing carbon wheels, and Part III on manufacturing with carbon. Zipp is famous for designing and making deep section carbon-fiber bicycle wheels. But what exactly is carbon fiber? What are properties of carbon fiber? What is resin? Beyond bikes, what other industries use carbon fiber? For starters, this is how Merriam-Webster defines carbon fiber: Noun: a very strong lightweight synthetic fiber made especially by carbonizing acrylic fiber at high temperatures also : a material made from such fibers embedded in a resinous matrix Carbon fiber is the main material we work with at the Zipp factory in Indianapolis, so we wanted to spend some time talking about it. This episode is the first of a three-part series all about carbon fiber. In this opening episode, Zipp Design Engineer Manager Tess Denning discusses the basics of carbon fiber and what makes it both challenging to work with but ideal for high-performance components. Tess also talks about how Zipp’s engineering team literally went back to school, taking a graduate level course in advanced composites to provide a fresh perspective on their work at Zipp.

Go inside the wind tunnel where Zipp hones the aero efficiency of its wheel design. The Auto Research Center Wind Tunnel, just two miles from the Zipp factory, is a world class facility that focuses on race cars, scale-model semis and now (thanks to its partnership with Zipp) bikes. Such research is key to Zipp wheels. In this episode of the Zipp Speed Podcast, ARC Chief Operating Officer Henri Kowalczyk tells us all about wind tunnel research.

From small town upstate New York, Curtis White has always thought big. He pushed himself in CX and in the classroom with an intense focus on honing his weaknesses. That approach provides balance on and off the bike. Curtis races on the Zipp 303 Firecrest Tubular and trains on the 303 S tubeless wheelsets.

Pro cyclocross racer Raylyn Nuss of the Steve Tilford Foundation Racing team is our first guest on the Zipp Speed Podcast in 2024. The former college basketball player loves the chaos of cyclocross. She recently finished third at the USA Cycling Cyclocross Nationals. Raylyn is a fun and passionate advocate for CX and STF Racing.

In this episode of the Zipp Speed Podcast, Zipp’s Dan Lee and Nico Deportago-Cabrera break down their five favorite Zipp accessories. So if you’re looking for quick ways to freshen your ride or your look, or you need holiday gift ideas, this show is for you. So sit back and get ready, it’s time for the Zipp Speed podcast!

Magnus (Maggy) Backstedt swung by Zipp's hometown of Indianapolis, so we grabbed our recorder to catch up with the big Swede. As we talked with him in his camper, his daughter, Zoe, rode training laps on the cyclocross course outside. The two are part of the powerhouse CANYON//SRAM Racing team, dad as director sporfit and daughter rider. Maggy—at 6-foot-4, 205 pounds—was a huge presence in the pro peloton in the early 2000s. In this fun interview, he recalls his momentous victory at the 2004 Paris-Roubaix and his early experimentation with wider tires and carbon wheels at Roubaix. Like Zipp, he was ahead of his time. Maggy, in 2008, was part of Zipp's determined drive to develop a carbon wheel tough enough to win on the cobblestones of Roubaix. He gives all the details. At the end of the podcast, Maggy reveals his jaw-dropping power numbers.

Skye Moench (rhythms with launch) finished a solid seventh at the 2023 Ironman World Championships in Kona. In this episode of the podcast, Zipp catches up with the Utah-based triathlete about her training and background in the sport. They also discuss the rise of tubeless setups in triathlon and the importance of wheel choice. So sit back and relax; it’s time for the Zipp Speed Podcast.

Zipp engineer Dave Morse first put TyreWiz on his bikes out of curiosity and a bit of novelty. Then as the miles accumulated, he realized its utility before and during rides. Dave pumped up his tires until TyreWiz’s LED turned green. He made minor tire-pressure adjustments to optimize speed, rolling resistance, and handling. He monitored potential punctures on gravel. For the launch of the new TyreWiz 2.0, we talked with Dave about this handly small device.

Learn all about the new 1ZERO HITOP SW and S wheelsets. The 1ZERO HITOP models are Zipp’s first XC wheelsets in almost three decades. The 1ZERO HITOP builds on Zipp’s success in MTB with the 3ZERO MOTO Enduro wheelset. Zipp offers two versions of the 1ZERO HITOP wheel: the premium SW and the dependable S. The philosophy behind the 1ZERO HITOP is simple: No longer is it good enough for an XC wheelset to be stiff above all else. Instead, a wheelset should feel alive. The 1ZERO HiTOP SW carbon rim’s design complies with the terrain thanks to Zipp’s proprietary HiTOP Technology for carbon layup. The result is a lightweight XC wheel that carries speed through all sections of the trail, rocks, roots, and ruts with dependable durability. In this episode, Zipp Design Engineer Aaron Packard and Zipp Test Engineer Brian Leathers explain the design, tech, and testing behind the 1ZERO.

If you’re a roadie transitioning to gravel, this episode of the Zipp Speed Podcast is for you. Road riding and racing are excellent preparation for gravel events, but there are critical differences in bike setup, tactics, mindset, and nutrition. Zipp Content Manager Dan Lee talks with his colleague Jonathan Jacob. If you’re a regular listener to the Zipp Speed Podcast, you’ll recognize JJ as a guest on some of our more popular episodes. JJ works on SRAM’s Velocio brand and is a two-time national champion. He’s been on the podcast before, discussing criterium racing and his time spent in the wind tunnel. JJ is compelling and entertaining, providing valuable insights into cycling gear, strategy, and performance. He recently competed in Unbound in Kansas, so this is a perfect time to sit down and talk with JJ about transitioning from road to gravel. So, sit back and relax as we discuss the road to gravel.

Zipp caught up with Saint Motel Drummer Greg Erwin recently at the band’s (fabulous!) show in Columbus, Ohio. When we arrived, the band was in soundcheck getting ready for a sold-out show that evening. A Zipp ambassador, Greg had just finished a long bike ride shortly before we recorded this podcast. If you’re a fan of music or cycling, you’ll love Greg’s passionate approach to both. He’ll also introduce you a few of Saint Motel’s stylish and imaginative songs. The band’s sound could be described as energetic and stylish. As for bikes, Greg will explain why cycling keeps his life in balance, especially while on the road on his Zipp 303s.

Welcome to the finale of the Zipp Speed Podcast’s four-part series on our Total System Efficiency approach to wheel design. This episode focuses on the fourth and final barrier to speed identified by TSE, Vibration Loss. What’s vibration loss? In basic terms, the rougher the road, the more difficult it is to go fast. New hookless and tubeless Zipp wheels mitigate vibration loss and the other three TSE barriers to speed: wind resistance, rolling resistance, and gravity (or weight). Those who appreciate the science behind bike tech will love this episode as Zipp’s Dan Lee talks with Senior Advanced Development Engineer David Morse. If you love this, please also listen to the three previous episodes on Zipp TSE.

What’s the first thing you do when someone shows you a carbon racing bike? Likely, you pick it up to see how light it feels. Zipp’s Total System Efficiency (TSE) approach to wheel design and the transition to a disc brake allowed our engineers to increase focus on reducing the weight of rims as a component of speed. In this Zipp Speed Podcast, Senior Design Engineer Ben Waite explains in detail how Zipp reduced the weight of wheelsets by hundreds of grams and how that influences performance. He discusses how you can now use specifications beyond rim depth and weight to select the best wheel.

We’re back on the Zipp Speed Podcast for another in-depth interview on Zipp’s Total System Efficiency approach for wheel design. This episode is Part 2 of a 4 part podcast series on the four barriers of speed identified and attacked by Zipp’s TSE approach. In Part 1, we talked with Zipp senior design engineer John Leachman about wind resistance. In this episode, Part 2, we talk with Zipp advanced development engineer Ruan Trouw about the second barrier of speed: Rolling Resistance. TSE defines Rolling Resistance as Power loss created by the friction of the tires on the ground. It depends on tire performance but also tire patch and tire pressure. Ruan talks expertly about how Zipp engineers approach decreasing rolling resistance through innovations to rim design. He details what increases or decreases rolling resistance on the bike. He also talks about the balance required to optimize rolling resistance with other essential components to speed, including aero efficiency and vibration loss. At the end of our conversation, Ruan discusses how cyclists should consider rolling resistance when selecting the best wheel. If you have not already, please return to our last episode, Part 1 on TSE, with John Leachman on Wind Resistance.