Like many other riders, Bäckstedt uses super-deep Zipp 808 wheels in a lot of road races. Many choose the wheels because they prefer the braking to that of a 404 or a 202. CSC’s Fabian Cancellara, for instance, has repeatedly raved to Zipp about the braking with this wheel. Zipp’s Andy Ording says it is due to the toroidal shape of the rim being carried through to the braking surface. All other Zipp models have parallel brake tracks — the toroidal shape stops before the braking surface. “We did it strictly for aerodynamics,” says Ording, “but an extra benefit is better braking.” Why? Ording theorizes that when the entire lower edge of the pad contacts the rim first, it squeegees water and grime outward and gives immediate braking response, rather than a delay while material trapped under the pad moves away. | Photo: Lennard Zinn
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Like many other riders, Bäckstedt uses super-deep Zipp 808 wheels in a lot of road races. Many choose the wheels because they prefer the braking to that of a 404 or a 202. CSC’s Fabian Cancellara, for instance, has repeatedly raved to Zipp about the braking with this wheel. Zipp’s Andy Ording says it is due to the toroidal shape of the rim being carried through to the braking surface. All other Zipp models have parallel brake tracks — the toroidal shape stops before the braking surface. “We did it strictly for aerodynamics,” says Ording, “but an extra benefit is better braking.” Why? Ording theorizes that when the entire lower edge of the pad contacts the rim first, it squeegees water and grime outward and gives immediate braking response, rather than a delay while material trapped under the pad moves away. | Photo: Lennard Zinn
