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Zipp’s 808 & premium 858 wheels are a staple on the TT and triathlon scene. The performance gains of deep aero wheels are measurable, and courses don’t require much in quick maneuverability. But…
What if those same wheels were almost 300g lighter, faster, more agile at different yaw angles, and fit a wider tire? You might see them more on the criterium circuit and road races, that’s for sure.
Oh, and they’re cheaper than ever…
Zipp 808 & 858 deep aero wheel overhaul
c. SRAM
Meet the new Zipp 858 NSW and 808 Firecrest wheel lines. The wheels are more versatile all around; lighter by nearly 10% each rim, hookless tubeless, 21% wider inside… now optimized for use with a 28mm tire, and did we mention their less expensive all around?
The 8+cm deep Zipp 858 NSW and 808 wheel lines are the company’s deepest wheels, apart from going full disc. And now, the design team at Zipp gave the new 858/808 line the same proprietary Total System Efficiency technology (TSE) found on the others in the newest iterations of Zipp aero road wheels.
Updating the wheels with TSE, the biomimicry 858 NSW and more conventional 808 Carbon Tubeless Disc-brake wheelsets go full tubeless and wider hookless with their rim profiles. This iteration of both 858s & 808s is also the first time they will be tubeless-only. You could run them with tubes, but ONLY if you use a tubeless tire to ensure safe retention on the new hookless bead.
Zipp maintains a list of hookless compatible tires here.
With the new wider rims, they now have a minimum tire size of 25c; and the recommended tire size is 28c, with those tires likely measuring out closer to 30mm in reality.
And yet, they are still faster than the old wheels and 25 tires!
Photo: Jordan Villella
The new profile is said to create a seamlessly aerodynamic rim:tire interface and a significant drop in weight. The flagship 858 NSW gives the rider benefits of Zipp’s deepest rims at a weight typically associated with rims that are 20mm shallower (around 1530g).
The updated 858 and 808 use a 23mm internal width (vs. the 19mm of the previous model), something the industry has seen the industry casually make the new standard for road wheels. The 23mm internal width paired with the updated hookless design is ideal for running wider tires with lower pressures for decreased rolling resistance and improved grip.
All-new Zipp 858 NSW
The new Zipp 858 NSW features an undulating 82mm-85mm deep rim shape in the Zipp-patented Sawtooth profile. NSW is the highest performing design level for Zipp regarding aero efficiency and crosswind stability, but also in overall lightweight and hub spec.
Both new 858 NSW and 808s feature Zipp’s Carbon Internal Reinforcement (CIR), which creates a rim that is 10% lighter and just as strong as previous wheels, not to mention the hookless bead.
The new 858 wheelset sheds a full 243-274g off the previous generation, a surprising 15% overall weight savings!
Lighter, More Aero, Faster Rolling
The new 858 NSW has the same aero performance as its predecessor with 25c tires, but now with bigger 28c tires that actually measure 30mm wide on the rim (20% wider than before).
That’s a pretty big deal, really.
For comparison accuracy, Zipp’s wind tunnel data compares the same 25c tire on both the old MY21 858 (red baseline) and new MY23 858 (relative drag reduction in blue) which measures wider thanks to the 4mm wider rim internal.
The overall frontal area at the tire increases by 1/5, while the max overall width of the new shape remains the same at 27mm, yet they still have lower overall drag. In fact, Zipp wind tunnel data demonstrates a bit lower drag for the new wider-tire 858s straight into the wind, while they perform about the same as the wind shifts more from the side.
Then, new lower tire pressure (Zipp chart for reference) helps the hookless tubeless wheel run smoothly and effectively even faster with 4-5W savings claims. But tire pressure becomes more critical, as running pressures over around 70psi in 28 or 30mm tires start to give away those reduced rolling resistance gains.
The sawtooth rim design again makes the 858 wheels feel more versatile, like a slightly shallower wheel, and the reduced weight helps them spin up faster than ever before. Total rim width stays the same, but they are now slightly shallower, helping the new 858 NSW in versatility.
A rim is only as good as the hub it’s paired with, and the 858 NSW wheels have a solid core. At the center of the 858 NSW is the Cognition V2 Hubset engineered with the 54 POE Axial Clutch V2 mechanism, the same on the other NSW wheelsets. The Cognition V2 Hubset offers quicker engagement, lower friction, and improved durability.
The new move to hookless tubeless rims not only makes for faster, lighter & more durable wheels, it is also cheaper. So in a surprising move, Zipp actually passes the savings on to the consumer! They’re certainly not cheap now, but there is a real savings of around 12-15% for a few hundred buck off compared to the MY21 858.
Tech specifications
- Rim Depth: 82mm
- Rim Inside Width: 23mm
- Weight: claimed 1530g (719g front/811g rear) …as low as 1499g in some Zipp figures
- Rim Construction: Full Carbon Hookless
- Tire Compatibility: Tubeless tires only
New 858 Key Features:
- Zipp’s most advanced and fastest deep-rim wheel for road, triathlon, and time trial.
- More than 243 grams lighter than the previous model
- Optimized tire bed for easy tire installation
- Sawtooth rim and HexFin ABLC dimple pattern for top aero/crosswind-stability performance
- Cognition V2 hubset with SRAM XDR or Shimano HG freehub options, Campagnolo N3W freehub available separately
- Minimum 25mm tire width
- 28mm tire is the optimum width for all riders
- Lifetime Warranty
- Price: $4400 / 4000€ pair; $2000 / 1775€ (front), $2400 /2225€ (rear)
All-new Zipp 808 Firecrest
Just like the 858, on the outside, the updated Zipp 808 looks like a slight update to the classic speed-demon wheelset we’ve seen at time trials worldwide. But the newly reduced weight and updated aero profile will now also make this wheelset a steady choice in the road warriors’ weapon rotation, too.
At 82mm deep, the old 808 has been a go-to for triathlon and time trialists. Now just a couple of millimeters less at 80mm, the new 808 is faster, lighter, more versatile, and again cheaper, too!
The 808 wheelset receives the same TSE update as the 858 NSW, including a huge drop in weight from its previous iteration, well more than 280 grams. The rim also receives the same hookless and tubeless rim profile and 23mm internal width… just like the more expensive 858.
Zipp’s legendary Firecrest rim shape has provided high aero efficiency and crosswind stability for years. But now in this 3rd major Firecrest evolution, its profile is refined once again for improved aerodynamics with a slightly pointier shape, 2mm shallower depth, and the move to the hooked tubeless-only bead.
The new disc brake 808 Firecrest is tubeless-only, but the previous generation hooked-tubeless 808 Firecress will still be available for rim brake riders.
Like the Nest Speed Weaponry works version, the 808 wheelset is fastest with a 28mm tire. And we can attest to the improved comfort, control, grip & speed (read our first impressions here).
Also, the new 808s employ Zipp’s updated ABLC Technology using a complex dimpling pattern to improve aero efficiency, mirroring the anti-turbulence sawtooth shape in their revised layout.
The new 808s run on Zipp’s German-engineered ZR1 DB Hubset, the same used on others in the Firecrest line. The ZR1 provides quick 66 points of engagement, with robust durability that adds to the punchiness of the new 808.
Tech Specifications
- Rim Depth: 80mm
- Rim Inside Width: 23mm
- Weight: claimed 1635g (752g front/883g rear)
- Actual weight for us at 1639g with tubeless tape, but without valves (753g front/886g rear)
- Rim Construction: Full Carbon Hookless
- Tire Compatibility: Tubeless tires only
New 808 Key Features
- Aerodynamically equal to its predecessor, plus 5W rolling resistance reduction
- TSE design with 23mm internal width and hookless tubeless-only rim profile ideal for wider tires at lower tire pressure
- Minimum 25mm tire, the 808 is also optimized for a 28mm tire.
- At least 282g lighter than the previous generation of hooked tubeless 808s
- Upgraded ABLC dimple design to manage airflow around the rim
- ZR1 DB hub with upgraded sealing for improved durability, built with Sapim CX-Sprint J-bend spokes
- SRAM XDR or Shimano HG freehub options, Campagnolo N3W freehub available separately
- Lifetime warranty
- Price: $2300 / 2500€ pair; $1125 / 1225€ (front), $1175 / 1275€ (rear)
New MY23 Zipp 808 Firecrest & 858 NSW aero wheels – Availability
Both the new Zipp 858 NSW and 808 Firecrest wheels are available now from your local dealer and online directly from Zipp. Buy them individually, as a wheelset, or mix-and-matched with other Zipp Firecrest & NSW wheels.
And check out our first riding impressions here.
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