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Poor braking Zipp wheels
Last Post 08/07/2014 12:11 PM by Cosmic Kid. 8 Replies.
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Oldfart

Posts:511

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08/06/2014 03:58 PM
I think I got it figured out why my wheels suck so badly. There seems to be a narrow spot on the brake track of both wheels. I put the bike in the stand and held the brakes on so that the pads just rubbed on both sides. I was trying to see if there was glue on the rim, or a scratch or something that I was not seeing or feeling with my fingers. Then the pads weren't touching in one spot that was several centimeters long, on front and rear rims. I will see if I can negotiate something with the shop on this. Quite pathetic quality I must say.
jrt1045

Posts:363

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08/06/2014 04:05 PM
call me a luddite - I'm just not sold on their advantages outside of a TT or something. I would take ease of maintenance, predictable braking and handling any day
Oldfart

Posts:511

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08/06/2014 04:22 PM
Agreed. I bought them to race cyclocrross and promptly hurt my back. Or more correctly discovered a chronic issue that really hard riding can aggravate.
longslowdistance

Posts:2881

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08/06/2014 05:04 PM
Now that would be an argument for a lighter bike.
79pmooney

Posts:3178

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08/06/2014 11:23 PM
Andy, you said "Quite pathetic quality I must say." On the contrary. Zipp's engineers did a detailed study of drag sources in real-time races. They found that at times, there was a drag source that far outweighed aerodynamics. Brake shoes. When pressed against the rims, they have even been known to bring the bike to a complete standstill. Narrower rims would help, but they observed that riders would adjust the brake calipers to get that same drag. Zipp was unable to make rims sufficiently narrow to thwart this. (Structural issues came into play.) There is also the fashionable trend to wider rims so a sufficiently narrow rims to avoid brake drag simply wouldn't sell.

So the engineers realized they could not stop this brake shoe drag. But they could minimize it! Make a certain percentage of the rim narrower. Say 5%. Then the rider who effectively "lost" a mile total braking on a mountainous race now will only lose 95% of that mile. That other 5% = 264 feet. Getting up there with aero gains. There are other pluses. Since you obvious slow less going into corners, you get to save valuable energy accelerating out of them. It all adds up.

Ben
Cosmic Kid

Posts:4209

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08/07/2014 08:28 AM
Posted By j t on 08/06/2014 04:05 PM
call me a luddite - I'm just not sold on their advantages outside of a TT or something. I would take ease of maintenance, predictable braking and handling any day


Plenty of aero wheels out there with alloy rims and carbon fairings......HED Jets, FLO, Mavic, SRAM to name a few. Anyone not using aero wheels in competition is intentionally handicapping themselves.
Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
vtguy

Posts:298

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08/07/2014 11:35 AM
I've been riding a set of Mavic Cosmic Carbones with aluminum rims and carbon fairings for the last couple of years. They work great...although you have to pay attention in strong cross winds.
jrt1045

Posts:363

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08/07/2014 12:04 PM
I was thinking the all carbon rim route in my comment. think the tubulars are bad, try out some all carbon clinchers. scary stuff
Cosmic Kid

Posts:4209

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08/07/2014 12:11 PM
Depends on which clinchers you get. Zipp wheels reportedly have very good braking performance for CC's.....they delayed their introduction several times because they wanted better performance. Reynolds are also supposed to be very good.

Personally not a fan of carbon clinchers, but that is from a temperature concern, not braking performance.
Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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