4/5
Aerodynamic wheels with a depth of 85mm are usually the preserve of time trialists, triathletes or, occasionally, professional riders on still, flat days. The 858 NSWs, however, might just change all that.
The rims use Zipp's Sawtooth profile, inspired by the tubercles on a humpback whale's fins that improve its efficiency through the water. The wavy inner profile drifts between 82 and 85mm deep, to act like a deeper rim aerodynamically while, at the same time, being more stable in crosswinds: best of both worlds! The rim is 23mm internally to suit wider tyres (it's optimised aero-wise for a 28mm tyre) and, like all of Zipp's carbon rims, it uses a hookless rim profile to suit tubeless tyres.
The biggest difference, however, is in weight. At 1,529.8g per pair, the new 858s are 243g lighter than the previous model and exceptionally light for wheels this deep.
This story is from the August 2023 edition of Cycling Plus UK.
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This story is from the August 2023 edition of Cycling Plus UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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