The 808 changed perceptions about deep-section wheels. At first, its 81mm-deep profile appeared only in time trials and triathlons. And sure enough, its early incarnations netted numerous Grand Tour stage wins and Kona IM world championships.

Still, it didn’t take long before Zipp riders discovered that the 808’s light weight, responsiveness, and solid handing are ideally suited to hilly bike legs, criteriums, field sprints, and long days off the front of the peloton.

Now, with the new Firecrest rim shape, the 808 has improved in almost every metric. Its 27mm-wide profile is 15 seconds faster than before over 40km, and now equals or exceeds the performance of any 90mm-deep rim on the market as well as many discs. At high wind angles, the 808’s aero advantage is even greater, yet Firecrest also makes the 808 remarkably stable.

Essentially, the 808 provides the speed of a much deeper rim with the handling of a much shallower one. On windy, non-disc-legal course like Kona, that counts for a lot. And in Firecrest's first crack at elite-level competition, Chris McCormack rode it to a win on the Big Island in 2010.

With its wider profile, the latest 808 Tubular also shows improved lateral stiffness for efficient power transfer and crisp acceleration, yet offers greater comfort and impact resistance than its predecessor.

Pro triathletes like Macca build their seasons around a few crucial events where aerodynamics are everything. Pro cyclists like Saxo Bank-SunGard and Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 log scores of race days every year with huge variations in weather, terrain, and tactics.

No matter what approach you take, the 808 Tubular with Firecrest technology provides top-shelf aerodynamics with a remarkable versatility to take on whatever challenge you’re facing.

Note: the MAX and track versions use the 2010 toroidal rim shape and NOT the Firecrest.