Zipp Swiss ultra-precision steel bearings - 2.5 times rounder than the rest. Sold Individually - Front hub uses 2 sealed bearings
- Rear hub uses 4 sealed bearings
They are round to within 10 millionths of an inch. Zipp is quite proud of its bearings, claiming them to be at least 2.5 times rounder than a Campagnolo Record bearing. The bearings are housed in a Teflon bearing locator, as opposed to a brass one, and Zipp uses its own hydro-carbon grease to reduce friction as much as possible. The net result is a hub that spins more smoothly, giving a 1 Watt saving at 30 mph (48 km/h) compared to a stock hub. 1 watt = 2-3 seconds over 40 K. The difference between careerdefining victory and just another finish. This explains our bearing obsession. We knew there was a watt waiting to be saved. That watt kept us awake pouring over reams of friction-study data from defense industry and auto racing contacts and made us pull every string and favor we had stored up with our Swiss bearing supplier to secure the only guaranteed stock of 10-millionth of an inch tolerance steel bearings in the cycling industry. 10 millionths of an inch? Imperceptible to anything but laboratory-grade measuring equipment, but it makes a serious difference on the road. Zipp bearings are a full 2.5 times rounder than the rest of the industry’s – even rounder than most of our competitors’ ceramic bearing options. Combine that with our industry first Teflon®-impregnated retainer, and perfect radial contact hub flange design and we’ve just squeezed one more precious watt of efficiency from your racing machine. What you win with that watt is completely up to you. |
