454 NSW

£3,500.00 www.zipp.com

Zipp’s radically different 454 wheel is a huge departure for the wheel giants. Instead of their legendary Firecrest shape – wide, deep and with a blunted edge – the latest design retains the width but has introduced a ‘hyperfoil’ inner shape inspired by the shaped bumps on the pectoral fins of the humpback whale.

The idea is that this shaping (along with the new ‘sawtooth’ patterning of Zipp’s surface dimples) generates small vortexes, which shed – at a higher frequency than other aero shapes – the regulating pressure on the rim sides to make them more controllable in adverse conditions. The wild shape of the rim changes from 58mm down to 53mm deep and, weight wise, our test pair came in at 712g for the front and 866g for rear.

Braking from the 454’s showstopper brake track offers a progressive stopping power in the dry and a wet weather performance that outstrips much of the competition. The rear freehub, carried over from the 404 NSW, is brilliant and uses Zipp’s ‘Cognition’ magnetic clutch to eliminate any mechanical drag when freewheeling. The wheel stiffness is impressive, feeling even more rigid than the 404 on back-to-back rides.

So is the extra £1,350 premium over the already-excellent 404 NSW worth it? The most telling of our rides was on a wintry day with high wind warnings. While the 404 felt a serious handful, the 454 saw noticeably less pressure and a clear improvement in bike handling. This continued on calmer days, with the 454 handling lighter than the 404. Such is the ease in which you can change directions or correct your line mid-corner, the 454 feels like you’re riding a shallower rim. But, overall, the gains over the 404 NSW are marginal. If we’d already invested in the 404 NSWs, we wouldn’t be rushing to change things. WWW.220TRIATHLON.COM I APRIL 2017