Zipp 808 Firecrest Carbon Disc-Brake Tubeless Front Wheel

Eighty millimeters of carbon is a commitment — to aerodynamics, to flat roads, to the kind of riding where what you can hold at speed matters more than how quickly you can gain altitude. The Zipp 808 Firecrest Carbon Disc-Brake Tubeless Front Wheel is Zipp's most aggressive road wheel offering, built for riders who want to translate every watt into forward motion without anything left on the table. At 752g for the front wheel (lightest configuration, 12mm thru-axle, no tape or valves), it carries that 80mm depth without punishing you on the scale.

The 808 is the wheel Zipp designed for triathlon transitions, flat-stage criteriums, and time trial courses where the terrain stays low and the wind is the primary variable. The current disc-brake version is engineered for thru-axle frames, with 12mm end caps included and a center lock rotor interface. The ZR1 DB hub — German-engineered, with 66 points of engagement — provides instant power transfer and is compatible with Shimano HG, SRAM XDR, and Campagnolo N3W driver bodies. Zipp builds the 808 front alongside the Super-9 Disc rear as the preferred TT and triathlon pairing, though for road racing, a double 808 setup remains the most committed aero configuration in their lineup.

Two design technologies give the 808 its aerodynamic character. The Firecrest rim profile — Zipp's wide, toroidal rim shape — is designed to treat the rim and tire as a unified aerodynamic surface rather than two separate parts. By broadening the rim bed to match wider tire widths, Firecrest creates a continuous fairing between tire shoulder and rim wall that reduces turbulence at the transition zone. The ABLC (Aerodynamic Boundary Layer Control) dimple pattern builds on this: a complex arrangement of dimples engineered into the carbon surface that manages the boundary layer of airflow around the rim as yaw angle increases. Most riding happens with wind coming from angles other than straight ahead, and the ABLC pattern is specifically designed to delay airflow separation — and the drag penalty that comes with it — across that real-world range of conditions. Zipp calls their overarching approach TSE (Total System Efficiency), the philosophy that the rim, tire, and frame should be treated as one integrated system.

The 808's 23mm internal-width hookless construction is tubeless-only — no clincher tires, no inner tubes. The recommended tire width is 28mm, with a minimum of 25mm, and the maximum pressure is 73 psi / 5.0 bar. That pressure ceiling is by design: at 25–28mm widths and lower pressures, rolling resistance drops and road noise dampens, while the rim's aero profile continues to function efficiently at speed. The Sapim CX Sprint J-bend spokes are bladed and light, and the overall system weight limit is 250 lbs / 114 kg.

Design Benefits

1. ABLC dimple technology: The Aerodynamic Boundary Layer Control pattern manages airflow separation across real-world yaw angles — the off-axis wind conditions that define most rides — reducing drag where smooth surfaces tend to stall.
2. Firecrest rim profile: Zipp's wide toroidal shape integrates the rim and tire into a continuous aerodynamic surface, reducing turbulence at the tire-to-rim transition and improving aerodynamic consistency across tire widths.
3. Hookless tubeless construction: The 23mm internal-width hookless rim enables consistent tubeless seating and supports the wider tire widths that work best with the Firecrest profile — minimizing rolling resistance while maintaining aero efficiency.
4. ZR1 DB hub with 66-point engagement: German-engineered hub built for immediate power transfer. Fits Shimano HG, SRAM XDR, and Campagnolo N3W driver bodies with separately sold cassette bodies.
5. Sapim CX Sprint spokes: Bladed J-bend spokes from Sapim balance aerodynamic profile, light weight, and durability across the wheel's service life.

Final Take

The 808 Firecrest front wheel is for riders who have made their decision about what they value. If the course is flat, the event demands every aerodynamic advantage, and you're running tubeless — this is the front wheel. The ABLC dimple pattern and Firecrest profile are specifically designed for the conditions where an 80mm rim proves itself: sustained high speeds, variable crosswinds, and racing where seconds are the margin. Pair it with the Super-9 Disc rear for triathlon and TT, or run double 808s for pure road aero. Either way, you're carrying as much carbon as Zipp makes for the road.