The sight of a lone rider hunched over the aero bars may lack the spectacle of a field sprint or the epic scenery of a mountain stage. But if you’ve ever poured yourself into a time trial or a bike leg, then you’ve shared an experience with rising triathlon star Linsey Corbin and Olympic time trial champion Fabian Cancellara.

On their bikes, you’ll find the 108mm-deep Zipp 1080, the world’s fastest non-disc wheel. To improve upon the previous holder of that title, our 81mm-deep 808, we tested and retested a range of prototypes for the 1080 before settling on fully toroidal shape that blends 5 distinct curves to smooth airflow.

This new profile, which we’ve since applied to the 808 and other wheels in our line, makes the 1080 nearly 30 seconds faster over 40km than a three-spoke wheel but generates no additional side force in a crosswind. Plus, with our Carbon Bridge technology for impact resistance and external spoke nipples for serviceability, the 1080 Tubular gives you pure speed without a hint of delicacy.

Despite its depth, the 1080 was light enough for Fabian to dominate Beijing’s hilly time trial course and so stable that a smaller rider like Linsey could use it in Kona. When seconds count –which they always do – the 1080 is perhaps the ultimate piece of speed weaponry.