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 Tour winner Alberto Contador.

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 profile 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 to dominate the 2008 Olympics' hilly time trial course and so stable that a smaller rider like Linsey can use it in Kona. When seconds count –which they always do – the 1080 is perhaps the ultimate piece of speed weaponry.