Store
Omni
Alpha
Omega
Sigma
Delta
Scoops
Gamma
Beta
Parts
Cart
Store Home
View Products +
View Cart

Kona 2015: Ironman Village Expo

 Oct 8, 2015 article & images by Nick Salazar

Zipp 808 NSW » The followup to Zipp's Firecrest and Firestrike wheels is the new NSW line. Similar to Felt's 'FRD' designation or Specialized's 'S-Works' moniker, NSW refers to the best Zipp has to offer. The 808 NSW features similar design language to the previous generation, but offers some very slick magnetic hubs, a new sawtooth dimple pattern said to improve shedding of air, and the grooved brake track aimed at improving braking.
Previous Photo
Next Photo

Every year the Ironman Hawaii expo offers something different and new. Here's what we saw this year.



Tags » 1xgroup,  argon18,  dimond,  expo,  felt,  hawaii2015,  normatec,  quarq,  sram,  stryd,  zipp

Zipp 808 NSW 

The followup to Zipp's Firecrest and Firestrike wheels is the new NSW line. Similar to Felt's 'FRD' designation or Specialized's 'S-Works' moniker, NSW refers to the best Zipp has to offer. The 808 NSW features similar design language to the previous generation, but offers some very slick magnetic hubs, a new sawtooth dimple pattern said to improve shedding of air, and the grooved brake track aimed at improving braking.

  • Zipp 808 NSW
  • Zipp 808 NSW
  • Zipp 808 NSW
  • Zipp 808 NSW
  • Zipp 808 NSW
  • Zipp 808 NSW

Zipp Kona Decals 

Another cool feature: exclusive Kona-themed decals for all Zipp owners. Just come to the shop and they'll swap them out for you. Very slick indeed.

  • Zipp Kona Decals
  • Zipp Kona Decals
  • Zipp Kona Decals
  • Zipp Kona Decals
  • Zipp Kona Decals

Misc 

More interesting bits of tech from the Ironman Village

  • There is truly no more beautiful expo location than the Kona coast.
  • Cervelo had a large fleet of P2 bikes available for demo. It's probably my favorite bike in their impressive lineup, and I was glad to see them.
  • Argon18 also had their new E119 on display, which we featured prominently during Interbike.
  • Walk around Kona much, and you'll eventually run into some of these guys.
  • Zwift has become quite popular recently, and had a display where riders could play the video game training system.
  • SRAM had a few 1x drivetrain setups on display on Scott Plasma 5 bikes, the same as at Interbike. Sadly, the Plasma 5 isn't exactly the ideal candidate for 1x, as its front derailleur hanger isn't removable, and remains exposed to the wind even if you remove that front derailleur. Regardless, I really want to try out that Force 1x clutch-enabled rear derailleur.
  • SRAM had a few 1x drivetrain setups on display on Scott Plasma 5 bikes, the same as at Interbike. Sadly, the Plasma 5 isn't exactly the ideal candidate for 1x, as its front derailleur hanger isn't removable, and remains exposed to the wind even if you remove that front derailleur. Regardless, I really want to try out that Force 1x clutch-enabled rear derailleur.
  • SRAM had a few 1x drivetrain setups on display on Scott Plasma 5 bikes, the same as at Interbike. Sadly, the Plasma 5 isn't exactly the ideal candidate for 1x, as its front derailleur hanger isn't removable, and remains exposed to the wind even if you remove that front derailleur. Regardless, I really want to try out that Force 1x clutch-enabled rear derailleur.
  • Quarq offered some slick anodized battery covers as a swappable upgrade, free for Kona attendees. They'll be available as an aftermarket purchase as well. I snagged an orange one, of course.
  • Quarq offered some slick anodized battery covers as a swappable upgrade, free for Kona attendees. They'll be available as an aftermarket purchase as well. I snagged an orange one, of course. It's shown here inside the crank spindle, but really swaps out for the battery cover (the black Q).
  • Stryd is the first self-proclaimed running power meter. What does that mean, exactly? Well, that's proprietary says Jamie, Stryd co-founder and algorithm developer. But it involves measurements from a six-axis accelerometer, altimeter, and possibly other environmental sensors and/or heart rate. Basically, the sensor goes on like a regular HRM strap, and uses proprietary data and algorithms to model your running power. This is different from the direct measurement provided by, for example, a crank-based cycling power meter. I'll be very keen to check this out in greater detail and learn more.
  • NormaTec was on site with their newest tech, available now via their website.
  • NormaTec was on site with their newest tech, available now via their website.
  • And on my way out, I spotted this lovely Dimond, complete with custom paint and an Omega X of course.

Related Articles
The season is drawing to a close, and the 70.3 World Championships will be raced tomorrow morning here in Las Vegas, Nevada. Here's what we saw at the expo.
Interesting bits and pieces from the expo at the Ironman World Championships.
More goodies from the showroom floor at Interbike 2016.
We get up close and personal with the defending World Champion's chosen rig.
With a whopper of a product name, Zipp enters the frontier of cutting-edge extensions with aero, ergo, and electronic benefits, so check out our detailed review.