George
Question:
I have Zipp 404 ZedTech wheels and love them. Well, not completely. I love the way they look and people compliment me on them all the time as I got the custom decals that match my bike. The problem is, they ride so rough on chip seal roads that it literally beats me up. I was told to reduce the air pressure and I went from 135 lbs to 100 (I weigh 145) and the ride got a little better but now I get pinch flats. What am I doing wrong?
Answer:
Well, you don't sound like you are doing anything wrong other than learning to "get light" when you knowingly hit a pothole, train track or big bump. The Zipp wheels are very stiff up and down and as such the ride is just going to be rough. The only wheels that I find that ride smoothly are the Topolino VX 4.0 if you want a carbon rim, or the others if you want an alloy rim. Since you already have the Zipps, learning to protect the rims and prevent pinch flats while using lower air pressure is one solution. You may consider going to 700 x 25 tires for training as the pressure can be lowered to 80 lbs for a person your size and the ride will be improved tremendously. The only rub, so to speak, is the tire clearance in the chainstay area. You may not have clearance for tires this big so check first.