why is it? is there a financial advantage for a company to buying a zipp disc, throw on their own decals and re-sell it?
not sure how much the bontrager/zero discs retail at but if they are undercutting zipp where is the profit and if they are matching zipp why wouldn’t the consumer buy the original?? i bet zipp aren’t selling them to companies for much less than they sell to dealer…
can an industry insider pls explain?
I’ve raced the bontrager and ridden the Blackwell. Both are pre dimple Zipp disc wheels and 404’s. I did find it funny when Blackwell shipped a disc and front wheel to the pro that was living here. It’s box, warranty, instructions and shipping address were all from Zipp w/ Zipp logos.
These companies now can sell a disk for people that want to “match.” Even if they sell a few, it is better than selling none or driving a customer away because they don’t have a disc.
The fronts don’t use Zipp hubs. So they make the margin on their hubs.
They are made in Zipp’s old molds (new one’s are dimpled), so it is a good deal for Zipp, since they get mileage out of molds that would otherwise sit on a shelf.
One value to these companies is that they get their name on the products. Which might inspire people to buy Bontrager training wheels, or a Blackwell fork, etc.
Given the number of discs that are sold, developing your own disc would be VERY expensive. Why bother to sell a few a year. Think of the rebadged ones as merely advertising… They certainly aren’t losing money on them. So even if they just break even, it is good for their other products. And I am sure they make some margin.
New Zipp disc= $1350.
Bontrager disc= $1400.
So if the Bontrager is just an old style Zipp disc, seems like you’d be getting taken for a ride buying the Bontrager. Even if Lance uses it.
On the other hand, the Zero disc lists at $1100. That seems like a pretty good deal, relatively speaking. I don’t think the new dimples are worth $250.
Given the current partnership with Steve Hed for aerodynamics consulting for the Discovery team I think the Bontrager wheels are Hed, not Zipp.
Zipps, not Heds
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You don’t really have to look that close to see the Zipp logos within the dimpling (is that a word?). Lance even used one of the newer Zipp disk in the '04 tour.
So you think he is going with the Hed front and the Zipp rear?
http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2005/tour05/tech/?id=lance_tour_tt_bike/cntdf05-lancettx1
Yes and Yes.