Whats the thought with the Flash point rims. Are they a good rim for a good price?
I have about 500 miles on mine. Love 'em.
2 years 100’s of miles and I am an original tester and blogger for their site.
I race and train on them w/exception I use a disc rear in races. Excellent and fast. Finished no less than 4th on the bike in every local tri this year.
lots of hills in pittsburgh too.
Most def badass, especially with the introduction of the FP80 in '08. They’re tanks compared to Zipps, but they’re also like half price. You can bet the 80s will be on my TT bike next year.
Are they as bad as the standard zipps for mounting clinchers on them? I’m quite tempted to get some as training wheels at some point, but not if I can’t change the tyres when my hands are numb with the cold.
Presumably they’re as shock damping as standard zipps?
Are they more rubust (suitable for training) than Zipps?
Where did you hear they will have an 80 next year? That’s awesome news cause I’d like some 808 clinchers but I’m not worth the price tag.
Kevin
it’s right on their website.
Rims are just fine. Spokes and hubs are average quality. Before buying FP, check Real Design, Cane Creek, Ritchey and your LBS for the same wheel. the LBS may be able to take a Zipp branded rim and build it to a nice hub at a better price.
Are they as bad as the standard zipps for mounting clinchers on them? I’m quite tempted to get some as training wheels at some point, but not if I can’t change the tyres when my hands are numb with the cold.
Presumably they’re as shock damping as standard zipps?
I haven’t had any problems mounting the tires, maybe a little tough but not too bad. BTW, I have a Michelin Pro2race on mine. I have a FP60 front and have been very happy with it thus far. I’m thinking I should have waited for the FP80 though.
D’oh! I even looked on the site, clearly not well.
Kevin
Have not heard of the LBS…? and do you know if the bearings in the FP can be changed out with the ceramic ones like Zipp?
lbs=local bike shop
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Changing the bearings will not do a thing for you. Waste of cash.
i’m pretty sure the hubs are the same as their competitions top of the line but with better bearings. I could be wrong.
I demoed (sp?) the 40s at a race last year and really liked them. IIRC the main price difference and weight difference comes b/c they are using a simpler (4 piece?) carbon layup. For almost all tris aero is all that matters. I would definitely do the 40 or 80 front with the 80 rear.
Just so people are clear, the Flashpoints ARE not the standard Zipp rims built on Taiwanese hubs. They are rims built by Zipp in the US built on Taiwanese hubs with Japanese bearings, but the rim profile IS different. They incorporate at least one of the Zipp features - VCLC for comfort, but that’s the only one I know of. The 404 hoops alone are going to be more than this wheelset. Flashpoints are a totally unique product, not some amalgamation of parts.
Rims are just fine. Spokes and hubs are average quality. Before buying FP, check Real Design, .
real designs that come on litespeeds and QR’s are rebadged flashpoints
No doubt as you said “Maybe not the SAME but pretty darn good with not much of a weight penalty when comparing clinchers. Probably 90% of the performance at 60% of the price.” You just see some people saying that these are just 404’s on cheaper hubs, and I wanted to clarify that is not in fact the case. I don’t think Zipp is trying to convince anyone of that either. But somehow that seems to be the misconception that gets thrown around.
Are they more rubust (suitable for training) than Zipps?
Where’d you get the idea that Zipps can’t be trained on? Mine have held up more than admirably.
…and the 303 clincher has the all time record for most abuse withstood on DT’s impact testing drum. Somehow that doesn’t come across as ‘fragile’.
Thanks for the help. I am just getting back to training after 3 years away. I have raced on 650 Rolf Vector Pros and Hed3. I bought a new bike and a set of 700 Hed3 C…the were not very true and i have heard this from other people with the 700 H3C. Train safe