RBA was recently granted access to Zipp's latest digs: a 70,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art industrial complex in rural Indianapolis, Indiana. When we arrived at Zipp's swanky new headquarters, the stylish edifice was devoid of any kind of logo or marking. Two workers were atop a cherry picker positioned above the front door, however, and when we departed, this signage (above) loomed large.
Zipp has only been at this new location for a few months, but they have created a mighty fine home for themselves, with an incredible array of equipment and machinery designed to produce some of the most technologically-advanced bicycle wheels in the world. All at once it is part sterilized medical center, old world forge, industrial-grade pizza kitchen, bicycle geek heaven, and Area 51.
Mostly it's this last bit - likening the wheel-maker to a top-secret facility that investigates heretofore unseen technologies - that is Zipp, as their designers and engineers like to keep their production methods pretty close to their chests. As such, we were asked not to disclose many of Zipp's inner workings, particularly the wide variety of homegrown machinery that many of their competitors would covet. What follows then, is a visual walk-through of, quite simply, one of the coolest factories we've ever seen...
When you first walk through Zipp's front doors, you find yourself in a svelte lobby complete with modernist design touches that include several models of carbon fiber wheels embedded in the staircase railings.
Zipp and parent company SRAM are prominent supporters of World Bicycle Relief, an organization dedicated to providing bicycles to third-world countries. Residents are thus able to cut down on commuting time to and from work and schools, and medical personnel are able to visit more patients.
The lobby also features several past models of Zipp bicycle frames and wheels. This purple number is the 2001, and was designed as a TT machine and features a radical frame design, and came complete with a set of relatively non-aerodynamic bar extensions and Zipp tri-spoke wheels.
For this particular bike, Zipp fabricated a carbon fiber cover that fits over the front brake - the idea was to eliminate drag and improve aerodynamics.
This GT bike was used by Team Lotto way back in 1999, and it represents Zipp's first official contract with a professional cycling team.
Through this door is bicycle wheel nirvana - Zipp's design offices and manufacturing division. Being naturally protective of their operation, Zipp installed a security camera to monitor the goings-on in the lobby and to keep out the riff-raff... they still let our ad slime in though.
Like the lobby, Zipp's offices are clean, swanky and feature several design elements taken from the very products they sell. Recognize the shape of this 20-foot long ceiling decoration? It's Zipp's 404 Firecrest wheel profile. Several office doors included handles crafted from Zipp carbon fiber cranks.
Here, a worker lays out some cut carbon fiber panels that will eventually be turned into one of their disc models, specifically designed for TT and track bicycles. Will this particular wheel be a 900, Sub-9, or Super-9 disc model?
In recent years, Zipp has supplied various custom graphics to special edition wheelsets for OEM (original equipment manufacturer) bike makers, professional teams and charity events. Here, a worker applies standard decals to an aluminum 101 clincher model.
Everywhere we went inside Zipp's factory, there were rims, rims, and more rims! This particular bunch will be test subjects for quality control purposes. Nearly a dozen machines, both homemade and sourced from other companies,
reside in this area and allow Zipp's engineers to test such things as
wheel trueness, durability, spoke tension, rim tape effectiveness, brake
pad manipulation, and torsional, lateral and radial stiffness.
On a makeshift balcony above the factory floor sat a series of shelving units packed to the gills with hundreds of wheels, most of which were past Zipp models dating back to the company's early days. Here's a selection of tri-spoke hoops that were used primarily in TT events, but also found their way into the velodrome.
This bunch of wheels represent some early incarnations of the current (and exceedingly popular) 404 model. Note the different Zipp logos - the company's now very famous slanting text should stand the test of time.
This pile of discs will eventually be mounted onto the walls of Zipp's quality control center. All of them were, at some point or another, used in either TT events or track races.
While Zipp doesn't have one location in their building dedicated to memorabilia, a variety of jerseys, helmets, used rims and other trinkets of cycling lore line the walls of hallways, rest atop desks and are lovingly displayed in pristine cases. Unique items include a rainbow jersey worn by 2010 World TT Champion Emma Pooley, a signed Wheaties box featuring a photo of Ironman Champion Chris McCormack, and a maillot jaune worn by one Alberto Contador during his 2009 Tour de France campaign (above).
On the Pro Tour level, Zipp is supplying Saxo Bank-Sungard in 2011. Here, Brian Vandborg of Denmark corners on his set of Zipp 404s during the Cancer Council Classic. (Photo: Yuzuru Sunada)
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