Pidcock debuts Zipp wheels with integrated pressure sensor

A few months ago we learned about SRAM's patent to integrate a sensor into Zipp wheel tires. An idea that has quickly become a reality and was put to the test by Tom Pidcock during the races of the Opening Weekend of the Belgian classics. A design that places the TyreWiz pressure sensor in the body of the tire so as not to affect its aerodynamics.

SRAM integrates Quark's TyreWiz pressure sensor into Zipp wheels

The cobbled classics are the stage where every year we see brands and teams test different technological solutions to improve performance in these specific races.

Among the most important parameters for the performance of bikes on cobbles is tire pressure, which SRAM-equipped teams usually monitor using the TyreWiz sensor that attaches to the valve, transmitting the pressure data of both tires to the cycle computer via ANT+.

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In late 2024, SRAM presented a patent to integrate some type of electronics into the body of Zipp wheels. Many times what is depicted in patents are just ideas, but this time it was a real project that the American company was working on and that we have seen at the beginning of the classics being tested by none other than Tom Pidcock, who used Zipp 303 wheels with integrated TyreWiz.

A change that, on one hand, reduces the bulkiness of the wheel valves as the current TyreWiz is quite large due to having to house the battery that powers this sensor. Additionally, having the sensor integrated into the wheel body eliminates the aerodynamic disadvantage of having it on the outside.

Knowing the tire pressure allows the cyclist to anticipate when they have suffered a slow puncture and make the change at a moment when the race allows for a breather. Obviously, we are only talking about one piece of data, so it is not as comprehensive as other systems like Scope, which allow for adjusting on the go. However, the advantage of TyreWiz is that it is much less bulky.

It remains to be seen whether these Zipp wheel prototypes will become standard in production wheels and whether Zipp will include TyreWiz as a standard feature or as an optional extra.