Copywriting for Zipp

Since 2008, I’ve served as the primary copywriter for Zipp Speed Weaponry, makers of the world’s fastest bicycle wheels and components. Major projects have included Zipp’s catalogs, website, and print advertising campaigns. I’ve also written copy for press releases, email newsletters, and sales materials.

In the past, Zipp's focus on in-house design, testing, and manufacturing resulted in extremely dense, technical marketing content. As Zipp's writer, I’ve helped consumers understand exactly how Zipp products improve real-world performance without losing sight of the company's complex engineering processes and proprietary technologies.

“Worked with Josh since May of ‘08. Josh is a guy that just “get’s it” - he listens to the client, draws on his talent, expertise and insight, and responds with great results.” – Andy Paskins, Zipp marketing manager

May 2008 - Present

Client Website

Advertising, Copywriting, Web Content

Sample of brand positioning from 2010 catalog

Equipment evolves, training methods improve, and tactics are refined. Each passing year offers new opportunities to improve measurable performance. Yet research and technology will never replace heart and instinct. The immeasurable ability to endure remains as significant today as it has always been and will always be. While there’s no question that the world’s fastest wheels can be the difference between winning and losing, not all races are defined by victory and defeat. Sometimes, the best you can hope for is that your competitors are suffering just a little bit more than you are.

Sample of technical writing from 2010 catalog

UNCOMPROMISING ACCURACY. In most applications, a tolerance of 25 millionths of an inch – standard for high-end hub bearings ¬– is impossibly precise. But we saw it as an unnecessary source of friction that siphons power and reduces durability. Working with our Swiss supplier, we improved the tolerance of our standard steel bearings to 10 millionths of an inch, rounder than many ceramic upgrades. Meanwhile, the grade 2 silicon nitride balls specified in our ceramic bearings vary by less than 2 millionths of an inch. On an 8% grade, the reduced friction equates to removing 340 grams from your bike compared to typical bearings.

Created in partnership with a local supplier of high-precision medical devices, Zipp hubs epitomize our dedication to tight tolerances and high performance. The alloy used in the hub shell was developed exclusively for this purpose. The machining process for the hub internals is used nowhere else in cycling. The geometry of the hub flanges varies among wheelsets to match the rim depth. Spoke holes are formed by a proprietary forging process. With these features, Zipp hubs are possibly the most precise components ever produced by the bike industry.

Copy block 1
Typical hub internals are subject to warping caused by the heat-treating process used to harden the pawls and ratchets after traditional machining. To maintain the high precision of Zipp hubs, we use electrical discharge machining, a specialized process that cuts with an extremely thin high-voltage wire submerged in water. With this technique, we can machine 50% harder materials at tolerances 20 times greater than those allowed by traditional machining and heat-treating. The use of EDM means that Zipp freehubs engage more securely than any others in the industry.

Copy block 2
Zipp has partnered with Alcoa, the world’s leading aluminum supplier, to develop a proprietary alloy called Z310.9. Used exclusively in our hub shells, this material offers nearly twice the strength of 6061 aluminum and enables our unique Spoke Hole Impact Forming Technology. Without removing any material from the hub flange, SHIFT improves the grain structure and hardens the alloy around the spoke hole. This dramatically reduces the chance of cracking around the spoke hole, which is the most common mode of hub failure. In short, Z310.9 is the foundation of a lighter, stronger, more durable hub.

Copy block 3
A larger diameter axle results in a much stiffer hub but usually carries a slight aero penalty. That’s why Zipp uses an aero profiled KammNut® (top) that creates significantly less drag than a round nut of the same diameter (below). The KammNut design allows Zipp 88 and 188 hubs to use a 17mm axle that’s 490% stiffer than a 10mm axle but creates no additional drag.

After Zipp athletes Chris McCormack and Mirinda Carfrae won the 2010 Ironman World Championships, these ads ran on back-to-back pages in endemic triathlon publications. Comps shown with placeholder copy.

HIT THE GROUND RUNNING.
We launched the new 808 Firecrest at Kona, and Chris McCormack took full advantage. Out on the Queen K, his 808s with Zipp Tangente tubulars were the fastest, most efficient, best handling wheels on the road. And in the marathon’s final mile, he had enough left in the tank to win one of the most dramatic duels in triathlon history.

Not only is Firecrest more aerodynamic than any other rim design, its distinctive wide profile also improves handling in crosswinds, wheel strength, and overall ride quality. It only took one shot for Macca to prove that it’s simply a better wheel in every way.

But that victory wasn’t the only one for Zipp this year. Mirinda Carfrae won on ZEDTECH 4s and Karin Thuerig set a bike course record with a 303/404 setup. Zipp once again dominated the Kona Bike Count with nearly 60% of all aero wheels. Clearly, superior technology makes a difference for every athlete.

PERFORMANCE UNDER PRESSURE
Every detail matters at Kona, and every inefficiency is magnified. But Zipp wheels are designed to meet the challenge of the world’s greatest triathlon. That’s why Mirinda Carfrae chose the ZEDTECH 4 wheelset in a 650c size that’s perfect for smaller riders.

During the bike leg, exclusive ZEDTECH details like dimpled aero hubs and grade 2 silicon nitride ceramic bearings helped her conserve energy. Coming out of T2 with fresh legs, she set a run course record and scored a commanding victory.

Meanwhile, Karin Thuerig rode a Zipp 303 front wheel and 404 Firecrest rear to break a bike course record that stood for almost twenty years. And that’s not to mention Chris McCormack’s electrifying win and Zipp’s perennial domination of the Kona Bike Count. You might say Kona was good to us this year.