Zipp Titanium Aero Quick Release Skewer - Pair
Zipp Aero Titanium Skewers are surprisingly light. In fact, you could install them on your bike and carry three energy gels in your back pocket and still come out nearly equal to a set of Campagnolo skewers. But this lightness doesn't transcend other considerations, like aerodynamics, strength, and function. Like Zipp's first-generation Titanium Skewers, these have a Ti rod that connects aluminum elements on either side of the dropout. Zipp gives serious attention to both ends. As evidence, take the lowly skewer nut. Here, Zipp machines it so that it strikes a perfect balance between minimalism and user friendliness. It's certainly light, yet it's easy to turn with a bare thumb and forefinger. And a closer look reveals a machined groove at the end of the threads where a tiny O-ring functions to damp vibrations and to keep the nut from loosening as you ride (a good thing unless you want to have a memorial bump in the road named after you). On the lever end, Zipp started with a clean slate and designed their Aero Titanium Skewers with an aero torpedo shape. The alloy parts utilize the familiar cam ended lever to apply pressure on the frame to keep the wheels in place. The cam end is hemispherical and nestles into its brass lined counterpart on the knurled clamp disc. The brass assures smooth action and the conical interface allows you to close the lever in any position without grinding the knurled disc into the carbon dropout on your new wonderbike. As sleek as these are, you'll want to position them straight back so they look like bullets anyway. Zipp went so far as to laser etch their logo on the outside and four important letters on the inside of the lever -- OPEN. If you can read this, you've still got work to do.