Zipp

While Zipp won't give you a leather jacket, a smoothly-cocked eyebrow, or 20/20 vision, you will get all the ladies when they see you flying by at fighter-pilot speeds. Zipp was aquired by SRAM in 2007, but that wouldn't tame them. The American company has explored many technologies and they have on thing on their mind: Faster.

• Aerodynamics - Products that are actually deveoped IN the wind tunnel
• Braking - The showstopper has integrated carbon resin on the rims to stop you at the wettest of times
• Hub technologies - ceramic bearings let you go faster, even when climbing up or zipping down hills

"In the Zipp test lab, everything breaks. If we run the machines long enough, every product will eventually fail. that's when things start to get interesting. For us, the goal of testing is not simply to confirm that our products pass government and uci regulations, or even our own, tougher internal standards. The more important purpose is to make stronger, more durable products by learning when, how and why failures occur."