Wilier is to show off its 2011 ‘Gran Turismo’ road bike for the first time at next weekend’s BikeRadar Live.
The Gran Turismo has been designed primarily to be easy to handle and comfortable over long distances. The frame is laterally stiff, so it is safe and easy to descend on. It is ideal for Sportive/Granfondo riding but is definitely aimed at performance riders.
The stiffness has been achieved through careful carbon-layup combined with what Wilier call “Razor Edge” design. On the front triangle this can be seen as a system of sharp edges on the tube sections that give the tubes stiffness by virtue of their cross sections. The same philosophy can be seen on the fork which are semi-aero but have a pronounced ridge specifically positioned to add stiffness.
The main triangle uses the same technology as the Cento 1; it is a three-piece monocouque consisting of a one-piece front triangle assembly with two seat stay/chain stay sections at the back. The seat stays are asymmetric to take account of the different loads and dropouts are fully carbon – no stress raising joints with alloy dropouts etc. The seat stays are very slender to aid comfort and also add to the sleek and svelte look of the GT.
Cable routing is all internal but has been designed so it is easy to thread through replacement cables avoiding maintenance hassles. The rear brake cable exits very cleanly at the rear of the seat tube, ditto with the rear gear cable exit from the chain stay which is equally clean.
Two build options will be available in the UK with either Athena or Chorus group sets.
There are six sizes, XS-XXl. Tube diameters are optimised for each size to ensure frame characteristics are the same across all sizes. This involves three separate mould / size; this is an expensive process but worth it to achieve a perfect ride.
The bikes will all feature FSA finishing kit and chain sets that are co-branded with Wilier designed graphics. These are the result of the close cooperation between Wilier and FSA. The result is a totally integrated finish to the bike where colours and graphics are all complementary.
ATB sales: 01424 753566
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