Wilier’s 2013 lineup includes two completely new models, the 101XN 29er hardtail shown above, and a trickledown lightweight road bike called the Zero9.
Wilier, pronounced “VIL-yer”, has done mountain bikes in their home market, but this is the first full carbon fiber model and the first time they’re bringing one to the US. And it’s not just a “hey, we need a carbon 29er race bike”. There are some really well thought out technical and practical features on board. The basics include full internal cable routing that’s electronic ready, asymmetric chainstays, tapered headtube, slightly curved seatstay for better tire clearance and the option for standard and direct mount rear derailleur hangers. Now we get to the good stuff…
The top and down tubes are impressively (and almost expectedly, these days) large and borrow the trick cable barrel adjuster plug on the downtube. Geometry is based around an 80mm travel fork.
The tubes are all shaped, many with edges and angles, to stiffen things up. This bike is all about racing.
But, that doesn’t mean they didn’t give you options for how you can race it. Replaceable dropouts allow for standard QR, 12×142 thru axle or singlespeed setups.
The seat tube is about the only round tube on the bike, until it gets to the very bottom. That allows a standard front derailleur clamp (or clean frame if you’re running singlespeed) while still flaring at the BB shell to maximize stiffness. Bottom bracket is PF92.
Frame only price is $2,599, which is the only way it’ll be coming to North America. There’s also a red graphics option.
2013 WILIER ROAD BIKE HIGHLIGHTS
Wilier helped introduce the BB386EVO standard and arguably had the first bike on the market to use it. That was on the Zero7, a 750-799g frame depending on size. The Zero9 pops out of the same molds, just with a different carbon layup to come in the 940-990ish gram range without changing up the ride quality.
It shares the same geometry as the Zero7, as well as the tapered headtube and asymmetric stays.
The Zero9 will be exclusive to North America at first and retail for $4,999 with SRAM Force, FSA SLK BB386EVO cranks and Fulcrum Racing 5 wheels. Frameset is $3,899.
The Cento1 SR is a complete redesign of their flagship race road bike. It borrows tech from the Zero7 and their Twinfoil TT bike to create what’s fast becoming a very popular category: the lightweight aero road bike.
The frame gets revised cable routing to work with both mechanical and electronic systems. It uses a higher modulus 60T carbon fiber than before and reshapes the fork and headtube to make them all flow together better. Steerer tapers to 1-1/4″.
The seatstays use the Kammtail shapes of the Twinfoil and end with some beautiful cable/wire exits on the dropouts. The replaceable dropout contains the entire derailleur hanger as one piece, which they say makes it stronger and stiffer for better shifting. Stays are also asymmetric and it, too, uses BB386EVO. Other pricing and specs are:
- Frameset $3,999
- Complete (as spec’d below): $5,599
- Chorus gruppo
- FSA SLK BB386 crank custom Wilier paint
- FSA Wing Pro bar custom Wilier paint
- FSA SLK stem custom Wilier paint
- Fulcrum Racing 4 wheels
- Selle Italia SLR saddle custom Wilier
- Ritchey Superlogic seatmast topper
