Built on three years of testing and development and based off the lightweight Cento10AIR race bike introduced in May (with a really shiny paint job!), the new 2018 Wilier Cento10NDR adds an endurance race model to the line for longer, rougher courses. For the pros, this means a much more comfortable ride on the cobbled classics. For the rest of us, it means a long distance, perfect-for-gran-fondos machine.
The heart of the bike is their new Actiflex suspension system, which pairs a tiny rocker arm with a “technopolymer” insert to offer 3mm of rear wheel travel. The result isn’t so much suspension as it is vibration damping, but they do say it helps isolate the rider from bumps, too. During normal riding, it barely flexes, just soaking up the vibes to keep you feeling fresh…
The insert comes in three densities to suit different weight riders. They say it’s made of up a multi-compound material that have different, balancing reactions to temperature, making it perform consistently from -40ºC to +150ºC (-40ºF to 302ºF).
The chainstays are designed to flex slightly to let the Actiflex do its job, but are otherwise shaped (asymmetrically) to maintain the lateral and torsional stiffness expected of a race bike.
There’s room for 32mm wide tires front and rear, and that’s as measured on modern wide rims. They’ve even made provisions for running direct mount rim brakes so the teams can use it in any event regardless of UCI whims.
Compared to the Cento10AIR, the NDR adds just 100g to the total frame weight. The reach is a bit shorter and stack a bit higher, typical of an endurance bike, and makes for a much better look than adding a huge stack of spacers.
Bikes will ship with their aero Barra and Stemma front cockpit that lets you run the shift cables/wires through both bar and stem for a more aero setup. Here, it’s actually far cleaner looking because the disc brake hoses are all run internally, too…something you can’t do with rim brake calipers, especially on the front.
Starting in September, the Wilier Cento10NDR will be available in the US as a complete with with a Dura Ace Disc Mechanical for $7999 or Ultegra Di2 Disc for $7349. Options for 90, 100, 110, 120, 135mm stems and 40, 42, 44 cm handlebars. A frameset will run $3499, sizes from XS to XXL.
