Bianchi’s top-tier Oltre XR4 aero road bike and top Infinito endurance race bike both get 2019 overhauls, pairing Countervail vibration damping with improved disc braking. A disc brake Infinito CV has been around for almost five years, but CV plus discs had only come together on Bianchi’s second-tier aero road bike earlier this spring. Now both race bikes get updated to bring them up to World Tour racing standards…
2019 Bianchi Oltre XR4 Disc, CV-equipped aero road bike
Bianchi’s new Oltre XR4 Disc was developed to maximize aero efficiency at a World Tour level, while also building in the same control benefits that disc brakes provide, especially in changing weather conditions.
Employing Bianchi’s established CV Countervail carbon construction, the new aero road bike is the next to promise the elimination of much of the regular road buzz that puts a toll on the body of a road racer. Bianchi says that with the smoother ride a racer can “stay focused in his fastest, most efficient aerodynamic position for longer.”
Oltre XR4 Disc Tech Details
Developed in CFD, the Oltre XR4 Disc is a step ahead of the prior XR3 Disc in terms of aero performance. Many of the same bits of tech carry over, with the new bike taking integration a step further, especially around the front end of the bike.
Decreased drag is at the core of the new Oltre XR4 Disc, extending to the its new Metron 5D ACR aero handlebar.
The one-piece bar and stem includes fully internal routing to clean up the front of the bike for both hydraulic hoses and gear cables. Both then travel directly into the frame, around the headset for a sleek setup from front to back.
The Oltre XR4 Disc was developed and then tested together with Bianchi’s World Tour Team Lotto NL–Jumbo to give them a race-ready disc brake aero bike. Hopefully setup of that tidy internal routing won’t require the expertise of a World Tour-level mechanic.
The new high modulus, Countervail carbon frame features a tapered 1.125-1.5″ headtube, a PF86.5 bottom bracket, flat mount disc brakes, and 12mm thru-axles (12×100 & 12×142) in replaceable dropout inserts. The bike can be run with 140 or 160mm rotors at both ends, and it’s modular internal routing works with Di2/EPS or mechanical groups.
Oltre XR4 Disc Geometry
The made in Vietnam 990g carbon frame (55cm) gets a 420g aero fork & adjustable offset (-10 or 25mm) aero carbon seatpost with a hidden wedge-style post clamp. The frameset comes in seven stock sizes (47-61cm) and shares geometry with the rim brake Oltre XR4, except for slightly longer 410mm chainstays that allow increased tire clearance to around 28-30mm.
2019 Bianchi Infinito CV Disc Countervail endurance road bike
Like the XR4, the new Infinito CV Disc’s biggest updates come by way of further integration, and even some aerodynamic updates. The Infinito was the all-day race endurance road bike to debut the NASA-developed Countervail carbon vibration damping tech, so naturally that remains. It was also the first of Bianchi’s top-tier road bikes to get disc brakes in the lead up to some messy Spring Classic racing several years back. So discs again carry over.
The resulting bike which has built itself into a race-ready bike for everything from pro Grand Tours to amateur Gran Fondos, is now said to be faster & smoother than ever before.
Infinito CV Disc Tech Details
From the front to back, the Infinito CV Disc takes cues from its aero brethren from a new aero-shaped headtube with clean stem & cabling integration (and the option for that same new aero Metron 5D bar+stem combo) back to a new aero seatpost with a hidden clamp in the top of the toptube.
The bike also features a new lightweight, curved blade fork with a 1.125-1.5″ full carbon steerer. At just 390g, the new fork is said to be both more aero, and more bump absorbing.
Larger tire clearance is more important for an endurance race bike, so the new Infinito CV Disc makes more room for up to 32mm wide tires.
The latest Infinito gets a 950g (55cm) monocoque Countervail carbon frame featuring 12mm thru-axles (12×100 & 12×142), flat mount brakes, a PF86.5 BB, and the adjustable offset aero carbon seatpost. The bike has full internal hydraulic routing with hose guides, plus Di2/EPS-ready internal shift routing.
Infinito CV Disc Geometry
The new bike gets updated endurance geometry with slightly longer chainstays on the largest sizes for a more balanced ride, plus 5mm taller head for the smaller bikes for a more comfortable position. The new 2019 Infinito CV Disc will be available in seven stock sizes (47-61cm), with the largest three frames getting a 5mm larger downtube for increased stiffness:weight.
