Cyclist
The Wilier Verticale SLR is 10% lighter than the 0 SLR
Wilier’s new Verticale SLR is a lightweight road bike that takes over from the 0 SLR as the brand’s climbing bike used by its two sponsored pro teams. Wilier says that the frameset weight is 156g lighter than the 0 SLR with new manufacturing techniques, a new fork, a new seatpost clamp design and new bar/stem.
Complete bike prices for the Verticale SLR range from £9,000 to £12,500, while the frameset costs £5,500.
New construction techniques
Wilier says that the Verticale SLR is its lightest bike ever, with a claimed complete frameset weight of 1,663g, including the fork, bar/stem, bearings, hangers and seatpost. That’s around 10% lighter than its most recent 0 SLR lightweight bike, launched in 2019, which the brand says weighed 1,819g for the complete frameset in size M. Wilier says that making a lightweight bike is easy – the hard part is keeping performance ride qualities.
Wilier started by speccing a range of high grade carbon fibre from Toray, one of the foremost carbon fibre manufacturers. The Verticale SLR frameset is made from a mix of T1100 and T800 high tensile strength fibre, along with M46JB high modulus carbon fibre, incorporated for torsional stiffness.
The fibres are embedded in a special epoxy resin and the pre-preg cut into 400 pieces – Wilier says its manufacturing technique for the Verticale SLR frameset uses pre-shaped pieces, which are placed in the mould before curing. Curing itself uses a process that Wilier calls Active Moulding.
The bike’s fork is asymmetric, being more overbuilt on the left side to handle the forces exerted by the brakes. It also has a new lay-up, with twisted carbon fibres to improve stress management when riding and braking. To that end, the fork crown has been redesigned too with a cone shape to improve stress distribution.
Wilier says it has aero tested the Verticale SLR frame and ride position with its pro riders in the Silverstone Sports Engineering wind tunnel in the UK, a favourite of bike designers, although no numbers have been made public.
Wilier Verticale geometry
Wilier has fine-tuned the Verticale SLR’s geometry from the 0 SLR. Although the frame stack is the same, the reach has been reduced slightly on size XS and S frames and increased on XL and XXL frames.
The handlebar geometry has also been adjusted, with the Verticale SLR’s one-piece V-Bar bar/stem having a revised drop, reach and tilt angle. Wilier claims it has a weight of around 310g. There’s a 30mm flare from the tops to the drops, with the bar spreading below the hoods, which remain close to vertical. The flare results in a closer hand position when riding in the tops or the hoods, which is more aero while still keeping within the UCI’s rules for pro races.
Wilier makes the V-Bar in six sizes with bar widths of 37/40cm or 39/42cm and stem lengths between 90mm and 150mm.
There’s a new clamping mechanism on the steerer tube too, with two alloy inserts that Wilier says improve force distribution and make it easier to replace the tightening mechanism. The hose routing system within the bars has also been updated for easier routing. The new handlebars are compatible with Wilier’s other performance bikes.
The bars can be fitted with Wilier’s alloy out-front computer mount, which sits flush with the bars.
Wilier Verticale design details
The Wilier 0 SLR had a characteristic block-shaped housing under the top tube for the seatpost clamp, which looked slightly out of place on the svelte frame. In the Verticale SLR, Wilier has redesigned the clamping mechanism, so that it tightens from below, rather than from above as was the case for the 0 SLR. The block under the top tube has gone and the new design saves weight.
Wilier says that its new front derailleur hanger design also reduces weight while increasing versatility. While the 0 SLR’s hanger was riveted to the frame in a static position, the Verticale SLR’s hanger can be shifted between two positions on the seat tube, allowing it to work with standard cranksets from 50/34t, but also one with a 55t or 56t outer chainring, keeping the pros in Wilier’s sponsored Astana Qazaqstan and Groupama-FDJ WorldTour teams happy.
Wilier says that it has also redesigned the new bike’s rear dropout and that the seatpost incorporates a mounting point for a rear light or a race number.
The pros seem to like the new bike. According to Groupama-FDJ’s David Gaudu, ‘It truly is an excellent bike for mountain stages. It will be my trusted companion through the Tour de France and I can’t wait to test it during the mountain stages.’
Wilier Verticale SLR specs and prices
Wilier will offer the Verticale SLR in seven specs at launch.
Top spec is equipped with Campagnolo Super Record WRL and priced at $15,700 / €13,400. Equipped with SRAM Red AXS with a power meter, the Verticale SLR is priced at £12,500 / $15,300 / €13,000.
The Shimano Dura-Ace spec is priced at £12,200 / $15,300 / €13,000 with a power meter or £11,000 / $14,500 / €12,200 without.
All the above are fitted with Miche Kleos RD 36 wheels.
Moving on to SRAM Force AXS, the price is £9,700 / $12,600 / €10,400 with a power meter or £9,200 / $12,100 / €9,900 without a power meter.
Finally, there’s a Shimano Ultegra spec priced at £9,000 / $12,100 / €9,900.
These three specs are equipped with Miche Kleos 36 wheels.
There’s also a frameset-only option priced at £5,500 / $6,900 / € 5,800.
The Verticale SLR is available in six sizes and, at launch, in four colours, two of which are pro team replicas.
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