Wilier

Gran Turismo/Shimano Ultegra 6700 Complete Bike

An all day, all-terrain, all-surface bike deserves a name like Gran Turismo. Fill your pockets with food and money, leave just enough room for warmers and a vest, and we'll see you at dinnertime. But, since this is a Wilier, it also needs to feel fast. This bike accomplishes both; it is comfortable and fast without being twitchy or soft. The front end is designed to track well, the bottom bracket juncture directs pedaling forces to the drivetrain, and the seat stays eat up road vibrations.

The differences between the Gran Turismo and the full-on pro-level race bikes of the Cento1 series are both dramatic and small. On the dramatic end, you can see that the shaping is quite different throughout. This is because the Gran Turismo and Cento1 use different lay-ups and plies. You surely notice that there's no integrated seat mast; a bit heavier, but also more user-friendly. On the small side, you can see that the head tube area is also built up for lateral rigidity and thus more precise cornering. And if you take a look at the spec sheets, you'll see the geometries are nearly identical. The Gran Turismo is for those who admit to being mortal, but also want to get a similar position and similar ride to a pro-level bike.

This bike is built up with a mix of Shimano Ultegra 6700 and Wilier-branded FSA components for reliability, light weight, and price. Ultegra comprises the shifting parts, including STI levers and front and rear derailleurs. A Shimano 105 cassette with cogs from 12-25 teeth is swapped in because function is the same, weight is nearly the same, and the price break is notable.

FSA handles just about everything else. The headset is the drop in Orbit CE Plus. The crankset is the SL-K Light with carbon-fiber arms and compact 50/34 gearing. It rolls on FSA's Mega-Exo external-bearing bottom bracket. The brake calipers are FSA's Energy set, finished in complementing colors: these are a classic dual-pivot design, with the arms designed to work with the lever pull of Ultegra. The FSA SL-K carbon-fiber seatpost uses a two-bolt aluminum head to keep the saddle in place and has 20mm of setback. The stem is the FSA SL-K as well. It is forged from 7050 aluminum for strength and then machined for lightness. It is finished with cro-moly bolts and a carbon fiber faceplate. Clamped into the stem is the FSA Wing Pro, an ergonomic bar that is not only curved for human hands in the drops, but with a 4-degree outward bend, and flattened across the top for comfort as well.

The wheels are Fulcrum Racing 5. 20 front spokes laced radially, and 24 rear spokes with 2:1 lacing. 2:1 lacing is eight radial spokes on the non-drive side and 16 two-cross spokes on the drive side to balance between weight and strength. They're equipped with Vittoria Rubino Pro tires, with a durable tread but a high thread count casing. Continuing the all-day theme is the seating from Selle Italia. This is the SL, a versatile, lightweight saddle doing the honors, covered with a synthetic top and finished in complementing colors.

The Wilier Gran Turismo/Shimano Ultegra 6700 Complete Bike comes in two color schemes, Black or Red. Sizes run from X-Small to XX-Large. Crank length, handlebar width, and stem length are sized to match.