Wilier

Cento1 SR Road Bike Frameset - 2015

The story of the Cento1 is synonymous with the story of Wilier. The Cento1 reinvented the road bike, and reaffirmed Wilier's role in the Italian dominance of the peloton. Now, the Wilier Cento1 SR Road Bike Frame is your chance for a sample of modern history. Fully loaded with technological innovation, superior ride quality, and a blisteringly fast geometry, the Cento1 SR is the only legitimate choice for anyone looking for the best that Italy has to offer.

Before the SR, little had been changed on the Cento1 (Chen-toe-uno) since Alessandro Ballan won the 2008 World Championships on his, and that's because Wilier got it right the first time. In fact, before the SR, the Cento1 was was widely consider to be among the most balanced framesets in the world. The reason was simple, the tight-wheel base geometry was coupled with a comfortable, tapered head tube. And this head tube's height acted as the stabilizer to an otherwise over-excited frame geometry. In other words, this juxtaposition creates a bike that remains comfortable over the long haul, but drops the hammer in the quick moments of an attack. Much of this remains true today with the SR, however, Wilier has added doses from its other top-offerings in order to make it the most balanced frame in the contemporary Wilier lineup. Now, elements from the Zero.7 and Twin Blade have been incorporated, creating a new breed of bicycle that places an equal focus on aerodynamics, comfort, and power delivery.

Along these lines, the Cento1 SR benefits from one of the most effective power delivery systems on the market -- the combination of oversized, asymmetric chainstays and the Wilier-developed BB386EVO. Don't get aggravated at the thought of another 'new' bottom bracket design -- the proprietary design is compatible with all leading cranksets. Developed in cooperation with FSA, the BB386EVO is a competitor-dwarfing 86.5mm wide and has a diameter of 46mm. Wilier estimates that the new bottom bracket increases rigidity by 30%, and reduces power dispersion to almost zero. Additionally, this shell's width provides Wilier with the ability to widen the seat and down tube diameters by around 20mm. And as simple logic tells us, this drastically increases rigidity, while also promoting an efficient power transfer to the rear triangle. But, this also permits Wilier to decrease the tube's wall thickness, further shedding grams. You'll also find that the BB386 EVO was developed to use press fit bottom bracket cups, eliminating the need for alloy inserts in the shell. Of course, this also shaves a good deal of unnecessary weight. Altogether, Wilier credits BB386 EVO with increasing overall torsional rigidity by 133% and rear triangle stiffness by around 115%.

Now, you'll still find that many of the Cento1's key elements remain on the SR. In fact, Wilier found that crucial details like an integrated seat mast and the material flow over the frame were too vital to disregard. In terms of the latter, you'll notice the top tube and seatstays of the frame are molded from one continuous piece of carbon fiber that flows seamlessly into the top tube. This design, along with the seat mast, createa rigid rear triangle that delivers direct power transfer with minimal energy dispersion. Additionally, it creates a highly predictable sense of stability on high-velocity descents.

To ensure rigidity and the confident level of handling, the Cento1 SR has been constructed from a 60t Mitsubishi high-modulus carbon fiber. The 'T' in 60t refers to ton, as in it can withstand 60 tons of pressure per square millimeter. Wilier used strong carbon fiber, because the stronger the carbon, the less is needed. Thus, Wilier was able to strike the perfect balance between strength and weight.

Other new differentiators for the SR include a stiff, multifunctional 3D derailleur hanger, a 3D integrated cable routing plate under the bottom bracket shell, and an integrated adjuster plate for your internal cable routing. Most importantly, however, is the SR's integrated fork. Easily the SR's most distinguishing feature, the down tube is angled upwards, while the top tube accommodates the head tube's downward angle in approach to the new fork. The ideology behind this can be explained simply. Traditionally, the aforementioned juncture shared a geometry with that of a triangle, while the new design resembles that of a square. And simple logic tells us that the expanded surface area of a square is stiffer than the poignant angle of a triangle. This technology has been proven with the Twin Blade, and it greatly reduces the SR's aerodynamic footprint.

The Wilier Cento1 SR Road Bike Frame is available in the colors Matte Black and Red and in six sizes from X-Small to XX-Large.