Constructed at the foot of Monte Grappa in Italy, the 11.21 kg Wilier Cento1 Hybrid is the lightest E-road bike in our test. Is being lightweight enough to beat the who’s who of the industry?
For an overview of the test fleet head to the main article: The best E-road bike of 2019! – 13 of the most exciting models on test
The Rossano Veneto-based family business sent us a Wilier Cento1 Hybrid with a consistently high-end spec. Despite its Italian descent, the Wilier feels pleasantly restrained in terms of frame design compared to Bianchi and Pinarello. With lots of attention to detail, the E-road bike is not only very tidy but also extremely light. A quick look at the scales confirms that, with them reading 11.21 kg in size L, making the Wilier the lightest E-road bike in the test. Unfortunately, the custom features with that extra dose of sex appeal won’t be available in stores. Along with the Ritchey Superlogic carbon cockpit and seat post, Wilier paired the MAHLE ebikemotion hub motor with Miche SWR carbon wheels and Shimano’s DURA-ACE R9170 Di2 groupset. The Selle Italia SLR C59 carbon saddle, weighing merely 60 g, completes the build. The look of the stem divided our test crew, but it promises a lot of torsional stiffness in the cockpit – we can only hope that the T20 screws don’t come loose on the road since you’re unlikely to find a suitable bit in your multitool. According to Wilier, this build would cost about € 9,000, though it’s not available as a production bike. However, there are numerous factory builds available in a range of prices.
The Wilier Cento1 Hybrid in detail
Motor/Battery MAHLE ebikemotion X35 250 Wh
Drivetrain Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9170 2×11
Gearing 52/36 T und 11–30 T
Brakes Shimano DURA-ACE BR-917 160/160 mm
Stem Ritchey Superlogic C260 carbon
Handlebar Ritchey Superlogic Evo Curve Carbon
Seatpost Ritchey Superlogic Carbon
Wheels Miche SWR Carbon 38
Tires Vittoria Rubino Pro 28C
Size | XS | S | M | L | XL |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Seat tube | 430 mm | 460 mm | 500 mm | 530 mm | 570 mm |
Top tube | 505 mm | 525 mm | 544 mm | 561 mm | 578 mm |
Head tube | 104 mm | 121 mm | 145 mm | 166 mm | 185 mm |
Head angle | 70.5° | 71.0° | 71.5° | 72.0° | 72.5° |
Seat angle | 75.0° | 74.5° | 74.0° | 73.5° | 73.0° |
Chainstays | 406 mm | 406 mm | 408 mm | 410 mm | 411 mm |
Reach | 365 mm | 376 mm | 383 mm | 390 mm | 395 mm |
Stack | 515 mm | 532 mm | 555 mm | 576 mm | 595 mm |
The Wilier Cento1 Hybrid in review
With its quick acceleration, the Wilier Cento1 Hybrid exudes a spritely character. Besides the minimal weight working in its favour, it’s also has a very well balanced ride. This results in predictable handling, making the Wilier a lot of fun on every descent. Thanks to the adjustable support modes, ambitious riders will get up climbs well below threshold and be able to attack with everything their worth on the descents. Staying fresh can also help beginners to work on improving their skills. Anyone who’s been riding road bikes for some years and is now looking to switch to an E-road bike will appreciate the familiarly narrow Q-factor, made possible by the hub motor of the MAHLE ebikemotion system. The only drawback of this system is that steep climbs can overwhelm it. However, on moderate climbs, you can relax and enjoy the power of the motor.
The ride feel of the Wilier is deceptively similar to a conventional bike. It’s by far the best E-road bike in the test fitted with the MAHLE ebikemotion motor!
he motor engages as soon as the cassette rotates and isn’t dependent on the applied force of the rider. As long as you keep the pedals turning with minimal effort, you’ll easily reach the 25 km/h limit. But the Wilier doesn’t encourage leisurely cruising, begging to be ridden at high speeds instead and feeling right at home above the 25 km/h threshold. The comparatively compact and central riding position is just as enjoyable as the bike’s overall comfort. The compliance of the seat post in conjunction with the frameset and tires provide a significant amount of vibration damping. Even long rides are no problem – as long as you get on with the shape of the C59 saddle.
Conclusion
The handling of the Wilier Cento1 Hybrid is good-natured, predictable and agile and it feels light-footed even without the support of the motor. Here, everyone from beginners to professionals will find an E-road bike that scores for its adjustable support levels and natural road bike handling. The lack of power on steep climbs is what cost the Wilier the test victory, but our Best Value Tip definitely goes to Italy! We’ll drink a shot of Grappa to that.
Tops
- handling to suit everyone
- stable and comfortable even on rough roads
- standard Q- factor
Flops
- lacks power for really steep climbs
- unnatural feeling support when the cassette is turning
Riding Characteristics
4Agility
- cumbersome
- playful
Stability
- nervous
- confident
Handling
- demanding
- balanced
Fun factor
- boring
- lively
Motor feeling
- digital
- natural
Motor power
- weak
- strong
Value for money
- terrible
- very good
For more info head to: wilier.com
For an overview of the test fleet head to the main article: The best E-road bike of 2019! – 13 of the most exciting models on test
All bikes in test: Bianchi Aria e-Road | BMC Alpenchallenge AMP ROAD ONE | Cannondale Synapse Neo SE | CENTURION Overdrive Carbon Road Z4000 | Coboc TEN Torino | FOCUS Paralane² 9.9 | LOOK E-765 Optimum Disc | Moustache Dimanche 28.7 | ORBEA GAIN M10 | Pinarello Nytro | Specialized S-Works Turbo Creo SL | Thömus Sliker E1
This article is from GRAN FONDO issue #012
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No, it’s not about perfect race tracks, it’s about efficiency. Fast, fleet-footed and efficient – those who want to speed along high-speed passages need a defined and spritely bike that accelerates with ease and efficiency. Nevertheless, reliable components are important too. We interpret “Smooth tarmac” bikes as follows: Hard efforts at high speeds with a maximum efficient bike on a consistently well-paved road. Effort-joy ratio: 80:30 (not everything has to be 100%!)↩
… also known as bike riding. Broken-up roads in the hinterland, deadlocked gravel roads, loose surfaces – sometimes muddy, sometimes bone-dry. For this, it takes bikes with super all-round, handling and wearing qualities uphill and downhill. Effort-joy ratio: 50:50↩
If you want to use your bike almost every day, you usually do not need an extremely tuned racing machine. Solid components, which are able to cope with the rigours of continuous usage in any kind of weather, are part of the basic equipment. At the same time, the bike should have practicable details: integrated fenders/assembly options, luggage racks/attachment points and a light system or at least the option of installing bike lights. The position on the bike should be rather relaxed, the overall comfort high, so that the Afterwork Ride becomes a cure and not a curse. Effort-joy ratio: 30:70↩
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Words: Photos: Valentin Rühl, Benjamin Topf, Robin Schmitt