Introducing the Wilier Filante SLR road bike – Italy’s new aero king?
The Filante SLR is here! Wilier Triestina rely on a wide fork and rounder tube shapes for their latest road bike, creating less wind resistance and making the Filante SLR one of the most aerodynamic options on the market. Read on for all the details on the latest Italian racing machine.
With the Filante SLR, Wilier Triestina present a brand new road bike that they’re positioning alongside the Wilier 0 SLR (review here), adopting quite a few of its features. The new Filante frame promises state-of-the-art aerodynamic optimisation and thereby saving the rider valuable seconds in a race. Of course, there was no avoiding countless hours in the wind tunnel during its development. However, the Italian brand are aware that a wind tunnel has its limits and cannot replicate the countless variables of real-world conditions. In contrast to real conditions, the artificially accelerated air in the closed room of a wind tunnel is clean and the angles of attack are always the same. You’ve got completely different factors to take into account on the road: the movements of the rider, shifting cross winds, riding in the middle of a peloton or in gusts of wind that change as you corner. Therefore, Wilier have adapted the profile of the carbon tubes and made them a lot rounder than their predecessors. As a result, the wind should generate less turbulence in changing conditions and create less resistance as it flows around the frame. An additional advantage is that they were able to further reduce the weight since round tubes require less material.
If you’re a numbers person: here are the manufacturer’s weight specifications
- Frame (Size M) 870 g
- Fork 360 g
- Cockpit 365 g
- Seat post 165 g
The various builds of the Wilier Filante SLR
| Model | Groupset | Wheels | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filante SLR | Campagnolo Super Record EPS |
Campagnolo Bora WTO 33 Disc | € 12,400 |
| Campagnolo Shamal Carbon C21 |
€ 11,200 | ||
| Shimano DURA ACE Di2 9170 |
Wilier ULT38KT / ceramic speed | € 11,300 | |
| Wilier SLR 42 KC carbon | € 10,300 | ||
| Shimano RS170 | € 9,300 | ||
| SRAM RED eTap AXS | Wilier ULT38KT / ceramic speed | € 11,400 | |
| Wilier SLR 42 KC carbon | € 10,400 | ||
| Shimano ULTEGRA Di2 8070 | Wilier SLR 42 KC carbon | € 8,200 | |
| Shimano RS170 | € 7,200 | ||
| SRAM FORCE eTap AXS Power Meter |
Wilier SLR 42 KC carbon | € 9,000 | |
| SRAM FORCE eTap AXS | Wilier SLR 42 KC carbon | € 8,300 | |
| SRAM FORCE eTap AXS Wide | Wilier SLR 42 KC carbon | € 8,300 | |
| Filante SLR frameset | – | – | € 5,000 |
According to Wilier Triestina, it makes sense from an aerodynamic perspective to leave a lot of space between the front wheel and the legs of the fork. This is why the carbon fork of the Filante SLR is a whole 7 mm wider than comparable models, with a tire clearance of 30 mm. To create as little wind resistance as possible, the rear end almost seems to hide away, shaped in such a way that it is perfectly lined up with the silhouette of the fork when viewed from the front. A particularly striking feature are the asymmetrical shapes: as with a wheelset that is constructed differently on the brake side than on the drive side, the Filante SLR is also shaped asymmetrically. The fork leg is thicker on the brake side and the rear end is reinforced on the drive side to better absorb and distribute the forces where they originate. So that everyone can find their optimal riding position, Wilier rely on their proven Accu bike fitting system for the Filante SLR. If you’re interested, we go into more detail about this smart bike fitting solution in our review of the Wilier 0 SLR (available here).
The geometry of the Wilier Filante SLR
| Size | XS | S | M | L | XL | XXL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat tube | 450 mm | 480 mm | 500 mm | 520 mm | 540 mm | 560 mm |
| Top tube | 515 mm | 530 mm | 543 mm | 556 mm | 570 mm | 583 mm |
| Head tube | 104 mm | 119 mm | 135 mm | 154 mm | 166 mm | 181 mm |
| Head angle | 70.8° | 71.5° | 72.0° | 72.5° | 73.0° | 73.5° |
| Seat angle | 75.2° | 74.5° | 74.0° | 73.5° | 73.0° | 72.5° |
| Chainstay | 407 mm | 407 mm | 409 mm | 410 mm | 411 mm | 412 mm |
| BB Drop | 75.2 mm | 74.5 mm | 74.0 mm | 73.5 mm | 73.0 mm | 72.5 mm |
| Wheelbase | 981 mm | 984 mm | 990 mm | 997 mm | 1,002 mm | 1,006 mm |
| Reach | 380 mm | 384 mm | 388 mm | 391 mm | 395 mm | 399 mm |
| Stack | 505 mm | 521 mm | 538 mm | 555 mm | 571 mm | 571 mm |
Our assessment of the Wilier Filante SLR
We really enjoyed riding and reviewing the Wilier 0 SLR last year and the new Filante SLR looks just as promising. Visually, the bike is a treat and due to the wide variety of build options and the smart Accu bike fitting system, the Filante should appeal to a large number of riders. We can’t wait to take it for a spin!
For more information about the Wilier Filante SLR, visit wilier.com
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Words: Photos: Wilier Triestina
