Wilier

Author
Discussion

Dizeee

Original Poster:

18,166 posts

205 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
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Along with my potential wheel upgrade I really want to replace my bianchi and get hold of a winter bike I can enjoy all year round. Plus it was my first bike and im getting a bit bored of it having ridden a long way on it.

Keep coming back to the wilier gtr in glossy lime. Veloce, kerb appeal and carbon for 1500 all makes sense to me. Howevee two carbon bikes? Thinking also if the izoard to maintain the heavier aluminium feel and consequent training benefits.

Wilier bikes look fantastic and are rare, any horror stories with them?

ChrisMCoupe

927 posts

211 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
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A winter bike you can enjoy all year round? I that not an Oxymoron.

Keep the Bianchi, ride it through the st of Winter. Ride your CX bike in Summer.

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
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Wilier make nice bikes.

But rather than a summer and winter bike, think in terms of a wet weather and a dry weather bike. Wet weather bike has lower end components and gets less love. And is the bike that, if you have an off, won't leave you crying over.

TwistingMyMelon

6,385 posts

204 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
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Curb appeal and winter bike, you avin a laugh?

Having said that, my winter bike is quite nice (to me) and its a bit of a pita as I would prefer a not so nice looking thing so I can hammer it through the winter.Built in mudguards have been a godsend and helped save the components and my clothes getting ruined after a winter season

IMO I would get something different from my existing bike, unless I was cover thousands of miles

Ive got a Willier as well (as a fair weather bike) , cracking bike, mine is a few years old and really old school and race focused, none of this "Sportive Geometry" bullst! Really well finished bike and great attention to detail, in the first year nothing at all really needed major adjusting, or failed. All the components and parts seemed really well chosen and suited the bike. You could tell they choose parts carefully, rather than what they had in the parts bin!

Only downside is they are quite pricey compared to the competition, for what spec you get , I managed to get mine half price though

TKF

6,232 posts

234 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
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ChrisMCoupe said:
Ride your CX bike in Summer.
hehe

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
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ah, misunderstood the question! um, buy it, seems like an odd choice for a winter bike but hey ho! Fulcrum 7s are bombproof but I wouldnt fancy maintiang Veloce throughout the winter...

Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 15th April 14:33

castex

4,935 posts

272 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
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I'd be looking at pre-cherished titanium. Different. Sexy kerb appeal. Lasts.

okgo

37,846 posts

197 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
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If the money is no object why not? I do recall a thread from you asking about borrowing 3 grand or something not that long ago, using all your info back on you, young kids, working every hour god sends, borrowing, is £1500 on another tarty bike (that's no better than anything you haven't already got) really the best bet?

Go on a holiday or something and take your bike, a few rides in the mountains will give you better training benefit than a heavy bike to ride in winter etc, and the bikes you have are perfectly decent!

To answer specifically around Willier, they're not much different from Biacnhi, their low end bikes are the same as any other brands, their high end bikes are just as good as any other brands. They aren't rare.

Edited by okgo on Tuesday 15th April 15:15

Rocksteadyeddie

7,971 posts

226 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
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castex said:
I'd be looking at pre-cherished titanium. Different. Sexy kerb appeal. Lasts.
Good shout. I have a handmade titanium bike for winter. No rust FTW.

stongle

5,910 posts

161 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
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okgo said:
Go on a holiday or something and take your bike, a few rides in the mountains will give you better training benefit than a heavy bike to ride in winter etc, and the bikes you have are perfectly decent!
This. If you read Cyclist magazine, they have an article on riding and training in Meloneras, Grand Canaria. We go every year, 1 weeks Full Board + Flights @ 5* Lopesan for about 700 quid each. Evidently Saxo Tinkoff train there, the riding is superb; and you can hire hire end(ish) bikes and guided rides from Free Motion.

I hired a Cannondale SuperSix Evo Red with Zipp 404 FC's for a bout £150 for 5 days. Think of it as a prolonged test ride of decent kit to stop wasting money on low end upgraditus and in reality buying last years turd in a new colour-way.

In short, taking the wife and kids on nice holiday + guided riding (and a decent high end bike to boot) will be better value than dropping a bag and a half on entry level carbon.

okgo

37,846 posts

197 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
stongle said:
in reality buying last years turd in a new colour-way.
I like this description, so true of cycling kit, too!

How many years were Cervelo dining out on the S3 that I have without making one change to it bar paint, I think it must have been at least 5 years unchanged, yet the new one came along every year £3500 for the frame only when last years was half the price and identical!!

Dizeee

Original Poster:

18,166 posts

205 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
Didn't borrow to buy the Merak and won't be borrowing if I replace the Bianchi.

Would Veloce really be prone to playing up in foul weather?

I have managed to play a blinder today, I collect a Glossy Lime GTR with Ultegra on Thursday for an extended test ride and hand it back next Tuesday. I also happen to be off work during that time, plus no childcare - so am looking forward to putting it through it's paces. This could be dangerous, I have a serious case of "want".

okgo

37,846 posts

197 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
You have two bikes, one of which is a better bike than this Willier, the other is probably about just as good as this one you're considering apart from the alu vs carbon thing which means not a lot at this level. What is it you are trying to achieve with the next purchase?

Bear in mind the Biacnhi is now worth at best, half of what you paid and has done minimal miles (I know you think its been round the world, twice, but really its still likely in good shape) and doesn't appear to have anything wrong with it?

There are not many people out there that buy ANOTHER lower end bike, people tend to buy better stuff as it feels different and better than what they already had, in this case however you're going to buy another bike that still isn't going to feel any better than your De Ribble.

My advice would be this - test a higher end Willier with decent kit on it (ultegra is fine, but its not special, and veloce is pig metal), one of their top end bikes, if you like how it rides, and I am sure you will, flog the De Ribble and then have a really decent top end bike for nice days etc, and then keep the Bianchi for wet and winter riding...

Or flog both and do what I do, ride a top end bike all the time and just ride crap wheels in crap weather.

stongle

5,910 posts

161 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
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I'm a paid up member of the placebo effect "can" improve you're cycling club; but this plan is nuts.

If you really have 1500 burning a hole in you're pocket for PERFORMANCE upgrades; buy a decent wheel set. Not carbon faired; but Aero i.e. wide profile such as (2nd hand) Firecrests, (again 2nd hand) ENVE or maybe even new Aeolus D5 which is a Zipp Rim and DT Swiss hub internals; and sling the Quattro's on for winter. Don't ask about Millsteins, they are nutz expensive.

If you want a "nice" winter training bike, there are plenty of better places to spend that cash than a tarty paint job. Think Canyon, Boardmann, Rose, Dolan, Ribble; or event buy a decent 2nd frame (I'd probably be in Condor like a rat up a drain pipe for something around that price) and strip the Bianchi down. The component spec on the Williers is not great; the lever might say Ultegra; but they cut significant costs on the cranks, brakes, wheels etc etc.

Really, you should know this. Sure the Willier as a first bike, fanny magnet bike for L2B its wonderful; but for a cyclist properly frivolous purchase. 1500 quid on some natty Rapha and Assos gets more chicks than this. Probably.

And no, the Veloce won't die in the rain / winter. I run Uletgra Di2 on the wet / winter bike (and even jet wash it) and its not dead yet.

ChrisMCoupe

927 posts

211 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
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We can all air opinions and give advice on what Dizeee should do (and quite rightly so), but if history tells us anything, I'd put my house deposit on him ending up with this bike in his collection after Easter.

Mr Will

13,719 posts

205 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
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Why do you want two nearly identical bikes? If it's just shiny new toy syndrome then demote the De Ribbleosa to winter duties and buy a shiny new toy for best.

If you actually want a winter bike then buy a winter bike - something that will take mudguards and maybe a rack if required, something that can be fixed with off the shelf parts, something that rides a bit different and offers you something you don't already have. Doesn't have to be a boring tank, I'd be looking at a Genesis Equilibrium or similar in your shoes.

okgo

37,846 posts

197 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
ChrisMCoupe said:
We can all air opinions and give advice on what Dizeee should do (and quite rightly so), but if history tells us anything, I'd put my house deposit on him ending up with this bike in his collection after Easter.
It was only last week he said he didn't like cycling any more, I really don't get him.

TwistingMyMelon

6,385 posts

204 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
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Whatever you do, don't take it back from the shop on your car tongue out

Dizeee

Original Poster:

18,166 posts

205 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
stongle said:
This. If you read Cyclist magazine, they have an article on riding and training in Meloneras, Grand Canaria. We go every year, 1 weeks Full Board + Flights @ 5* Lopesan for about 700 quid each. Evidently Saxo Tinkoff train there, the riding is superb; and you can hire hire end(ish) bikes and guided rides from Free Motion.

I hired a Cannondale SuperSix Evo Red with Zipp 404 FC's for a bout £150 for 5 days. Think of it as a prolonged test ride of decent kit to stop wasting money on low end upgraditus and in reality buying last years turd in a new colour-way.

In short, taking the wife and kids on nice holiday + guided riding (and a decent high end bike to boot) will be better value than dropping a bag and a half on entry level carbon.
Yes, guess that does all make sense, but it would more difficult to justify a holiday at the moment whereas I can subtly hide the cost of a swap over of bikes. Plus there is the time off work issue, I don't have the leave to be able to drop a week out of my year, plus with a newborn that's not going to happen anyway.

I think ultimately I want to replace the Bianchi, as I am bored of it, and want something I can feel a little more passionate about. The Bianchi was my "walk in to Evans off the street and try a road bike" purchase. It has been great, but we are 2.5 years and 6500 miles later, and I want something a little nicer. I don't get excited by the Bianchi and I also don't want to spend all my time on the De Rosa in dry weather either .

Dizeee

Original Poster:

18,166 posts

205 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
All the Wilier would be is a replacement for the Bianchi. Well this is my intention, I don't intend to better anything, just change something.

Wheels are also on my mind hence my other thread, and yes, maybe I should upgrade the wheels on my De Ribble and demote the Quattros to the Bianchi.

However, I would be using the money I sell the Bianchi for to fund the Wilier if I go down that route. The other option may be to spend less and get a £500 ish set of wheels for the Ribble and keep the Bianchi. That option does also make sense to me.

Two things that may explain my logic 1) The Bianchi has always been slightly too big, and even today I get back niggles after prolonged miles and 2) The bike has also been off the back of the car at speed, and despite being checked and riding fine it remains in the back of my mind when I descend at 40mph +.

So it's not all as illogical as it seems.