Given the name, you'd expect that Wilier's Gran Turismo could excel in any terrain and provide you with a comfortable and stylish ride. Like the variety of challenges offered in a Grand Tour, from relentless climbs to sketchy descents to endless stretches of broken tarmac, our regular training ground is just as indiscriminate. And if we had to have just one bike, the Gran Turismo would be one worth serious consideration.What sets it apart aesthetically is its Razor Edge Design in front and the Smooth Rear design in back. In contrast to the more rounded tube shapes of the Cento1 and Izoard, Wilier designers took full advantage of the freedom afforded by its monocoque molding process to give the Gran Turismo lines that sing praise to Italian style while maintaining a Cento1 level of handling precision. To this end, the top and down tubes bear the most aggressive shaping to create a stable, confidence-inspiring ride. The head tube junction received a great portion of the attention, and the top and down tubes converge here in a unified mass of carbon fiber for unparalleled torsional stiffness. Look behind the seat tube and you'll notice skinny seatstays. These give the bike more vertical flex in back when riding over rough roads; they're not only skinny, but shaped to maximize comfort. The upper end is almost triangular and morphs over the length of the stays to be nearly flat by the dropouts.Wilier uses a full monocoque process for the fork as well. This way, they can ensure that fibers run continuously from the fork ends to the top of the steerer, which, when combined with the massive front end, result in incredible lateral stiffness and impressive overall strength. They also manage to fit in some vertical compliance by designing the rake to start at the crown and taper to the trailing edge. Hidden from view underneath its glorious paint, the Gran Turismo relies on carbon fiber sourced from two of Wilier's most trusted suppliers -- Toray and Mitsubishi. The performance goals for the frame are met with a careful lay-up schedule consisting of Toray's T-700SC and Mitsubishi's MR 60H and HS40 unidirectional fibers. This blend of high and medium modulus fibers is what gives their engineers the ability to fine tune the ride for maximum performance and comfort, and at the same time, make this bike more affordable than their top-of-the-range Cento1 series.The Gran Turismo also benefits from asymmetrical chain stays in the rear end. Since the drivetrain applies different forces to the left and right sides of the frame, the shape and lay-up of the tubes in the rear triangle have been optimized to neutralize the torsional effect from pedaling, and to maximize comfort at the same time. Another aspect that makes this frame attractive is that it uses a standard English-threaded 68mm bottom bracket shell. While it adds a few grams over the integrated shell design found on the Cento1 frame, this one's a bit less complicated, especially if you haven't decided on yo
Strengths: Power transfer, ride quality, durability, and Way COOL
Weaknesses: A little heavy. Although Selle italia saddle, it is less than ideal for me. Lack of Wilier dealers
Bottom Line:
I purchased this bike as a used Demo (less than 100 miles) unit for $2500. It is the red paint sheme, medium size with Campy Record 11 shifters, the balance Chorus 11 components and HED Ardennes clinches. This bike delivers as promised by Wilier. I travel a lot for work and typically take my bike with me on the road to get some exercise at the end of the day. I have ridden this bike in MO, IL, TN, IN, OH, MI, IA, NE, FL, NC, GA, SD, MN, CO, TX and AR, so the terrain and road conditions are about as diverse as you can expect. I have done long rides and have gotten to the end without fatigue and wanting to ride on. Short sprints are equally enjoyable on this build. It handles great with uncanny predicitability. I have even become a better climber, even though I am still heavy (215 lbs.) for a cyclist. It is kind of cool when you pull up for a ride and most of the other riders want to check out the bike. The only noticeable thing is it weighs in at about 16.5 lbs., which is a little heavy compared to some of the other brands. However, I think that the weight might contribute to the overall ride quality. I have recently upgraded the wheels to carbon tubulars (88 mm rear, 56mm front) and could not believe that the bike handles even better now. Anyway, if you want a really cool bike that will provide reliable performance for almost any riding situation (race, cruise, climb, etc.) get this bike, you won't be disappointed, especially when your riding friends start to drool.
