Wilier introduces cheaper versions of Filante aero road bike

Italy’s Wilier has introduced a new Filante SL road bike that’s the same shape as its existing Filante SLR but uses a different carbon-fibre lamination to bring the price down. No one is saying the Filante SL is cheap but it’s cheaper than the Filante SLR with complete bike prices starting at €5,100 (which converts to about £4,385). Call them 'less expensive' if you prefer.

Wilier unveiled the Filante SLR back in 2020, an aero bike designed for disc brakes and electronic shifting only. It uses NACA airfoil tube profiles with a more rounded cutoff than usual at the rear. Wilier claims that this adds to the aero performance in the real world, allowing the frame to maintain its efficiency as the yaw angle alters (yaw is the result of the bike/cyclist’s direction and speed, and the wind angle and speed).

> Wilier claims big aero savings for 2021 Filante SLR

The Wilier Filante SLR is one of the models that’s raced at the highest level by the Astana - Qazaqstan pro riders with complete bikes costing from €8,400 (around £7,225) up to €12,500 (around £10,750.

> Check out Mark Cavendish’s Wilier Filante SLR 

“The Filante SL inherits its forms, its lines and its racing spirit from the Filante SLR, [our] high-end aero racing bike,” says Wilier. “What makes the change beneficial is the application of few and simple technical solutions.

“The different carbon fibre lamination used for the frame gives it a less extreme and more comfortable structure compared to the SLR version. All of this with a weight gain of just under 150g for the same size frame.”

When it launched the Filante SLR, Wilier emphasised the importance of the frame material although it was cagey about the tech involved. Like the brand’s Zero SLR, the Filante SLR is made from HUS-Mod carbon fibre and liquid crystal polymer.

> Read our review of the Wilier Filante SLR 

Wilier claims that HUS-Mod is a blend of “the highest quality fibres” and the liquid crystal polymer helps improve the absorption of vibration, but that’s about all it says. The details are secret, we’re told, and can't be shared for commercial reasons.

The Filante SL is made from less expensive stuff.

“What changes is the frame module, using different fabrics made of composite material to create a new lamination,” says Wilier.

However, the Filante SL is exactly the same shape as the more expensive Filante SLR so the aerodynamic performance is identical.

The frame geometry is the same too. To take the medium-sized model as an example, you get a 48.2cm seat tube, 54.3cm top tube, and a 13.5cm head tube. The stack is 53.8cm and the reach is 38.8cm, giving a stack/reach of 1.39. That’s a performance-focused geometry. Six different sizes are available.

Like the Filante SLR – and most other road bikes at this level these days – the Wilier SL has internal routing through the top of the head tube.

Whereas each of the Filante SLR models has an integrated carbon handlebar and carbon seatpost, the Filante SLs are equipped with aluminium alloy bars, stems, and seatposts. Wilier calls this “a technical choice that makes it possible to contain the price without compromising the performance”.

“In addition to expanding the product range, the goal of each Filante SL series bike is to provide the best quality/price/performance ratio,” says Wilier. “The use of technologies and setups that are less extreme aims to preserve the overall quality of each product.”

The Wilier Filante SL is available in eight different builds:

Groupset Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8170
Wheels Wilier NDR50KC
Price €7,000 (£6,020)

Groupset SRAM Force D2 AXS
Wheels Wilier NDR50KC
Price €7,000 (£6,020)

Groupset Campagnolo Chorus
Wheels Wilier NDR50KC
Price €6,300 (£5,420)

Groupset Campagnolo Chorus
Wheels Miche Syntium Aero
Price €5,600 (£4,815)

Groupset SRAM Rival AXS
Wheels Wilier NDR50KC
Price €5,900 (£5,075)

Groupset SRAM Rival AXS
Wheels Miche Syntium Aero
Price €5,100 (£4,385)

Groupset Shimano 105 Di2
Wheels Wilier NDR50KC
Price €5,900 (£5,075)

Groupset Shimano 105 Di2
Wheels Miche Syntium Aero
Price €5,100 (£4,385)

The prices given here in GBP are simply conversions of Wilier’s prices in Euros; they’re not official UK RRPs.

wilier.com