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review

Wilier Triestina Lavaredo

8
£999.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Good looking race bike that works as a commuter or summer training machine too
Weight: 
9,100g
Contact: 
www.wilierbikes.co.uk

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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With cycling in the UK being on the increase thanks to climbing fuel prices and the government’s bike to work scheme the £1000 mark for bikes is getting pretty crowded. What, if anything can the Wilier bring to the party with their Lavaredo?

Looking at the spec sheet not a lot to be honest, but as the old adage goes ‘never judge a book by its cover’ and for this bike it’s never been more apt. The ride is very good, solid and surefooted with very little road buzz thanks to the triple butted aluminium frame. A claimed weight of 4.4lb (2kg) for the frame and fork isn’t bad and builds into a bike weighing 20lb which considering the rrp and the spec isn’t to be sniffed at. You can feel the weight under acceleration but once you’re rolling the pace can be kept up with very little effort. The frame is very stiff, likewise the fork (carbon/alloy steerer) so if you do need to get a move on your effort goes straight to the back wheel.

Considering it's no lightweight it also climbs pretty well, the low gears help keep a steady rythym and once you get to the top it decends like a race bike should. Weld quality is tidy except for around the bottom bracket area which is a shame but the striking paint job does its best to cover it. The Italians do know a thing or two about style and this is where the Lavaredo shines. The thick bright red paint does give a feel good factor especially when the suns out and you do get some admiring glances from fellow riders.

Admittedly Mirage is one of Campag’s low end groupsets but it does perform well and looks more expensive than Shimano’s offerings at a similar spec point. Once you’ve got through the initial agricultural bedding in period both up and down shifts were solid and precise, front and rear. A Miche 10spd 11-25t cassette and Campag Xenon compact 50-34t chainset provide a good spread of gears for almost all instances, it’s good to see the 11t sprocket in there for that village sign sprint. The brakes are Veloce which is nice to see a bike manufacturer upgrading here rather than downgrading as so many do. Odd as it may sound good brakes make you faster, if you can have total faith in your stoppers you can leave braking until the last minute which keeps the average speed up. Campagnolo brakes are the best in my opinion and the Veloce callipers certainly don’t change my mind.

The Miche wheels, while no lightweights, are solid performers and also look flash enough to fit in with the rest of the bike. They stayed true throughout the test period during some pretty rubbish weather and the ongoing pot hole situation. As far as the tyres concerned the Rigida steel beaded are pretty basic stuff and take a lot away from the ride unfortunately. Puncture resistance was 100% though and there was no marks or cuts on the tyre after 900 odd miles. If this was my bike I’d leave these wheels on for the commute but have a lighter set with decent tyres for the weekends and it would totally transform the ride.

Ritchey contact points are always a good start. I personally think they make some of the nicest bars and stems on the market for the money. Aluminium is to be expected but they’re no heavyweights and flex was minimal. The Selle Italia QBIK saddle was very comfortable even though it didn’t look like it was going to be. It was quite stiff with not a lot of give but once I’d become accustomed to it no problems to report.

The Wilier may look like an out and out race bike but that’s not the case, it’s capable of a lot lot more. The Lavaredo is aimed at the bike to work scheme limit of a grand but it will be dismissed by the day in day out commuter due to the lack of provisions for mudguards. As a summer commuter or training bike it ticks all the boxes and due to the low gears will also work on the sportive campaign. it's a bike that makes you want to get out and ride which at the end of the day is what its all about.

Verdict

Much more than just a pretty race bike, an ideal summer commuter or training machine too

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Wilier Triestina Lavaredo

Size tested: n/a

About the bike

State the frame and fork material and method of construction. List the components used to build up the bike.

Triple butted aluminium frame with carbon/alloy fork

Tell us what the bike is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about the bike?

Wilier would appear to have priced this bike specifically for the bike to work scheme. As I said above, for the year round commuter its too much of a compromise but if you only want to ride in the warm and dry and want a bike to use at the weekends for other events then its worth a look.

Frame and fork

Overall rating for frame and fork
 
8/10

Tell us about the build quality and finish of the frame and fork?

Weld quality didn't look the neatest around the bottom bracket which was a shame as the rest of the frame is a stunner.

Tell us about the geometry of the frame and fork?

seat tube - 74.5 deg

head tube - 71.5 deg

top tube - 545mm

head tube - 147mm

How was the bike in terms of height and reach? How did it compare to other bikes of the same stated size?

For a medium (54cm) everything is pretty much the norm, nothing had to be tweaked to make it fit

Riding the bike

Was the bike comfortable to ride? Tell us how you felt about the ride quality.

Ride quality was good, comfortable yet stiff

Did the bike feel stiff in the right places? Did any part of the bike feel too stiff or too flexible?

No flex found anywhere even honking out of the saddle

How did the bike transfer power? Did it feel efficient?

Let down by the tyres but change these for a race set and your effort will be going straight through to the tarmac

Was there any toe-clip overlap with the front wheel? If so, was it a problem?

No

How would you describe the steering? Was it lively, neutral or unresponsive? Pretty neutral

Tell us some more about the handling. How did the bike feel overall? Did it do particular things well or badly?

To be fair it does everything well without to much asking. the handling has obviously been transferred down from their big money race bikes and no nasty suprises occurred while riding.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's comfort? would you recommend any changes?

Campag's 10 speed hoods are comfortable for big miles.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's stiffness? would you recommend any changes?

Bars and stem showed no flex at all along with the stiff frame and fork

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's efficiency? would you recommend any changes?

Even Campag's cheap Xenon chainset showed no flex

Rate the bike for efficiency of power transfer:
 
9/10
Rate the bike for acceleration:
 
7/10

blunted by the wheels and tyres

Rate the bike for sprinting:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for high speed stability:
 
9/10
Rate the bike for cruising speed stability:
 
9/10
Rate the bike for low speed stability:
 
9/10
Rate the bike for flat cornering:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for cornering on descents:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for climbing:
 
8/10

The drivetrain

Rate the drivetrain for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the drivetrain for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the drivetrain for weight:
 
7/10
Rate the drivetrain for value:
 
9/10

Tell us some more about the drivetrain. Anything you particularly did or didn't like? Any components which didn't work well together?

It all works well enough, the shifting gets a lot better once its bedded in after 500 miles or so

Wheels and tyres

Rate the wheels and tyres for performance:
 
7/10

heavy but solid performers

Rate the wheels and tyres for durability:
 
10/10

stayed true even after whacking a few potholes

Rate the wheels and tyres for weight:
 
6/10

their only draw back

Rate the wheels and tyres for comfort:
 
8/10
Rate the wheels and tyres for value:
 
8/10

Tell us some more about the wheels and tyres.Did they work well in the conditions you encountered? Would you change the wheels or tyres? If so, what for?

As a set of commuting wheels they worked brilliantly, the tyres were great at shedding off road debris but take so much away from the ride.

Controls

Rate the controls for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the controls for durability:
 
9/10
Rate the controls for weight:
 
8/10
Rate the controls for comfort:
 
9/10
Rate the controls for value:
 
9/10

Tell us some more about the controls. Any particularly good or bad components? How would the controls work for larger or smaller riders?

Pretty standard stuff really, nothing to get the pulse racing but solid dependable kit

Your summary

Did you enjoy riding the bike? yes

Would you consider buying the bike? no, the £1000 price point is pretty crowded

Would you recommend the bike to a friend? Possibly

Rate the bike overall for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the bike overall for value:
 
8/10

Anything further to say about the bike in conclusion?

If you're into the whole Italian thing and willing to pay for the Wilier name you'll be impressed with the Lavaredo. It is a good ride and the frame is brilliant. For me though with the amount of competition at this price point I don't think it has enough to really stand out from the crowd. That aside though the frame is capable of a lot of upgrading so you could always use the parts on something like the Genesis Equilibrium frame and build the Wilier into your weekend steed.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 31  Height: 180cm  Weight: 80kg

I usually ride: Schwinn Fastback Pro  My best bike is: Dolan Chrono TT Custom

I've been riding for: 5-10 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

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