Bianchi Oltre XR4 Super Record

The Bianchi Oltre XR4 is a lightweight race bike that puts in a superb performance. It's agile and mega-stiff with pin-sharp handling, and it's comfortable enough that you can thoroughly enjoy long rides rather than counting down the miles until it's time to get off.

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In the past, we've reviewed:

• The Bianchi Oltre XR 

• The Bianchi Oltre XR1 

• The Bianchi Oltre XR2 

They've all impressed us very highly, so we had high expectations of the XR4 (Bianchi has bypassed the XR3). It doesn't disappoint.

What's new?

One of the biggest changes from previous Oltres is the inclusion of Bianchi's Countervail technology for the first time.

'Countervail is a patented viscoelastic carbon material with a unique fibre architecture that cancels up to 80% of vibrations while increasing the stiffness and strength of our carbon frames and forks,' says Bianchi.

The Countervail material, from Materials Science Corporation, is embedded within the Oltre's carbon structure.

Bianchi tells us that by eliminating road buzz the Countervail maximises your control, reduces muscular fatigue, and allows you to hold your aero riding position at high speeds for longer.

Countervail technology might be new to the Oltre but Bianchi already uses it on the Specialissima, Infinito and Aquila (time trial) models.

You think it sounds like snake oil, right? I must say, my bullshit detectors flash red and the klaxons start blaring as soon as I hear any claims like this, despite Bianchi's demonstrations with table tennis balls on the frame (you might need to watch the video to find out what I mean).

It's not that I doubted the properties of Countervail, it's that there are a helluva lot of factors that influence how a bike performs and feels, and I wondered how much of a difference this one could make to the whole. I mean, things like the saddle, seatpost, handlebar and tape, wheels, tyre width and pressures, the shape and profile of the frame tubes and fork legs... they all affect vibration damping.

I still wonder how much of an influence the Countervail has outside the lab and on the road. I just can't say for sure because it's impossible to isolate that one element, but I can tell you that the Oltre offers a ride with a marked absence of vibration. Everyone who has ridden this review bike has said the same thing unprompted. There's just a bit less flutter than usual coming though to the contact points. Whether that's down to the Countervail I couldn't tell you for sure, but this is a super-smooth bike.

Don't get me wrong, it's subtle, and the Oltre XR4 feels exactly like any other road bike when you hit a big bump or your front wheel drops into an unseen pothole. It's the high frequency chatter that gets told to pipe down a bit.

Does the Countervail help you hold an aero riding position for longer, as Bianchi suggests? Maybe for some people although I didn't notice that I was able to maintain a tuck position for any longer than usual on the Oltre XR4. Although vibration enters into it, to me that's more about bike fit. It is, though, a very smooth experience at all speeds, and that adds to the composure of the ride.

Aerodynamics

The Oltre XR4 isn't a one-trick pony. Even if the Countervail technology doesn't impress you, there's plenty more going on here. This is an entirely new frame.

Bianchi has been busy updating the shape of the frame tubes as a result of CFD (computational fluid dynamics) and flow visualisation, a technology that's used extensively by F1 teams.

The aero head tube is said to have been inspired by Aquila CV time trial bike profiles. It is available with two different top cups, one for use with a conventional stem and the other for use with the Vision Metron 5D combo handlebar/stem that we have fitted to our review bike (more on that later). This handlebar and top cup give an integrated front end.

Bianchi has switched to direct mount brakes, the rear one completely shielded by the wishbone seatstays, and the seatpost clamp is now a wedge type design, the bolt tucked inside the top tube.

Bianchi says the changes have resulted in significant aerodynamic improvements over the XR2. Its wind tunnel data says the XR4 has a '20 watt power gain' over the XR2 at 50km/h (31mph). In other words, the power needed to hold 50km/h on the XR4 is said to be 20 watts lower than the power needed to hold 50km/h on the XR2. Five watts of that is down to the new handlebar (see below) while the frame is said to be worth 15 watts.

Even the pro peloton doesn't average 50km/h so we're not sure how relevant that statistic is. Air resistance increases exponentially with speed so the savings you could make in the real world would be considerably lower. We're not in a position to verify wind tunnel data so you can decide for yourself whether you're convinced by Bianchi's claims.

Handling

One area where the Oltre XR4 really scores is in its frame stiffness. There's virtually no flex through the centre of the bike, even when you get out of the saddle and sprint. Select a stupidly high gear and throw it from side to side in an exaggerated manner and the bottom bracket stays exactly where the bottom bracket should be. The whole frame just feels very efficient.

Some high-end aero bikes can flex quite a bit as manufacturers shed grams but Bianchi hasn't made that mistake here, and this is a lightweight bike. Our complete 57cm model hit the road.cc Scales of Truth at 6.53kg (14.4lb). Once you've added pedals, that puts it round about the UCI's minimum weight limit for racing.

Bianchi claims a frame weight of 980g (55cm frame, +/-5% black) and a fork weight of 370g. If you want lighter, Bianchi's Specialissima has a claimed frame weight of 780g, but that's not a bike with any aerodynamic features. Read our Bianchi Specialissima review here. 

Anyway, the point is that the Oltre XR4 feels superbly efficient around the bottom bracket despite its low weight. It's a similar story up front where the steering is excellent, giving you the courage to slam the bike hard into corners and jump about in a group of riders knowing that you'll end up exactly where you want to be. No sketchy reactions, no dicey moments, just fantastic handling whatever the situation.

The build

The Oltre XR4 is available in various different builds. These are they:

Campagnolo

• Super Record EPS (£9,500)

• Super Record mechanical (£7,500)

• Chorus mechanical (£4,700)

Shimano

• Dura-Ace Di2 (£8,600)

• Dura-Ace mechanical (£6,800)

• Ultegra Di2 (£5,000)

SRAM

• Red eTap (£7,500)

In addition, some of the builds have different wheel and chainset options, so there are actually 26 choices in total, all built around the same Oltre XR4 CV frame. You can have Zipp 404 Firecrest wheels on the Shimano models, for example, with the price adjusted accordingly. The frameset price is £3,100.

We have the Campagnolo Super Record mechanical build but with Campagnolo Bora Ultra 50 Dark tubular wheels. That bumps the price up to £9,500. Wow!

I won't go into depth on the groupset because I'm guessing that most people buying a bike like this will already have a preference, but it is superb. I've not had a single issue with any component during testing. If there's a weakness, braking on the carbon fibre rims isn't the best in wet conditions, although the direct mount brakes do pack a punch. Oh, and I found the Vittoria Corsa tubs needed topping up every single ride. If I rode in the evening, they'd need pumping up again the following morning, which was a bit of a pain.

> Your complete guide to Campagnolo 2016 groupsets

One other component that's worth mentioning is the Vision Metron 5D integrated handlebar/stem. It's made using a continuous carbon composite construction and is notable for the fact that the aero-section tops arc forward 10° from the centre. Vision reckons that this 'accommodates the natural position of your arms for more comfort and easier breathing'.

I must say that this took some getting used to. I found that if my hands were on the tops, the sweep of the bar made my elbows point out in a Chris Froome style. Still, I guess it's done him no harm. On the plus side, this is probably the stiffest aero handlebar I've ever used and the compact shape (80mm reach, 125mm drop) is bound to be popular.

Conclusion

The Bianchi Oltre XR4 really is a superb bike, picking up where its predecessors have left off. It's lightweight, reactive and very smooth, and if Bianchi's claims are to be believed, it's highly aerodynamically efficient too. If you have money in your pockets and racing on your mind, this is one of the very best.

Verdict

Lightweight, quick to react and very, very smooth, this is a superb pro-level race bike