Wilier has introduced the new Rapida road bike with airfoil profiles on the frame, fork and seatpost, UDH compatibility, and space for tyres up to 36mm wide. Full bike prices start at just under £3,000.
The last Wilier bike we reviewed here on road.cc was the Filante SLR ID2 back at the start of the year – a high-end race bike with a price to match.
> Read our review of the Wilier Filante SLR ID2 SRAM Red AXS
With dropped seatstays, quite a deep head tube, a seat tube that’s cut out around the leading edge of the rear wheel and a classic, unfussy finish, Rapida has some vaguely similar features, but although it’s recognisably related, it’s actually a very different bike.
For a start, Rapida is designed for everyday riding, and Wilier describes its geometry as “a precision-engineered balance, with a riding position that retains the brand’s racing character without penalising comfort on long days out.”
What that means in practice is that Rapida’s stack height sits somewhere between that of Wilier’s pure racing models and an endurance road bike.
Six sizes are available from XS to XXL. As an example, the M comes with a 556mm stack and a 384.5mm reach, giving a stack/reach of 1.45.
For comparison, the Wilier Filante ID2 race bike in size medium has a stack of 541mm and a reach of 386.5mm, giving a stack/reach of 1.40.
In other words, Rapida’s geometry should put you into a ride position that’s efficient but not extreme. Don’t misunderstand us: it’s still a low road bike setup – it’s just not as aggressive as you’ll find on some race bikes.
Wilier says that the frame, fork and seatpost are made with NACA airfoils to improve aero efficiency, although it hasn’t released wind tunnel claims to compare the performance with that of the Filante ID2 or models from other brands. That’s not entirely surprising because the Rapida is intended more as an everyday bike than a race weapon.
The seatpost clamp is integrated into the frame, and Wilier’s Z-Bar monocoque carbon handlebar/stem comes with internal cable routing.
Rapida offers space for tyres up to a generous 36mm wide. That’s not enough for true gravel riding but it’s certainly up into all-road territory, meaning that shoddy road surfaces shouldn’t be a worry with the right tyres fitted.
Rapida is compatible with UDH (Universal Derailleur Hanger) and the mount for the front derailleur is removable if you want to go for a 1x (single chainring) setup.
> What is UDH and is it the future of all bikes? SRAM’s Universal Derailleur Hanger explained
Models and prices
The Wilier Rapida is available in four colours (Dusk Grey, Midday Orange, Lastlight Black, Weekend White) and in two builds.
The cheaper of the two models is equipped with the mechanical version of Shimano’s 105 groupset (2×12) and is priced at £2,999.
If you’d rather have the Di2 (electronic) version of Shimano 105, you’re looking at a price of £3,499.
Both have carbon wheels and Wilier’s Z-Bar integrated handlebar/stem.
Head over to www.wilier.com for more details.
9 thoughts on “Wilier’s new Rapida road bike comes with 36mm tyre clearance and sub-£3k price”
Finally. I’ve been asking for bikes that look like this for years. Something with endurance-esque geometry without looking astonishingly dull. Good to see the industry has finally realised.
There had always been the Pinarello X series. Endurance geometry and from many angles as close to a Dogma as you could hope to see
That bike stood alone and was excellent. It’s more that I’m glad others are doing it too, as Pinarello carries a whiff of dentistry about it.
When the Dogma was the only decent Pinarello you could buy that was probably true, but with the F series and the X series easy to get hold of, that’s made them a lot more accessible. An F5 with 105 di2 is reasonably priced (by todays pricing)
Grevil is also a fantastic gravel bike too.
What is this comment doing on road.cc? – put it on grevil.cc where it belongs.
Except that the geometry is not that endurance
The GranTurismo SL is the only bike in the range with decent endurance-like geometry but it’s a fair bit more expensive. Not sure why they don’t have an entry level version of this..
Yep, that looks like one fast bike to do all and suit most.
My Wilier stockist tells me this will also be available as a frameset. I’ve got high hopes for this one.