Wilier Adlar gravel bike: Almost a bikepacking MTB?

Even a raclette grill or a sack full of potatoes are no problem for the new Wilier Adlar. According to the traditional company, the Italian gravel bike is aimed at "bikepackers, explorers and cycle travellers" and therefore also had to prove itself as a cargo bike in the practical test. Our test included this exotic luggage, as raclette and ingredients had to be transported from A to B on New Year's Eve.

Although most adventure cyclists prefer utensils such as a gas cooker or sleeping bag, we were also able to find out how the riding characteristics of the gravel bike change with this unusual cargo. Although the model is characterised by its road bike handlebars, its radical concept meant that it could only be assessed to a limited extent using the test criteria of our sister magazine TOUR.

Gravel bike Wilier Adlar: Almost an MTB?!

So what does "radical" mean for an apparently quite normal diamond frame with a low seat stay base? The frame triangle is long and combined with a short stem (85 millimetres), a slack head angle (70 degrees), a long wheelbase (1085 millimetres) and a large fork trail (83 millimetres). This makes the Adlar gravel bike look more like a hardtail than a classic road bike and impresses us above all with its excellent stability - regardless of the surface. The precise handling is supported by wide aluminium handlebars from Ritchey, which are 60 centimetres wide at the ends. So watch out! Be careful in narrow passages!

In addition, the strong upsweep of the handlebars ensures an exceptionally upright riding position. The highlight of the carbon frame is the innovative loading system. Two robust pannier racks from Miss Grape in Italy can be attached in just a few simple steps. Thanks to the solid seat stays and the anchorage to the thru axle, the bike can be loaded with up to 35 kilograms, says Wilier. The set consisting of pannier rack and panniers is already included in two equipment variants or can be purchased as an additional accessory. The Wilier Adlar also has six mounting points on the frame and fork, eyelets for mudguards and an integrated cable duct for a dynamo light to round off the design of the adventure bike.

The Wilier is an exciting concept and fulfils all the requirements of an off-road adventure bike. - Matthias Fischer, BIKE mechanic

Comfort without suspension

The frame set of the Wilier Adlar is solidly constructed and consists of robust aluminium add-on parts. Even without the bikepacking kit, the bike weighs just under 10 kilograms. With the pannier rack, longer thru axles and (empty) panniers, the weight increases to 12.8 kilograms. The bike is therefore much less suitable for fast sprints than for long-distance journeys. Comfortable long distances...

... because the suspension comfort of the neon yellow bike is significantly improved by the high-quality tyres in mountain bike format and the long extension of the seat post. The tubeless Pirelli tyres with a nominal width of 50 millimetres expand to 54 millimetres and cushion obstacles such as large stones or roots almost effortlessly. The reduced comfort on the handlebars is hardly noticeable due to the rear-heavy weight distribution, especially when the bike is loaded with luggage. Tyres with a width of up to 52 millimetres can be fitted. There is also the option of fitting a Suspension fork with a maximum of 40 millimetres of travel to be retrofitted.

Alternatively, the gravel bike can be customised, as Wiebke Lühmann did when she rode her Wilier Adlar from Freiburg im Breisgau to the Cape of Good Hope.

>> The first three months on the road to South Africa

>> Wiebke Lühmann reaches Morocco

>> Gravel in blatant? Then take a look at Dangerholm's SUPER GRAVEL. "There is still room for another gravel category"

Disadvantages of the Wilier Adlar

One disadvantage of the large tyre clearance on the Wilier Adlar is that there is no room for a front derailleur on the curved and flattened seat tube. According to the manufacturer, the seat tube is supposed to serve as an "integrated mudguard", but we were unable to find this function. The mechanical 12-speed Shimano GRX drivetrain with mountain bike gearing (10-51 t.) - also known as the Mullet version - has enough easy gears for all riding situations, but the gear jumps are large on steep climbs.

The Adlar pushed the TOUR test centre to its limits in terms of its comparatively high weight and weaknesses in the frame's system stiffness (5.72 N/mm is at the lower end). the new rating scale) on the clipboard only led to a grade of 2.9.

However, the testers did not notice any of this in practice, neither with nor without a load. This may also be due to the low speeds off-road, which are not typical for road bikes. On fast descents, especially on tarmac, you should still be prepared for spongy handling and less steering precision. Wilier offers its most extreme gravel bike in five different equipment variants starting at 3700 euros. The Adlar we tested costs 4000 euros, but the Italians list the bike with narrower and cheaper Vittoria tyres. The top version has a Sram Rival XPLR electronic drivetrain and comes with a bikepacking kit, which has a hefty surcharge of 600 euros.

Wilier Adlar in detail

• Price: 4000 Euro >> available here
• Weight of complete wheel: 9.8 kilos (without bikepacking attachment)
• Frame sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL

Geometry

• Seat / top / head tube: 530 / 595 / 157 mm
• Stack / Reach / STR: 633 / 410 mm / 1.54
• Stack+ / Reach+ / STR+: 698 / 556 mm / 1.26
• Wheelbase / caster: 1085 / 83 mm

Equipment

• Drive / gearstick (3.0): Shimano GRX 822 (1 x 12; 40, 10-51 t.)
• Brakes (1.5): Shimano GRX (160 / 160 mm)
• Tyres (1.5): Pirelli Cinturato Gravel H 50 mm (effective: 54 mm)
• Impellers: Miche Graff XL
• Impeller weights: 1736/2443 grams (front/rear)

Measured values

• Driving stability (3.3): 5.72 N/mm
• Rear comfort (2.0): 127 N/mm
• Comfort front (3.3): 112 N/mm
• Ride/ bottom bracket stiffness (2.0): 54 N/mm

Overall grade of the gravel bike: 2.9