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Are you sitting down? The brand spanking new Wilier Imperiale, which will hit the shops later this year, is an aesthetic departure form the company’s traditionally effortless style and Italian cool.
There’s a reason why it looks the way it does though, and its because the Italian company has been spending much time in a wind tunnel, and the Imperiale is the result of all that time couped up in a drafty room. Aerodynamics is one of the most interesting areas of development in current racing bicycles, and Wilier have tuned this frame with a clear emphasis on cheating the wind.
Based on the geometry and ride quality of the Cento 1, the Imperiale has been penned by John Cobb, the same aerodynamics expert who designed the Tri-Crono time trial bike. So the rear triangle comprises of two flared monocoque sections joined to the profiled seat tube, and the chainstays form a ‘splitter’ underneath the bottom bracket shell. The dropouts are areas of focus being designed to minimise their drag and an integrated seatmast continues the slippery nature of the frame. All main tubes are flared and swooped to encourage a smooth airflow. The result is one very distinctive bike.
