The Wilier Garda on test

Wilier Garda makes for head cinema

Whether you like it or not, the name of Wilier's new marathon road bike is enough to get your head spinning. Wilier Garda: It is associated with glittering water, balmy summer evenings, dreamy alleyways ... The list goes on and on. Lake Garda, with its namesake town, is a place of refuge for many to immerse themselves in the dolce vita just a few hours' drive from Germany and leave everyday life behind.

Of course, the Italian Traditional brand Wilierwhose headquarters are just 80 kilometres from the eastern shore of the lake. "The name is intended to emphasise the character of the bike," says company spokesman Mattia Palombini. The Endurance model is ideal for "stress-free travelling on a modern bike". The TOUR test should clarify to what extent the marketing promise is true.

Unspectacular appearance

Compared to other new products from the Italians, the Wilier Garda is rather unspectacular. If you are looking for innovations like the lightweight competition bike Filante (TOUR 2/2021) or the versatile gravel bike Rave (TOUR 1/2022) might be disappointed. In comparison, the new addition to Wilier's model family is rather bland. Cables and cables integrated into the cockpit and space for tyres up to 32 millimetres wide are familiar features from other manufacturers.

The workmanship of the carbon frame, which is reminiscent of Team Astana's work equipment with its cyan-coloured details, leaves nothing to be desired. The unspectacular concept may also have been exactly Wilier's intention. The round seat post with simple, external clamp and the aluminium handlebars with standard clamps are balm for pragmatic souls who are sceptical about the integration trend of recent years. However, for a brand that has developed into one of the most innovative in the industry in recent years, the orientation is surprisingly conventional.

The Wilier Garda confirms its down-to-earth character on the move - due to the high total weight of 8.9 kilograms, this is to be understood quite literally. Even the carbon wheels from the recently acquired specialist Miche cannot change this. They are no lighter than aluminium rims and, with tyres (Vittoria Zaffiro Pro), account for more than a third of the total weight. Accordingly, the torsionally stiff Wilier sits firmly on the road, but lacks agility. Even the short wheelbase can only compensate for the lack of agility to a limited extent. The riding position is quite comfortable, only on a few marathon bikes do you sit more upright in the saddle. This is a big plus for long distances.

Wilier Garda needs a lot of optimisation

However, the Wilier Garda cancels out this advantage over other endurance models with its low ride comfort. The frame and fork are hard, and even small bumps are felt relatively unfiltered by the rider. For more suspension comfort, we recommend replacing the aluminium seatpost (Ritchey Comp) with a carbon model with more flex. Light riders in particular will benefit from this. In addition to the cheap Vittoria tyres, the saddle (Selle Italia Model X) also offers potential for improvement. As in previous tests, the model was annoying with its "sticky" surface, which seems to magically attract cycling shorts, causing you to repeatedly get caught on the nose of the saddle.

Although such weaknesses are comparatively easy to rectify, they are annoying in view of the bike's ambitious list price. Wilier sent the top model across the Alps with SRAM's Rival eTap AXS, for which the Italians increased the price during our test and now charge € 4,900. In total, there is a choice of seven builds in six frame sizes.

Can be equipped with rim brakes

The traditional manufacturer from Rossano Veneto is one of the few manufacturers to also offer its Endurance model with rim brakes, although the Wilier Garda can only be fitted with tyres up to 28 millimetres wide. The cheapest version starts at 2,800 euros and is equipped with Shimano's mechanical 2x11 Ultegra and aluminium wheels. Disc brakes are available for an additional 400 euros and the frame set costs 2,200 euros.

All in all, that's comparatively a lot of money for a rock-solid, but only average marathon bike. For comparison: In the marathon racer test in TOUR 4/2022, three current endurance models with high-quality Shimano Ultegra Di2 2x12 offered more performance for less money. The Garda can only compensate to a limited extent for its high overall weight and low suspension comfort with its comfortable riding position and decent spec - and ultimately leaves the observer relatively emotionless despite the model name.

Facts about the Wilier Garda

• Price 4,900 Euro
• Weight of complete wheel 8.9 kilos
• Info www.wilier.com

Weight frame/fork/steering bearing* 1,197/412/61 grammes

Frame sizes** XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL

Seat/top tube/head tube 520/550/164 millimetres

Stack/Reach/STR*** 592/379 millimetres/1.56

Wheelbase/caster 995/56 millimetres

EQUIPMENT

Drive/gear shift SRAM Rival eTap AXS (2x12, 46/33, 10-36 t.)

Brakes SRAM Rival (160/160 mm)

Wheels/tyres (weights) Wilier Miche NDR38/Vittoria Zaffiro Pro 28 mm (f./h. 1,457/1,935 g)

*Weighed weights.

**Manufacturer's test size bold.

***Stack/reach projected vertical/horizontal measurement from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the head tube; STR (stack to reach) 1.36 means a very stretched, 1.60 an upright riding position.