The new bike developed in just nine months is claimed to be 16 per cent more aero than its predecessor
(Image credit: Wilier)
Wilier claims that its new Supersonica SLR time trial bike was 16 per cent more aero than its previous time trial bike, the Turbine, when it tested the new bike at 50km/h wind speeds in the Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub wind tunnel, where Cyclingnews has tested aero road wheels and road helmets.
The new bike has been developed alongside Swiss time trial champion Stefan Küng of the Groupama-FDJ pro team. The whole project has taken just nine months, including over 50 hours of CFD computer simulations, 30 hours of testing of 3D printed mock-ups in the wind tunnel, and the production of two prototypes. The Supersonica SLR has also been let loose in the Tissot Velodrome in Switzerland and on the roads of Belgium.
It’s the first bike that’s been developed by Wilier together with Groupama-FDJ since it took over from Lapierre as the team’s bike sponsor, although it’s clear that the change of bike provider to the team was in the works long before the official announcement in December 2023. Wilier has also been supplying Astana-Qazaqstan with its bikes since 2020.
Development included 30 hours of wind tunnel testing of 3D printed models (Image credit: Wilier)
Developments from the Turbine include an updated geometry, greater rigidity and an updated bar design, Wilier says. It doesn't provide any raw data to back up its aero claims.
Non-pro riders can have their extensions customised to their measurements just like the pros, with Wilier offering a service based on an optical scan of the rider’s forearms. They can then choose between carbon or 3D-printed titanium extensions. The frame is also compatible with Profile Design aerobars.
Other features of the new bike include an integrated seat mast with adjustable saddle rails, 28mm tyre clearance, a removable front mech hanger and a bayonet-style fork mount with 1 1/8in bearings and an anti-rotation system. The frame is UCI legal.
There's the option to have the bars custom 3D printed in titanium (Image credit: Wilier)
Options and prices
The Wilier Supersonica SLR is available to buy as a frame kit priced at €9,000. A Dura-Ace build with Miche lenticular disc rear wheel and tri-spoke front with Profile Design ACS PRO extensions is priced at €20,500. Add on custom extensions and the price is €27,400.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
For the moment, the bike is only available in size L/XL, as it’s built to fit Küng, but Wilier promises that two more sizes, XS/S and M, will be available in early 2025.
The bike’s first outing is planned for the opening stage 4.8km time trial at the Tour de Suisse today.
Paul has been on two wheels since he was in his teens and he's spent much of the time since writing about bikes and the associated tech. He's a road cyclist at heart but his adventurous curiosity means Paul has been riding gravel since well before it was cool, adapting his cyclo-cross bike to ride all-day off-road epics and putting road kit to the ultimate test along the way. Paul has contributed to Cyclingnews' tech coverage for a few years, helping to maintain the freshness of our buying guides and deals content, as well as writing a number of our voucher code pages.
