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The 2008 Wilier Triestina Izoard offers a lower cost alternative to the Le Roi and Cento.(Image credit: Gregor Brown)
The Izoard allows riders to add a Wilier to their stable without breaking the bank too badly.(Image credit: Gregor Brown)
The Izoard achieves its lower price point by using a more economical carbon fibre blend.(Image credit: Gregor Brown)
The top tube flows nicely into the seat stays (as is seemingly the current fashion).(Image credit: Gregor Brown)
The Euro-inspired paint job leaves plenty of carbon fibre weave to see.(Image credit: Gregor Brown)
Slightly curved seat stays add a touch of cushion to the rear end.(Image credit: Gregor Brown)
The bottom bracket section appears stout enough but serious racers might want more frame stiffness.(Image credit: Gregor Brown)
The thin seat stays provide a noticeable amount of bump-eating flex.(Image credit: Gregor Brown)
Wilier opts for wishbone-style stays for the Izoard. (Image credit: Gregor Brown)
The front of the Izoard is fitted with a matching full-carbon fork claimed to weigh 360g(Image credit: Gregor Brown)
The integrated-style headset makes for a smooth transition between the frame and fork.(Image credit: Gregor Brown)
Just in case you can't remember the URL for Wilier's web site(Image credit: Gregor Brown)
Campagnolo Chorus Ergopower levers provided the usual exemplary performance.(Image credit: Gregor Brown)
The matching Chorus rear derailleur worked perfectly during the test period.(Image credit: Gregor Brown)
The Chorus CT crankset provided plenty of gears for scaling veritable walls.(Image credit: Gregor Brown)
Campagnolo's newest front derailleur designs can be used for both standard and compact cranksets.(Image credit: Gregor Brown)
Campagnolo's D-Skeleton brake design uses a dual-pivot front brake…(Image credit: Gregor Brown)
…and a single-pivot rear for lighter weight and better overall modulation.(Image credit: Gregor Brown)
The Fulcrum Racing3 clincher wheelset isn't the lightest around but worked well nonetheless.(Image credit: Gregor Brown)
The aluminium rims are milled in between the spoke holes to shave weight.(Image credit: Gregor Brown)
Radially-laced straight-pull bladed stainless steel spokes are used up front(Image credit: Gregor Brown)
…while the rear employs Fulcrum's trademark two-to-one lacing pattern for more even spoke tension.(Image credit: Gregor Brown)
The Ritchey Pro Logic Road handlebars offer a good shape and competitive weight at a palatable price(Image credit: Gregor Brown)
The Ritchey WCS 4Axis is likely lighter and nearly as rigid than carbon(Image credit: Gregor Brown)
The Ritchey Pro Carbon seatpost performed its duty without fail.(Image credit: Gregor Brown)
A red Selle Italia SLK Gel Flow saddle adds a bit of visual flair(Image credit: Gregor Brown)
Wilier Triestina’s revamped Izoard sits third-tier in
As a less expensive alternative to its
The claimed weight for the frame and matching monocoque carbon fork is a very reasonable 1150g and 360g, respectively, putting it just 160g over the Le Roi package and 220g over the Cento. When built with a sensible mix of Campagnolo Chorus, Fulcrum Racing 3 wheels and a Ritchey cockpit, total weight for our test sample without pedals is still a very race-worthy 8.1kg (17.6lb).
Ride & handling: softness brings comfort but robs ‘snap’
The Izoard's carbon chassis provided the expected smooth and comfortable ride and made easy work of rough Italian roads. Even bigger jolts were well muffled with no hard repercussions felt in the arms and legs. Sitting in the saddle, the bike hums along nicely on both flat ground and uphill and swallows up distance with nary a complaint.
Jumping out of the saddle, though, seemed to reveal the Izoard's softer construction as it lacked some of the spring of its bigger brothers even under the moderate 1.8m, 71kg (5' 11", 157lb) test load. Sprints and standing surges heading uphill didn't return the usual instant response of acceleration we've become accustomed to with stiffer steeds and the overall feel was a tad sluggish when really putting the power down. Bear in mind, the Izoard is far from being a soft sidewalk cruiser but those looking for an ultra-responsive rocket ship might be a bit disappointed.
The Izoard's handling traits and riding position should be well suited to those actively seeking that slightly more relaxed feel. Compared to the racier Le Roi and Cento, the Izoard boasts a taller head tube and slacker angles for a more heads-up posture and more stable feel. Even so, the bike was still zippy on the descents and quick out of switchbacks.
Equipment: well-behaved kit but under-geared
Campagnolo's Chorus group performed flawlessly as expected but the stock gearing left much to be desired. We normally don't have any issues with compact cranksets as long as their 50T large chainring is paired with an 11T out back, yielding a gear ratio that is slightly taller than a common 53-12T.
But our test bike came with a casual 13-26T that found us spinning way too fast on any sort of downhill or sprint. While the gearing might be suitable for more leisurely jaunts in the park, any serious rider with a reasonable amount of fitness will probably want to swap out the cassette for something with a more appropriate top end.
The shape of our Selle Italia SLK Gel Flow test saddle suited our anatomy well enough but the supple leather cover seemed a little too sticky. Instead of just sliding into the right position after rising to stretch the legs, we had to unweight the saddle and re-position. Granted, this is a small issue that could disappear after the saddle is broken in but it's something to keep in mind.
Wheels: good all round combo
The included Fulcrum Racing3 clinchers are a touch on the heavy side for full-blown race wheels (claimed weight is 1605g without skewers) but their solid build handled well and presented no problems during the test period. They were also perfectly manageable even on windy days, making for a good all-around set of hoops if you can only have one.
The only downside on the wheel front was that the all-steel Campagnolo Chorus cogs made the combo of reasonably light wheels and feathery Vittoria Diamante Pro tyres a 2.8kg (6.2lb) boat anchor.
Summary: relaxed & comfortable
The Izoard looks the part of a pure racing steed but it delivers a tamer feel and more relaxed position and handling than its sharper-toothed stablemates. Those looking for a fast yet comfortable ride with an Italian nameplate and relatively economical price tag will likely be well satisfied but most racers will most likely want something a little edgier.
