£4,170 All-terrain heavy lifter
The bike test ● Gravel bikes
Weight 9.75kg (XL) Frame Carbon Fork Carbon Gears Shimano GRX822 (40t, 10-45t) Brakes Shimano GRX RX600 hydraulic Wheels Miche Graff XL Finishing kit Willier Stemma S stem, Ritchey Comp Corralitos bar, Ritchey Comp alloy seatpost, Wilier Road saddle with ti rails, Pirelli Cinturato H 700x 50c tyres
WILIER’S NEW ADLAR IS A LITTLE more adventurous than its previous gravel rides. The angles are relaxed to improve its rough-stuff stability and the frame reinforced to allow for a max load of a massive 35kg. Impressive stuff from a frame and fork that weigh just 1,190g and 470g respectively. The frame and fork can also fit tyres up to 2in wide on a 29in wheel, or a huge 52mm from a 700c wheel and gravel tyre, while the front end can take a suspension fork. There’s also an accessory-loaded model that comes with bespoke bags from Miss Grape.
Both versions boast triple bottle bosses, top-tube bag mounts and mudguard mounts, plus the seat-tube has been broadened with a forward curve that mirrors the rear tyre and creates an integrated mudguard. The radically sloping top-tube leaves plenty of exposed seatpost for rear-end comfort, while dropped stays add more compliance.
My XL test bike has a 634mm stack and a long 431mm reach and, with a trail figure just shy of 80mm, its handling is stability personified. The 73.5° seat angle is steep enough to centre you over the cranks, like the Rondo and the GT.
Raising the bar
This Adlar comes with Miche’s Graff XL gravel wheelset, which has a 22mm-deep rim with a 24mm internal width. At 1,735g a pair, they aren’t the lightest you’ll find but the build quality is excellent. These are shod with Pirelli’s largest Cinturato tyres, at 50mm wide, though the Adlar comes with the H (for hard conditions) spec.
Up front, Wilier’s own 70mm-long Stemma S stem tidily hides cables and hoses, and grips the wildly shaped Ritchey Comp Corralito’s bar (48cm wide on my XL test bike) with a huge 24° flare and super-shallow 67.5mm drop and short 52mm reach. Add in a 15mm rise and 5° backsweep, and the ride position on the hoods is more akin to a mountain bike than a road bike. Even in the drops it’s all about width, which gives balanced off-road steering. At the back, a classic two-bolt Ritchey post holds a nicely shaped Wilier saddle. Driving the Adlar is Shimano’s new 12-speed mechanical GRX group, offering a wider range and better braking ergonomics.
Simply stunning
The Adlar is a brilliantly capable
