The Wilier Journal [EN] - A collection of stories and emotions.

Granturismo SLR puts the pleasure in day-long rides on a racing bike

Written by Wilier | Dec 20, 2022 3:43:00 PM

Granturismo SLR, Wilier Triestina's new endurance bike, is the exact point where the best performance you would expect from a racing bike meets the desires of those who relish the pleasure of a long and stress-free ride. It has been specially designed for those who enjoy long distances and spend many hours in the saddle: whether alone or with friends, immersed in nature, without having to compromise comfort and the feeling of well-being you get when you make time for yourself.

“Granturismo SLR is ideal for those times when you decide to spend a day riding to simply unwind and relax. And that's exactly what I did with a friend of mine, who also has a passion for long distances. We rode along the roads of the Black Forest, around my home city of Freiburg im Breisgau.

The landscapes that the Black Forest offers are amazing, ideal for those who want to savour stunning views on a racing bike. The route is dense with hilly roads - the Black Forest is actually a small mountain range - and in addition to the distance, we also faced nineteen hundred metres of elevation gain.

I can assure you that the feeling of comfort and easy handling, or, more simply, relaxation that we were both in search of, never abandoned us”.

These are Wiebke Lühmann's first impressions after having tried Granturismo for the first time on a long mixed course.

Then again, Wiebke Lühmann’s experience is quite remarkable: “When it comes to bikes and comfort, I know exactly what I'm looking for. Those seven months and eight thousand kilometres of bikepacking around South America and Europe taught me a great deal.

In those situations, comfort is truly vital. The very first pedal strokes on Granturismo SLR immediately reminded me of how it feels to ride a top-end bike but with the added comfort that I so desired when spending long days out in the saddle. I think I'm right in saying that Granturismo has set a standard of comfort that will be hard to exceed”.

Claudio Salomoni – head of product development at Wilier Triestina - explains the design philosophy behind the new bike: “If comfort is a key quality for bikes made for those who take on excursions that can last days, e.g. on gravel trails and when bikepacking, this factor falls a bit short when it comes to bikes that were born with racing DNA. With Granturismo SLR, our plan has been to combine speed and ease, putting comfort at the centre of the project without losing sight of the performance and handling typical of our top-of-the-range products”.