Market: With the Bianchi Oltre XR4, the Italian cult manufacturer recently presented the latest version of its aero racer. The new Oltre XR4 inherits many of the features of its immediate predecessor, the Oltre XR2, but like the Infinito, Specialissima and Aquila it now benefits from Countervail vibration-dampening technology, which in the case of the XR4 is primarily intended to improve rider performance.
In 2012, a new generation of aero bikes from Bianchi saw the light of day with the Oltre XR1 and XR2. Today, four years later, the traditional Italian manufacturer is presenting the official successor, the XR4, which at first glance does not differ that much from its two predecessors - but the innovations are mainly in the inner values.
With the Bianchi Oltre XR4, the aero model can now also enjoy the Countervail technology that was introduced for the first time some time ago. This is a special arrangement of special carbon fibers that is said to dampen vibrations from the road better than any other carbon frame - even those with special elastomers like the Pinarello Dogma K8-S or the Specialized Roubaix. Countervail carbon was developed by the US company Materials Science Corporation and is not only used for Bianchi bicycle frames, but also by NASA, for example.
The secret of Countervail is that vibrations and impacts are not only absorbed and reduced, but are distributed over the entire frame - this prevents "rocking" at high speeds and poor road conditions, as every racing cyclist has probably experienced once or several times . In the case of the Oltre XR4, the use of Countervail has two decisive advantages: On the one hand, the wheel remains easier to control at high speeds and conveys more security. On the other hand, the increased comfort relieves the driver, who can stay in the aero position for longer, for example, on long descents.
Of course, hand was also applied to the aerodynamics, even if the improvements are in the details. As befits an aero racer in the Bianchi Oltre XR4 class, countless test phases in the wind tunnel were incorporated into the development. In a first step, computer simulations are used to be able to draw initial conclusions about the expected air resistance - then the first prototypes go into the wind tunnel, in which Bianchi also carried out a so-called "flow visualization" for the first time used in the construction of current Formula 1 racing cars. Here, a fluorescent paint is applied to the entire wheel before the airflow in the duct is started. How the color is then distributed on the frame during the test gives the developers an indication of how and where the air flows along the frame. Plus it looks pretty spectacular...
After so many details about the development, now a few more points about the technical details: The Oltre XR4 will come onto the market in seven sizes - from 47cm to 61cm - so there should be a suitable frame for almost every body size. The geometry has at most been modified in detail compared to the predecessor, but the basic character remains: The Oltre is also a racing bike optimized for maximum performance in 2016.
Geometry Bianchi Oltre XR4
frame size | 47 | 50 | 53 | 55 | 57 | 59 | 61 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Seat tube length (mm) | 420 | 450 | 480 | 500 | 520 | 540 | 560 |
Top tube length (mm) | 515 | 525 | 535 | 550 | 560 | 575 | 585 |
Head tube length (mm) | 105 | 110 | 125 | 140 | 155 | 175 | 195 |
Steering angle (°) | 70.5 | 71.5 | 72 | 72.5 | 73 | 73 | 73 |
Seat angle (°) | 74.5 | 74.5 | 74 | 73.5 | 73.5 | 73 | 72.5 |
Chainstay Length (mm) | 400 | 400 | 406 | 407 | 407 | 409 | 411 |
Stacks (mm) | 490 | 499 | 525 | 541 | 557 | 576 | 595 |
Reach (mm) | 377 | 384 | 385 | 390 | 395 | 398 | 399 |
The frame, which is available in five color variants, weighs 55g in size 980, the tapered carbon fork 370g. The new carbon seat post is fixed in the frame with an integrated clamp and allows flexible adjustment of the offset between 25mm and -10mm. When it comes to the drive, Bianchi shines with a large variety of models and offers a total of eight different equipment variants:
Campagnolo
Chorus
great record
Great Record EPS
Shimano
Ultegra Di2
Dura-Ace
Dura Ace Di2
SRAM
Red eTAP
There is currently no information regarding prices and availability.
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