Wilier Adlar: All new gravel bike aimed at adventure riding

Wilier have announced the Adlar, an all new gravel bike that has been designed around bikepacking and big adventurous rides - this certainly is not a gravel race bike and it has no intentions of being either. Available as standard with a bikepacking kit, the Adlar is marketed as a true adventure gravel bike.

Mountain bike-inspired geometry

Wilier have taken inspiration from the world of mountain biking when it comes to the geometry of this bike. The frame has quite a long reach for each size, far longer than the typical expected range would be. This allows riders to use a shorter stem while keeping the total reach within the expected range.

© Wilier Triestina

Wilier have approached the Adlar with geometry more inline with a mountain bike than a road bike as you can see from the geometry chart the reach for each model is longer than usual for a gravel bike

Fitting a shorter stem has a dramatic change in how the bike handles, with a shorter stem offering a more responsive and direct feeling from input to action. On more adventurous gravel this will definitely help riders keep their line and find grip when the surface gets looser.

© Wilier Triestina

The bike is designed to carry a lot of luggage on the front of the bike so a shorter stem allows for more direct control when it is fully loaded

Something else that this change really lends itself to, and which really solidifies the purpose of this bike, is that a shorter stem will make steering easier when the fork is fully loaded with kit. This is because riders will have more leverage with a shorter stem. When the fatique sets in on a long adventure ride, that's going to make a difference.

Designed to carry all your kit

The bike comes with a set of racks that mount to the thru axle, which Wilier say reduces any structural stress on the bike frame. There are other fixing points built into the frame too, such as bosses for a bottle or bag beneath the down tube and on the top tube, that together, really cement the 'go anywhere' credentials of the Adlar. The Adlar has been certified to carry 35kg of luggage; enough for even the longest of epic rides.

© Wilier Triestina

The Adlar is certified to carry 35kg of luggage and distributes the load to the axles of the bike to reduce any stresses on the frame itself

Versatility

The Adlar frame has been designed to be versatile, so riders can tailor the bike to the needs of their ride. Wilier have allowed generous tyre clearance. For a 650b wheel, up to a 52mm, or alternatively for a 29er mountain bike wheel, 2 inches (50mm).

©Wilier Triestina

With versatility in mind the Adlar can be run with either 650b wheels and 52mm tyres or a 29er mountain bike wheel with up to a two inch tyre

Wilier have designed the frame to work with longer fork legs. This means that riders can choose to swap the rigid fork that comes with the bike for a gravel-specific suspension fork with 40mm travel.

For tourers and bikepackers, Wilier have given internal routing options in their stock rigid fork, intended for running the cable from a dynamo front hub up to the cockpit.

The push towards versatility ends at the groupset options. Wilier spec all models of the Adlar exclusively with 1x setups, and the shape of the frame means it's impossible to fit 2x.

The Adlar has the option to be spec'd with the brand new 12 speed mechanical GRX RX820 groupset that Shimano have recently launched.

Pricing

© Wilier Triestina

Shimano GRX Adlar

Wiler offer the Adlar in five different build kits

Adlar 1x11 Shimano GRX - €3,700

Adlar 1x12 Shimano GRX - €4,000

Adlar 1x12 Shimano GRX + bike packing kit - €4,600

Adlar Rival XPLR AXS - €4,800

Adlar Rival XPLR AXS + bike packing kit - €5,400

Wilier Triestina

Wilier Triestina is an Italian manufacturer of road bikes, mountain bikes, gravel bikes and e-bikes, based in Rossano Veneto in northern Italy.