Wilier Zero.7 Road Frameset - 2018

While many of us would love to throw a leg over the Zero. 6 as our daily driver, the reality is its 176-pound full laden weight limit, including bike, puts it out of the range for most of us. And that's where the Zero. 7 Road Frameset from Wilier comes in. Its 198-pound capacity is much more palatable and it's a frameset that's no stranger at the top of the review boards and editor lists. This latest version is for the purist that still favors rim brakes and has some exciting new colorways that will have your heart racing. Wilier's engineers began with the synthetic equivalent of a super hero's hair: high modulus, 60-ton carbon fiber. It's very stiff, very efficient, and very light, but it also doesn't absorb as much road vibration and is more prone to failure than a lower-modulus carbon. Top-end manufacturers often address this by using different carbon moduli across the body of one frame based on the stiffness and strength requirements of each discrete area, but the inclusion of lower modulus carbon makes the frame heavier and more flexible. Wilier puts its own spin on this process, so the new Zero. 7 includes lower-modulus carbon and alleviates the negative side effects of its inclusion, reducing the overall volume of material by 19% compared to the previous model. This process begins with the incorporation of Zinc Oxide nanoparticle epoxy resin (ZnO) into Wilier's high-modulus layups to improve impact resistance. It continues with a technique called LIT (Large Inflatable Tube). As the name implies, LIT involves inflating a tube-like bladder inside the frame while it's in the carbon mold. This compacts the material from both sides and creates a uniform wall thickness that eliminates structurally compromising resin deposits. Both bits of tech underwrite the Cento1 family's heritage, and the Zero. 7 receives the same treatment; however, Wilier was looking for even more to set the Zero. 7 apart. It found it by incorporating a solution from the aeronautical and ...