BIANCHI OLTRE XR4: THE BIKE WITH THE 4 B's
A Miss Universe contestant has to have both beauty and brains in order to be Queen. Little did I realize that beauty, brains and brawn could apply to a bicycle, when I was given the opportunity to test ride the Bianchi Oltre XR4.
BEAUTY
Let's set aside the fact that it's outrageously light (980g frame, 370g fork) for a super bike that delivers a combination of stiffness, superb handling and aerodynamic lines. There's something about the style of Italian bikes that a lot of us find irresistible, despite the numerous offerings from the West and Far East. It's gosh darned expensive, but we want one. The Bianchi Oltre XR4 is no exception. The fork is bowed in the style of recent top-level time trial bikes, and the slim profile of the head tube looks similar to Bianchi's own Aquila CV TT bike.
The seat post clamp looks similar to other aero bikes like the F8, keeping the seat tube area of the bike as tidy as possible. Even the brakes are direct-mount units which also aids in aerodynamics. And there is no mistaking its Italian heritage -- The metallic badge at the head tube will certainly remind you that it is a product of Edoardo Bianchi.
The outstanding feature of this bike is the inclusion of Countervail technology. "Countervail is a composite-material system that combines viscoelastic carbon material within a unique fiber preform to cancel road vibrations and reduce turbulences in the frame that can affect its performance." Huh? Of course, I would never know what that "unique fiber" is, so it is best to just take it for a ride and find out how vibration-cancelling feels like.
BRAINS
Let me just clarify that my main point of comparison when it comes to a bike's comfort and performance is my current roadie: a Pinarello F8 2015 TDF Edition. I love my Pina-yellow. It is good-looking in its own right, you can feel the aerodynamics working as you cut through air at high speed, and the asymmetrical chain stays practically guarantee a zippy response to every kick of the crank. However, the F8 is undoubtedly stiff -- too stiff for a lot of people. I can attest that one can feel every uneven road surface on an F8, and this may not be a comfortable ride for a lot of weekend warriors.
The Oltre XR4 with its Countervail technology just blows away the F8 in terms of comfort. People, COUNTERVAIL WORKS. The roads in Nuvali are relatively smooth but it has its own rough patches. I have gone through these same roads using my F8, and I can tell you that the Oltre XR4 rolls through with only a minor ripple feeling on the hands and rear. For an aero bike built for racing (and the stiffness that is expected from such bikes), that is just amazing. Indeed, even as I was more aggressive on my saddle due to the longer top tube, I only began to feel discomfort on my shoulders at the 37th minute of my ride. The vibration-cancelling ability of this frame is comparable to the S-Works Roubaix, which is really built for endurance and the cobblestones of France.
How does this Countervail technology mean in real terms? Well, Bianchi believes that by reducing vibrations, the rider will be able to be more aggressive on the bike for a longer period. Indeed, during the test, I felt that I could hold onto an aero position for long stretches, which means an ability to keep faster paces for extended periods.
BRAWN
Bianchi's desire with the Oltre XR4 was to produce an aero bike that was comfortable in extended riding situations. To test this, I decided to ride through smooth and flat roads, some rough stuff and the punishing inclines at Nuvali.
There is no question that the Oltre XR4 is fast. It efficiently transfers power through the cranks and onto the wheels. Once it has picked up speed, it is pleasingly good at maintaining the same. Being a spinner (instead of a masher), I was elated that I could just gently stroke the cranks and spin away. I did not feel any deflection from crosswinds, maybe due to the shallow profile of the Mavic Ksyrium wheels used by the test bike.
Going uphill, the stiffness of the frame was exceptional. Due to its light frame weight, one can easily swing the bike from side-to-side while attacking short inclines. But personally, I felt that the F8 was a tad better for scaling mountains, maybe due to its extremely stiff frame.
On the other hand, going downhill was a joy, with the frame slicing through the wind while seeming to keep the wheels firmly gripping the road surface. Again, the Countervail technology made traveling at high speeds more pleasant, as it successfully reduced the road vibrations and made the ride relatively smooth under most surface conditions.
CONCLUSION:
The Bianchi Oltre XR4 is an outstanding race bike, incredibly comfortable and has proven to me that it is equally competent on the flats as well as on the hilly stuff. If you want an all-around bike that can handle anything that you ask of it while keeping you humming on the saddle, this is the bike for you. That is, if you also have the bucks to match. What do you expect from a super bike, anyway?
Oh, and if you haven't figured it out yet, the 4th and last B is Bianchi.
P.S. Many thanks to Mr. Ruel Cruzado of Multisport Hub for providing the test bike.
A Miss Universe contestant has to have both beauty and brains in order to be Queen. Little did I realize that beauty, brains and brawn could apply to a bicycle, when I was given the opportunity to test ride the Bianchi Oltre XR4.
BEAUTY
Let's set aside the fact that it's outrageously light (980g frame, 370g fork) for a super bike that delivers a combination of stiffness, superb handling and aerodynamic lines. There's something about the style of Italian bikes that a lot of us find irresistible, despite the numerous offerings from the West and Far East. It's gosh darned expensive, but we want one. The Bianchi Oltre XR4 is no exception. The fork is bowed in the style of recent top-level time trial bikes, and the slim profile of the head tube looks similar to Bianchi's own Aquila CV TT bike.
The seat post clamp looks similar to other aero bikes like the F8, keeping the seat tube area of the bike as tidy as possible. Even the brakes are direct-mount units which also aids in aerodynamics. And there is no mistaking its Italian heritage -- The metallic badge at the head tube will certainly remind you that it is a product of Edoardo Bianchi.
The outstanding feature of this bike is the inclusion of Countervail technology. "Countervail is a composite-material system that combines viscoelastic carbon material within a unique fiber preform to cancel road vibrations and reduce turbulences in the frame that can affect its performance." Huh? Of course, I would never know what that "unique fiber" is, so it is best to just take it for a ride and find out how vibration-cancelling feels like.
BRAINS
Let me just clarify that my main point of comparison when it comes to a bike's comfort and performance is my current roadie: a Pinarello F8 2015 TDF Edition. I love my Pina-yellow. It is good-looking in its own right, you can feel the aerodynamics working as you cut through air at high speed, and the asymmetrical chain stays practically guarantee a zippy response to every kick of the crank. However, the F8 is undoubtedly stiff -- too stiff for a lot of people. I can attest that one can feel every uneven road surface on an F8, and this may not be a comfortable ride for a lot of weekend warriors.
The Oltre XR4 with its Countervail technology just blows away the F8 in terms of comfort. People, COUNTERVAIL WORKS. The roads in Nuvali are relatively smooth but it has its own rough patches. I have gone through these same roads using my F8, and I can tell you that the Oltre XR4 rolls through with only a minor ripple feeling on the hands and rear. For an aero bike built for racing (and the stiffness that is expected from such bikes), that is just amazing. Indeed, even as I was more aggressive on my saddle due to the longer top tube, I only began to feel discomfort on my shoulders at the 37th minute of my ride. The vibration-cancelling ability of this frame is comparable to the S-Works Roubaix, which is really built for endurance and the cobblestones of France.
How does this Countervail technology mean in real terms? Well, Bianchi believes that by reducing vibrations, the rider will be able to be more aggressive on the bike for a longer period. Indeed, during the test, I felt that I could hold onto an aero position for long stretches, which means an ability to keep faster paces for extended periods.
BRAWN
Bianchi's desire with the Oltre XR4 was to produce an aero bike that was comfortable in extended riding situations. To test this, I decided to ride through smooth and flat roads, some rough stuff and the punishing inclines at Nuvali.
There is no question that the Oltre XR4 is fast. It efficiently transfers power through the cranks and onto the wheels. Once it has picked up speed, it is pleasingly good at maintaining the same. Being a spinner (instead of a masher), I was elated that I could just gently stroke the cranks and spin away. I did not feel any deflection from crosswinds, maybe due to the shallow profile of the Mavic Ksyrium wheels used by the test bike.
Going uphill, the stiffness of the frame was exceptional. Due to its light frame weight, one can easily swing the bike from side-to-side while attacking short inclines. But personally, I felt that the F8 was a tad better for scaling mountains, maybe due to its extremely stiff frame.
On the other hand, going downhill was a joy, with the frame slicing through the wind while seeming to keep the wheels firmly gripping the road surface. Again, the Countervail technology made traveling at high speeds more pleasant, as it successfully reduced the road vibrations and made the ride relatively smooth under most surface conditions.
CONCLUSION:
The Bianchi Oltre XR4 is an outstanding race bike, incredibly comfortable and has proven to me that it is equally competent on the flats as well as on the hilly stuff. If you want an all-around bike that can handle anything that you ask of it while keeping you humming on the saddle, this is the bike for you. That is, if you also have the bucks to match. What do you expect from a super bike, anyway?
Oh, and if you haven't figured it out yet, the 4th and last B is Bianchi.
P.S. Many thanks to Mr. Ruel Cruzado of Multisport Hub for providing the test bike.
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