Wilier Izoard XP - anyone know why I shouldn't?

Cheadlite

Hi, On the verge of buying my first road bike and have been struggling to find the perfect bike.
I thought the 2011 Bianchi Via Nirone Veloce (Alu/carbon frame) in Celeste was the way to go until that is I came across the Wilier Izoard XP Xenon. What an absolute stunner.

At £300 difference between the two (Bianchi at £1200 and the Wilier at £1500), I thought the Wilier perhaps offered better value, especially given the rave reviews for the 2010 version. However, I understand that the 2011 Izoard XP isn't the same frame or carbon as the 2010 version and as the XP is now Wilier's entry level carbon frame I am wondering if this isn't quite the machine I thought it was.

Bottom line is the Wliier smiles at me more than anything else (although I notice there are 2010 Pinarello FP2's to be found for the same price as the Wilier) so my question is ...does anyone know of a reason not to buy a 2011 Izoard XP?

Many thanks.

StillGoing

A very good bike but it isn't as good a spec as this years Izoard Centaur. What you're really getting is an upgraded Mortirolo and not a downgraded Izoard. That's how it was explained to me anyhow. It's basically an Izoard frame with Mortirolo components. Nice looking bike too.

what brakes

Izoard xp is a cheaper bike alround! cheaper carbon and cheaper components.

Probably still a very good bike. I have 2 2010 Izoards and think they are great. Im selling one of them to get a more race orientated frame, but keeping one for general riding as its really nice to ride.

I havent seen any reviews of the XP yet.

peter101cycle

Don't like the components at all.......

Just to give you alternatives to the big brands, I bought a Dolan Tuono frame and fitted it out with components of my own spec, but that it not to say that you could not get a complete bike build for your money. Using this example, going for a lesser known brand could get you a better frame and kit for the money.......

Have a look around - Planet X is another popular alternative brand.

www.richtreen.co.uk

philthy3 wrote:

A very good bike but it isn't as good a spec as this years Izoard Centaur. What you're really getting is an upgraded Mortirolo and not a downgraded Izoard. That's how it was explained to me anyhow. It's basically an Izoard frame with Mortirolo components. Nice looking bike too.

Technically it is a downgraded Izoard frame in reality from anything bar the way it looks - the XP actually feels like a heavy bike when you lift it up compared to the old Izoard.

I would be looking to find some extra cash towards the GT which replaces the Izoard properly if I was buying an Izoard again this year, or try find last years bike - I love mine.

andyoh

As the others above have said, the 2011 Izoard XP is a replacement for the 2010 Mortirolo. If you can find a 2010 Izoard I would buy one. I know Cycle Surgery in Sptialfields Market, London, telephone number 020 7392 8920 have a few left in various sizes. The Centaur spec version is now £1,999 which is a £401 saving.

The Gran Turismo is stunning but at £3,200 for Athena spec is significantly more money than what you are looking at spending, however, it is a fantastic bike.

Your profile doesn't say where you are based but I would start phoning around and try to get a 2010 Izoard if that's the bike you really want as it is a lot better than the 2011 version. At a saving of £400 for the 2010 bike I'd spend the extra cash over the 2011 Izoard XP and get a very good bike.

I have no connection with Cycle Surgery at all, but I do know they have a few over there as I work two minutes walk away and spend a lot of time in there.

kingrollo

Iozard is a great looking bike - and was what I really wanted - but it just worked out so much more (at the time) than the Kuota Kharma - which brought.

I have had a pinarello - and was very impressed with it. Think that frame is more important than the gruppo - don't know the details of the xp frame v the old iozard though.

rideitbaby

Hey Man, If it smiles at you- smile right back at it- buy it dude- follow your heart. peace.

ashleymp777

Hey, I've just ordered the Izoard XP Petacchi model and I cant wait! All this about cheaper carbon etc! Are you REALLY going to notice the difference - I doubt it, unless you're a pro!

Ride and enjoy! I cant wait to take delivery of mine, my 1st ever road bike!

StillGoing

It's the components as well that are cheaper spec. The XP frame is slightly better than the current Mortirolo but not as good as the current Izoard Centaur.

You can source the Granturismo Athena for £2800 giving you a saving of £400 off list. I'd like to know where the poster on the other Willier thread is getting a Granturismo SRAM for £2600 though!

Cheadlite

Hi everyone and thank you so much for your time and consideration in responding to my question. Have to say you have nearly burst my bubble but I'm going to hang on in there on the following basis:

1. Fully understand the 2011 Izoard XP is a lesser bike than the 2010 Izoard. But ....

I have a maximum of £1,500 budget (plus a bit of cash for pedals and shoes). To spend more would mean the kids having a miserable xmas and me getting divorced. I am going to have to wear my mtb clothing until I see what Santa brings me. So yes I would get a 2010 Izoard but even at the bargain price of £2000 sadly puts it out of my range.

Interestingly enough, I have just been looking at the Wilier USA site and they have the frame details for both the 2010 and 2011 Izoards. It states that the carbon composition is identical (i.e. 65% T-700SC, 25% High mod M30J crabon pre-preg, 10% high strength 60T carbon pre-preg - what ever all that means but it is the same for both bikes). The difference seems to be the weight: 2010 frame = 1150g & fork = 340g 2011 frame = 1170g & fork = 490g (in total 170g difference). So same carbon just heavier by 170g, can this be right? If so doesn't seem to make a material difference to me.

2. Looking at the educated responses so far maybe I asked the wrong question. I don't want to get into which is the best bike for £1,500 debate as from other threads it seems people are bored of this type of question. Given the subjectivity around taste and opinions and everyone loves their bikes, maybe I should have asked 'Is the Izoard XP a bad buy?'

ashleymp777 - if you are still there, what is the Petacchi model? Can find any images of it?

Finally, apologies for the rideitbaby post, that was the wife thinking she's funny. Wait till she sees how much I'm going to spend!

StillGoing

It isn't a bad bike. Better than the current Mortirolo, but the point folks are making is it isn't really an Izoard when you compare the spec and frame to this years Izoard. I don't think you'll be disappointed..

Philip S

If this is better than a Mortirolo, you'll love it - I've got a Mortirolo, and it's great. You can always upgrade the components as you go, thereby securing a nice bike, a happy Xmas for your kids and future happy Xmases for you as you ask Santa for Centaur parts next year!

Cheadlite

Thanks philthy3 & Philip S for the reality check and again thank you all who have responded. Plenty to ponder, and to start with I'm going to arrange some test rides and take it from there.

Just can't stop looking at the Wilier and swooning with desire. Will the head rule over the heart? Will a Planet X/Dolan, etc which might make better sense when considering price, kit levels, etc win the argument or will I one day, when potter around the leafy lanes of Cheshire on my Planet X or whatever, spot a Wilier and feel a deep regret and broken heart?

Only I can decide but what a nice problem to have. Going to enjoy this......

ashleymp777

Hi Cheadlite,

If you google it you'll find photos of it from the Earls Court show the other week - they're only doing a very short run and I beieve they're all sold out already.

Cheadlite

Thanks ashleymp777 - seen it. WOW! Sadly looks way, way too pricey. Hope it rides as good as it looks.

pianoman

Anyone bought one of these recently? How does it feel when you put the power down?

I read somewhere that entry level carbon frames are a bit dead and don't really suit TT/triathlon use as much as, say, a Cervelo S1.

Then again, it looks even more stunning in the flesh than the photos online suggest

Cheadlite

I took the advice of others in this thread and have bought a 2010 Wilier Izoard Athena from my LBS. It's an ex-demo bike and when I test road it was like nothing else I had ridden before. I must stress that I am by no means an expert but when compared to other bikes I have tested this felt in a different league. I can not compare it to the 2011 equivalent so I wouldn't be brave enough to say if there is a material difference between them but I felt that every once of energy I put into the cranks propelled me forward like a bullet. It's absolutely great fun, beautiful to look at and I'm counting the days until I get it (around 3rd Dec - when I get my bike scheme vouchers from work).

a_avery007

is in the fork.

2010 full carbon fork, 2011 carbon blades and an aluminum steerer.

don't know what the ride quality difference would be as i have been riding full carbon steerers for sometime now..

hope this helps

Anonymous

Cheadlite wrote:

I took the advice of others in this thread and have bought a 2010 Wilier Izoard Athena from my LBS. It's an ex-demo bike and when I test road it was like nothing else I had ridden before. I must stress that I am by no means an expert but when compared to other bikes I have tested this felt in a different league. I can not compare it to the 2011 equivalent so I wouldn't be brave enough to say if there is a material difference between them but I felt that every once of energy I put into the cranks propelled me forward like a bullet. It's absolutely great fun, beautiful to look at and I'm counting the days until I get it (around 3rd Dec - when I get my bike scheme vouchers from work).

What's your LBS?

CycleSurgery?

Cheadlite

Bike Shak in Altrincham. I have no real experience but all I can say is that I have found them to be really helpful, accommodating and more importantly I trust them. No bad press please as I'm about to spend a fortune and am very nervous. Let me dwell in denial land until at least 4th Dec when I get my bike.

tkr

I made the same choice as you and scrounged up enough money slowly buying a 2010 izoard on layaway. Just got it this week after 3 months chipping away at the payments.
Yes the xp would have been about $1000Canadian cheaper, but the downgrade was to much for me. The first is the fork, the new one may be more comfortable to ride as they say but it's too much of a weight penalty, and I don't really believe the better ride propaganda. The next is the frame, weight is the same, carbon is the same type but the outer layer is unidirectional which is cheaper to use but not as strong. North American bikes are spec'd differently than Euro models, but the downgrades on those specs should be equivalent. Cheaper heavier wheels, bar, stem, seatpost and crank (chainset I think you call it) were all to much of downgrades for me to be able to buy a 2011 model. This bike only serves to use the izoard's good name and great reviews with a lower price to increase sales, and cheapen the percieved value of our older models. Like you I looked around at countless bikes, my second choice would have been a Colnago Ace.
That said in 23 years of road riding I can already say my 2010 izoard is the best, most comfortable bike I have ever ridden! Enjoy your's it was worth the wait!

ilm_zero7

I am lucky enough to have 2 Wilier bikes - love them both so would have no hesitation on recommending you buy the best Wilier frame you can afford

andyoh

Cheadlite, good for you for buying a 2010 Izoard, can I ask what you ended up paying for the bike?

I had an Athena spec Izoard for about a week before I sadly had to return it due to a small defect in the carbon in the frame. Unfortunately I couldn't get another 2010 Izoard frame and I am getting a Gran Turismo frame as a replacement, I do have to part with a little more money which we mutually negotiated to a smal sum, but I am rather happy to be getting a GT, regardless of the review it got in Cycling Plus.

In the litle time I had the Izoard I knew it was an excellent bike and accelerated very well and responded to all inputs.

I hope you enjoy your new bike when it arrives.

wildmoustache

Get the Planet X. You'll see the dudes on Williers puffing around the lanes with their spacer towers and feel smug in the knowledge that you scored a better £/performance deal, and they fell for marketing.

Cheadlite

Oh, OK then.

Anyway, thanks andyho, felt so Good and tkr for the time you took to respond and your consider views. When you first mentioned the 2010 earlier in this thread andyho I felt it was just a bridge too far financially. But as you and tkr said when I looked at the spec (carbon everything, Athena 11 speed, Fulcrum 3's, etc, etc) and utter beauty of it and the price differential from the 2011 bike I just couldn't see any alternative. The bike was a smidgen under £2k with Look Keo peddles, and the first grand is via the bike to work scheme so that is another £400 off so roughly that's £1400 off the original £2,800 price. Or put another way £450 more than the 2011 version and look at spec differentials, it was a no brainer as far as I was concerned. Plus they offered a generous discount on the computer , shoes, etc so I am absolutely delighted.

You know, we can go into the minutia of every bike and it's component parts and the ride, etc, etc which is great and to some extent important, and maybe a Planet X would wins hands down (although it didn't for me personally) but to buy the best bike on paper is to miss the important, undefinable quality that makes you want something. I know had I bought anything else then every time I was riding it I would have been think of the Wilier. I did my home work, rode as many bikes as I could bare and at the end of the day all roads led to the ex-demo 2010 Wilier Izoard Athena and I have no regrets and am positively buzzin' about getting it.

It's exactly the same with women ... oops have I gone too far? (rhetorical question and only joking obviously).

Grifteruk

+1 last comment Cheadlite.

I came back to cyling and instead of getting what I really wanted, I bought a Trek last year. Nothing wrong with it at all and in fact, it is a cracking bike. However my mind was always on the Wilier and I could not get rid of that, despite trying pretty hard to convince myself I had bought the best bike at the time.

Having still felt that I had should have bought the Wilier for no other reason than I wanted one, I picked up and spec'd my own Cento this year and have not looked back. Its a world above the Trek and the fact that it is now sitting in the garage waiting for the good weather and trip to the Alps next year has pushed me to get as fit as I have ever been.

Go for what you want and enjoy it.

andyoh

Cheadlite, you did incredibly well and I 'm glad I helped in your decision. Good luck and enjoy your bike when you get it.