Wilier Love

Fursty Ferret

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

(Before we start, yes I'm aware it's not a great pic, and that I've broken several cardinal rules regarding valve and chain positioning. What can I say, I'm just useless with a camera)

After 18 months of schlepping around on a Spesh Allez (which did me proud, I have to say) I got round to upgrading. Months of 'umming' and 'aahing' over various Felt's, Focus's and Cubes I finally thought 'sod it' and bought the best looking bike (IMHO obviously) I could find. It helps that I'm part Wop into the bargain and thus partial to a bit of Italian engineering. Leisure Lakes in Cheltenham did me a very good deal and delivered it bang on the due date.

It's the more basic Centaur model (Veloce 12-25 cassette swapped out to a Centaur 12-27) as opposed to the top of the range Athena in black. It's now got a pair of Conti 4000 25mm hoops slapped on it. The sun washed the colours out a little in the pic, but the paintwork is a deep red rather than what appears to be orange.

Initial impressions V good. Comfortable and accurate. Very stable. I hit two hidden potholes hard the first couple of rides, hard enough to throw my hands off the bars, but the bike kept straight as an arrow. I like the Campag feel, and I like the thumbshifters too. They feel very natural and you get that wonderful positive feel when you shift.

All in all it's a better bike than I am a rider but I can just about justify it. As my neighbour said, when he caught sight of it, "Lovely bike. It's not much to ask in life is it?

Graeme Jones

Love Wilier have a class to them that the brands you mentioned don't. I'd love one but I'd want an expensive one I can't afford!