Is this Wilier a good buy?

bluedoggy

In the market for a used Carbon.
What are your thoughts on this 2012 Wilier Cento Uno? Includes Campagnolo Ultra Wheels £1500
I’ve seen it in person and it looks and rides almost new! The condition is extremely tidy and clean with no marks. All serviced.
Main question, is this priced just right for age, spec and condition?

dabber

I can't really comment on the asking price... maybe seems a bit high to me though. I've got a 2013/14 Cento Uno SR and love it. A lovely bike. Btw,I believe the 2012 version also had an inegrated seatpost - does that fit you OK?

bluedoggy

dabber said:

I can't really comment on the asking price... maybe seems a bit high to me though. I've got a 2013/14 Cento Uno SR and love it. A lovely bike. Btw,I believe the 2012 version also had an inegrated seatpost - does that fit you OK?

It is a lovely bike.
The seat post is adjustable slightly and fits me perfectly.
It seams like a good deal to me, especially with those added wheels which are amazing and originally very expensive.

darrell1967

Prices have gone through the roof lately so who knows.
Good luck though cos it looks like a nice bike.

bluedoggy

darrell1967 said:

Prices have gone through the roof lately so who knows.
Good luck though cos it looks like a nice bike.

Is that because of COVID?
Has that inflated the cost of used bikes?
I bought it. It’s a stunning example. I did some research and I think I got the bike at the right price.

lesfirth

No doubt this is a lovely bike. However it is 8 years old and those wheels will have unfashionably narrow rims. Prices are high at the moment and you will probably not be able to buy anything better for similar money. If you want to sell it in 6 months it will struggle to fetch half the asking price.

bluedoggy

lesfirth said:

No doubt this is a lovely bike. However it is 8 years old and those wheels will have unfashionably narrow rims. Prices are high at the moment and you will probably not be able to buy anything better for similar money. If you want to sell it in 6 months it will struggle to fetch half the asking price.

Doubt I will sell in 6 months. This is for the long haul so no problem there.
What’s unfashionable about the wheels? Feels fantastic to ride. I’ve been out of the game for some years so need to catch up.

bluedoggy

Having said that I do believe I read somewhere that you can put wide tyres on a narrow rim? Not sure you get the same benefit or if this is true or not depending on the bike.?

lesfirth

According to your opening post you were concerned about the price.
The wheels are excellent wheels and will probably take the widest tyres the frame will take. The relative narrow rims are fine but as I said not fashionable.

bluedoggy

lesfirth said:

According to your opening post you were concerned about the price.
The wheels are excellent wheels and will probably take the widest tyres the frame will take. The relative narrow rims are fine but as I said not fashionable.

Yes, you are correct, I was concerned with the price. I just did some more digging since and came to the conclusion it was ok.
Thanks for the info on the rims!

joe_totale-2

bluedoggy said:

Having said that I do believe I read somewhere that you can put wide tyres on a narrow rim? Not sure you get the same benefit or if this is true or not depending on the bike.?

You can do but you'll ruin the aerodynamic benefits of the deep rims. Those wheels were probably made for 23mm tyres.

fenix

Really don't think the tyre width and aerodynamic benefit is an issue for 99.9% of us here.

Nice looking bike.

bluedoggy

fenix said:

Really don't think the tyre width and aerodynamic benefit is an issue for 99.9% of us here.

Nice looking bike.

Definitely would not benefit me as I’m a gloriously fat pudding at the moment! The point is, regardless of the width, to me at this point in time, it’s a joy to ride. I suppose that’s all that matters. Getting pleasure out of your little investment:)

joe_totale-2

fenix said:

Really don't think the tyre width and aerodynamic benefit is an issue for 99.9% of us here.

Nice looking bike.

In that case I'd put some shallow wheels on it so you don't get buffeted about by crosswinds.

yellowv2

So spend more money to replace something that works?
Nice bike, I would just enjoy riding it.
Anyway 50mm is not really deep enough to suffer too much in winds, I have 50mm rims and don't find them any bother in windy conditions.

mfin

This fashionable rim width thing is bogus really. Most people won't reap the benefits of a deep section wheel let alone the difference between one from a few years back and one of the latest fatter profile ones.

It's a bit like people obsessing over something like the superiority of one tyre vs another on a car, technically it might be true but it makes naff all to no difference to most people. To further that, many people will convince themselves one is faster or better but most of the time it's hardly measurable and they're actually just displaying confirmation bias.

This will be a good bike, likely way, way better than any 'new' bike with the same budget. Plus then there's the fact that bikes haven't come that far in 8 years at all really. Aero developments are the only real area and even they are mostly irrelevant to the great majority of riders.

Enjoy the bike, you've bought something likely so much better than spending the same money on a new bike and don't worry about the wheels, if you like them then great, most 50mm wheelsets are only ridden for vanity and aesthetics anyway.

thegreatdivide

I’ve gone through a fair few very top-end bikes over the years but I’ve never sold my Cento Uno frame. It’s been up-gunned with various wheels over its lifetime (mostly shallow ‘climbing’ rims) and various saddles, stems and bars, but the ride quality remains completely faultless. IMO you should buy it without hesitation.

The seatpost can be cut to whatever height you need and the Ritchey stubbie saddle mast can add about 1.5cm too.

I could have taken my current bling bike to last years Alps trip, but I chose the Cento. It’s such a luxurious ride.

Buy it!

joe2019

Yep, I'd buy that for £1500.

dabber

thegreatdivide said:

The seatpost can be cut to whatever height you need and the Ritchey stubbie saddle mast can add about 1.5cm too.

Yes, but remember this is a secondhand bike. If the original owner has cut the seatpost shorter than the buyer needs it to be then the Ritchey stubbie and shims can only compensate for that so much.
In this case the OP has said this isn't a problem for them and this bike, so all good.

teisetrotter

Cracking bike. Also, there are still bits of Athena groupsets out there brand new and you can get some very good price spares if you need them.

If it is for the long haul go for it, it's never going to look dated. Obviously the rims on the Campy' wheels will wear out. However, of all the wheels I have owned Campy/Fulcrum rims seem to last the longest. I think my Bora's will outlive me!

thegreatdivide

I meant to add that the Cento Uno integrated post is designed so that if there’s not enough height on this bike to fit you, the whole post can be cut (by a bike shop that knows what they’re doing) and a normal seatpost and collar can then be inserted. I think it’s a 27.2mm that can be used. Pretty handy.