2023 Bianchi OLTRE PRO Durace D12 Road Bike

2023 BIANCHI OLTRE PRO DURACE D12 ROAD BIKE

With its sculpted frame, aerodynamic components and range-topping drivetrain, Bianchi's Oltre Pro Dura-Ace Di2 Disc Road Bike makes no secret of its quest for speed.

The carbon frame features dropped and flattened seatstays, a seat tube cut out that wraps around the rear wheel and a concave downtube for the front wheel to fit into, all in the pursuit of drag reduction. Air Deflector fairings on the headtube marry up with the downtube’s sculpted shape and, along with the large hole in the handlebar, create a low-pressure area behind, reducing the effect of the wind on the bike and rider for better aerodynamics. The combined effect of these developments means that Bianchi claims the new frame saves 17.1 watts at 50kph and is 45 seconds faster over 40km than the Oltre XR4, their previous aero bike.

Whilst the frame's design certainly concentrates on extracting every ounce of speed from the rider, this isn’t at the expense of comfort, with Bianchi’s Countervail carbon technology ensuring that long rides or poor road surfaces don’t become uncomfortable.

50mm deep, tubeless-ready carbon wheels complement the fast frame perfectly as they are from Bianchi’s in-house brand Reparto Corse, and offer a suitably aerodynamic profile to the wind that is effective at a wide range of yaw angles. Frame clearance allows the use of tyres up to 30mm wide.

The pinnacle product in Shimano’s road groupset range, 12-speed Dura-Ace offers effortless shifting and consistent, powerful braking. The system is semi-wireless which simplifies cable routing and allows connection to GPS head units for gear and battery information to be displayed whilst Shimano’s E-Tube app gives some customisation options. Extra pad clearance and improved modulation are provided by the Servo Wave technology in the hydraulic disc brakes for better braking performance and confidence-inspiring control on the descents.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Bianchi Oltre Pro carbon frame and fork with CV System and Air Deflector

• Bianchi Integrated Aero handlebar

• Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 12-speed electronic groupset

• Shimano Dura-Ace hydraulic disc brakes

• Tubeless-ready Reparto Corse Carbon 50mm wheelset

SPECIFICATION