Wilier brings back suspension for new endurance superbike

Italian brand introduces second-generation version of the rear microshock absorber developed in 2017 for the Cento10 NDR

While gravel bikes have been stealing all the suspension headlines over the last couple of years, Wilier has been busy developing a new system for its new Granturismo SLR, a high-end endurance bike.

At the heart of the new bike, which costs from €7,400 to €11,200 depending on spec, is the Actiflex 2.0 vibration damping system, which allows the rear wheel up to 5mm of vertical travel.

The 2.0 is the updated version of Actiflex that was featured in Wilier’s Cento10 NDR. Despite the travel, Wilier says in terms of torsional stiffness and responsiveness the Granturismo SLR is very similar to its race bikes, thanks to the new positioning of Actiflex near where the seat tube and top tube intersect. The seat stay bridge is actually positioned underneath the top tube rather than at the rear of the seat tube, and it’s here that the decoupler is positioned. In its new location, the system is also better protected from mud and rain, allowing four bearing pivots to work maintenance-free. However, a double screw locking closure makes disassembling easy if the need arises.

The rear wheel travel is regulated by a damper made from a viscoelastic elastomer material. In the top-end models built with Dura-Ace, Campagnolo Super Record EPS and SR AM Red AXS, the elastomer damper is replaced with a 3D-printed conformal lattice structure, which is claimed to reduce overall frame weight by 20g.