Wilier's Filante Hybrid is an aero-optimised electric road bike that mirrors Mark Cavendish's non-assisted stage-winning sprint weapon.
Equipped with Mahle’s X20 hub-based motor, you'd be hard pressed to tell it's an electric bike until you look up close.
After all, Wilier says it believes an electric bike should look and feel like its non-electric counterpart.
So, let’s take a closer look at this race-influenced bike.
A Filante SLR lookalike
A development from the Cento10 Hybrid, Wilier says the Filante Hybrid is not only lighter in weight but also more aerodynamically efficient.
The Filante Hybrid closely resembles the Filante SLR, the brand’s lightweight aero road bike used by Astana-Qazaqstan.
It too uses a full-carbon frame, with Wilier claiming a 1,100g frame weight in an unspecified size, 230g heavier than its non-assisted sibling.
Unlike the Filante SLR, the carbon construction of the Filante Hybrid isn’t combined with the brand’s Liquid Crystal Polymer, which Wilier says is a special fibre incorporated into the frame that adds vertical elasticity and torsional stiffness.
The Filante Hybrid can accept slightly larger 32mm rubber compared to the 30mm road bike tyre rating of its flyweight sibling. Both bikes share the same aero seatpost.
The integrated bar-stem is carbon and mimics the aero design of the one found on the Filante SLR. Our size-XL test bike has a 125mm stem length and 430mm handlebar width.
The geometry isn’t quite as aggressive as the Filante SLR, with a higher stack and shorter reach. A size-medium Filante Hybrid sports a 379mm reach and 566mm stack, compared to the 388mm reach and 538mm stack of the Filante SLR.
The electric road bike is available in six sizes, from XS to XXL.
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A refined motor and battery system
Mahle’s X20 electric bike motor is at the heart of the Filante Hybrid, claimed to provide up to 55Nm of torque. You can configure the system via the Mahle app.
The battery that powers the hub motor is integrated in the down tube and has a 236Wh battery capacity. Wilier claims the battery life is around 100km with 1,000m of elevation.
If that’s not enough, an additional 171Wh battery can be installed on the seat tube bottle cage.
There’s also a new torque and frequency sensor at the bottom bracket, which communicates with the motor. Wilier says the way the assistance is delivered is more progressive because it’s based on the power you’re putting into the cranks.
The X20 hub motor is claimed to weigh 3.3kg and has 24 holes to accept straight-pull spokes.
Unlike other systems, the bike uses a conventional thru-axle. Wilier has achieved this by integrating a slider with a built-in electrical connector to ensure the hub positions itself directly in contact with the battery without the risk of misalignment.
The charging point for the system is found at the junction of the down tube and seat tube.
The Pulsar One 2.1in display sits in front of the integrated cockpit and connects via ANT to the X20 system.
Mahle’s ‘iWoc’ button is located flush on top of the bar-stem, enabling you to turn the system on and off and monitor your remaining battery life.
You can also change between the four pedal assistance modes – ‘Automatic’, ‘Eco’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Boost’.
A spec fitting for the price tag
Our test bike in this classy ‘Silver Glossy and Matt’ colourway comes equipped with a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 groupset. The bike features a 50/34t crankset and an 11-30t cassette.
Wilier specs its own SLR42KC carbon wheels. They have a 21mm internal rim width and are claimed to weigh 1,587g for the pair. The tubeless-ready carbon rims are paired with Wilier’s own aluminium 7075 T6 hubs, which come specced with Japanese brand EZO’s sealed cartridge bearings.
They’re shod with Vittoria Corsa Graphene 2.0 tyres in a 28mm width.
Aside from the own-brand proprietary bar-stem and seatpost, Wilier specs a Prologo Dimension saddle.
This bike in this spec retails for a heady £11,800/€12,300 and the range starts at £8,940/€9,300 for a Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8170 groupset and Wilier’s HY-NDR28AC aluminium wheels.
On our scales of truth, the XL test bikes weighs 10.74kg.
