Wilier Garda is an all-new carbon road bike available in both rim and disc brake variants that uses a specially-designed stem to offer the sort of cable integration ordinarily reserved for top-flight racing bikes.
Wiler has also embraced the growing market trend for wider tyre clearances with the Garda offering clearance for tyres up to 32mm and 28mm wide on the disc and rim brakes versions of the bike respectively.
In Wilier’s own words, the new Garda is a bike aimed at, "people who want a stress-free ride with a modern product".
Total Integration at a realistic price
Firstly, the key to the Garda's cable integration is the newly designed Stemma S stem.
The Stemma S is a simplified version of the Stemma SL – which was co-designed with Ritchey – doing away with the more expensive stem’s hinged faceplate in favour of a more traditional four-bolt faceplate.
Otherwise, the fundamental design of the two systems is similar, with cables exiting the bar and flowing smoothly under the stem and into the head tube. The aluminium stem is compatible with either electronic or mechanical groupsets.
On the rim brake versions of the bike, the front brake cable runs straight from the bar to the caliper, but all other cables or wires are integrated into the stem.
The system is finished with the same streamlined spacers and headset top cover as used on bikes slightly higher up the Wilier range, including the Filante SLR, and the Cento10 series.
Stiff and strong
At the core of the Garda is Willier’s NH-MOD carbon monocoque frame. NH-MOD is Wilier’s name for a blend of normal (N) and high (H) modulus carbon, offering a mix of stiffness and strength.
For the uninitiated, the higher the modulus, the stiffer the carbon; the lower the modulus, the stronger (generally speaking, at least). By mixing high- and normal-modulus carbon, Wilier claims it is able to offer the best of both worlds in the Garda.
The geometry is fairly racy, with 566mm stack and 388mm reach figures on a large frame, but it’s not outrageously aggressive, so should be suitable for long days in the saddle too.
Wilier Garda range and prices
The Garda is available with either disc brakes or rim brakes, with prices ranging from £2,840 for the rim brake version with Shimano Ultegra R8000 to £4,890 for the disc version with Campagnolo Chorus.
In keeping with the modern feel of the Garda, there’s also an electronic-shifting option courtesy of SRAM’s new Rival AXS groupset.
Prices for the AXS version range from £4,070 to £4,680 based on whether the bike is specced with Wilier RX 26 wheels or Wilier NDR38 KC wheels respectively.
There’s no Di2 option available, but for those who want disc brakes and a Shimano groupset, there is a mechanical Ultegra R8020 version. The price is £3,350 when specced with Shimano RS171 wheels, or £4,070 with Wilier’s NDR38 KC wheelset.
International pricing is TBC.
