Wilier Bassano review

Wilier's Bassano sits atop the ‘Weekend' range. It's by far the best specced and best looking of the three bikes the brand offers, and personally I think it just edges it when compared to the Bianchi

Wilier Bassano
Cycling Weekly Verdict

When I did my best to forget how much I enjoyed the Bianchi, and stopped comparing the Bassano to its fatter brother, I liked the ride. It definitely felt faster, if a lot less forgiving. (There I go again.) It does weigh significantly less, though, so despite having a smaller range of gears it climbs relatively well. The frame is responsive and agile; two great characteristics to keep in mind when you're thinking about how you want your bike to handle.The contact points previously mentioned on the Bianchi - the grips, saddle and pedals - are all less rewarding here. The pedals especially so - it didn't actually come with any! That's when I realised this is a true racer's casual bike. It's like Wilier just decided to swap out an anatomical drop handlebar for a straight-line version. Job done. Geometry, groupset, wheels, styling. It's a racing machine with a flat bar moustache. You're not fooling anyone, Wilier.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Good alternative to a drop-bar bike

  • +

    Responsive, agile frameset

  • +

    Looks great

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Brakes not too powerful

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A low front end is always a winner with me. It's not just that though; the matt black finish with red highlights looks superb draped over the shapely aluminium frame. It's definitely a racy-looking customer.

With ‘Weekend' printed in various places over the bike, Wilier is trying its best to separate the Bassano from your average run of the mill commuting machine - this isn't made for the weekly office slog. It was born as an alternative for your weekend drop-bar racing bike. A bike for casual trips in your best loafers. No clipless pedals here, please.

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Jack Elton-Walters

Jack Elton-Walters hails from the Isle of Wight, and would be quick to tell anyone that it's his favourite place to ride. He has covered a varied range of topics for Cycling Weekly, producing articles focusing on tech, professional racing and cycling culture. He moved on to work for Cyclist Magazine in 2017 where he stayed for four years until going freelance. He now returns to Cycling Weekly from time-to-time to cover racing, review cycling gear and write longer features for print and online.

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