Bianchi Oltre XR3 Disc

Bianchi has taken its popular Oltre XR3 and whacked a pair of discs on it for 2018. Okay, there's a little bit more work involved than that – like a new fork and a tweaked rear end for the flat mount callipers – but what it has delivered is a smooth-riding speed machine that just devours the miles. I reckon it looks good too. We might not have started off as friends but we ended on a high.

• Pros: Countervail technology reduces road buzz at higher tyre pressures, Ultegra groupset is awesome
• Cons: Not the sharpest handling for a race machine, it's up against some impressive and cheaper competition

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The ride

The Oltre and I didn't bond straight away, and to get the most out of it I had to refine my riding style. I began thrashing around on it like a race bike – after all, it is part of Bianchi's Racing range – but I didn't really feel like I was being rewarded for my efforts, either from my own feedback or what showed on the Garmin screen.

It's not that the Bianchi is a slouch, but if you want an adrenaline-fuelled, grin-fest of a ride – as you'd expect from a race machine – the XR3 might not be the right one. With a more 'grand tourer' approach to my riding style, though, just backing the effort off a touch, especially under hard accelerations and climbing, I felt like I was getting 99 per cent of the performance for a lot less output.

The geometry of the standard rim-braked version and this disc model is pretty much identical, a few millimetres here and there, so I'm not saying that adding rotors has taken the edge off.

The Oltre XR3 is one of those bikes where computer data and jig testing are one thing but a bike can feel completely different out on the road.

Its handling feels more endurance than race bike, even though the stack and reach ratio for this 55cm gives a nod to the latter.

It's still a good descender, mind. You can carve a smooth line through a long, curved downhill section with confidence and ease. It's only if things get really tight and technical that the Bianchi just doesn't quite have that precision to really nail the apex or, should there be some gravel or a pothole mid-bend, it doesn't change its line with definition.

> 14 tips for better descending

This might all sound like I had a bit of a downer with the whole experience with the Bianchi but I really didn't. It just shows how strong perceptions can be when there is talk of aerodynamics and oversized this and integrated that.

The more I lived with the XR3, the more we got on, and we had some great rides together. Four to five-hour jaunts into the hills or faster blasts across the flatlands became fun and I really enjoyed spending time on it.

One of the main benefits is the comfort, helped by Bianchi's Countervail (CV) system, and I've ridden enough of this brand's bikes to know that it isn't just a gimmick.

CV is described as a viscoelastic material that's embedded within the layers of carbon fibre and is designed to cancel out high frequency road vibration. The first few test rides I was running the 25mm tyres at 80psi, which if you read many of my reviews you'll know is quite low for me. Pumping them up to their 110psi minimum sidewall pressure, I could feel the ride had become firmer but that road buzz hadn't increased, it was still being cancelled out.

You still feel the bumps in the road and the like, it just mutes the small stuff, which means that the frame and fork still offers loads of feedback without that constant rattling you'd normally get from a bike with this size of tubing and oversized junctions.

Frame and fork

Bianchi claims that this 55cm frame has a weight of 1,150g, which for an aero bike isn't too shabby, especially when you take into account that the rear end has to be beefed up a little to cope with the braking power of hydraulic discs.

The fork comes in at 450g, which again is in the right ball park. It's a completely new model compared to the rim-braked version to accept the wider hub with disc rotor and to accommodate the internal hose routing for the front calliper. There is space for up to 28mm tyres, and 12mm thru-axles are used front and rear.

One of the main characteristics of the XR3 is its aerodynamics, with an hourglass-shaped 1 1/8 to 1 1/2in tapered head tube, which blends seamlessly into the fork crown while morphing into the top tube at the upper end.

The down tube changes profile throughout and flows through to the chunky chainstays for power transfer while incorporating the large PF86 bottom bracket for impressive stiffness. It's quite a beautiful design as each section of the frame transfers through to the next without awkward angles.

One thing that is a little odd is Bianchi's desire to hold onto the bolts for battery mounting under that down tube, when pretty much every manufacturer is now offering power sources inside the frame itself.

The seat tube is shaped to follow the profile of the rear wheel, although it's not really close enough for a dramatic effect on air flow like you'd find on something like a time trial frame.

All the cabling and hosing is run internally for a clean look, and makes it compatible with both mechanical and electronic groupsets.

Overall, the finish is top notch quality.

Ultegra only

While the rim-braked version is available in a range of build options, the XR3 Disc comes in one build only for the time being. It's a good one, though: a Shimano Ultegra R8000 groupset and hydraulic disc brakes.

Our full review of this latest groupset is imminent so I won't go into massive details, but boy oh boy is it a good 'un.

Bianchi has specced a 52/36-tooth semi-compact crankset and 11-28t cassette, which perfectly suits a bike of this ilk. If you're laying out just shy of four grand on a race machine you're probably a pretty decent rider and don't need the lowest of gears to get you up the hills.

The shifting between gears is snappier and more precise than that of the previous 6800 series Ultegra, so you still get that lightest of touch but more reassurance that the chain has shifted a sprocket or chainring.

The Ultegra hydraulic braking performance is literally awesome, and with this test bike coming direct from the Continent and therefore having the brake levers set up opposite to the UK style, you soon realise just how powerful they are... until you adapt to applying more pressure to the front brake rather than the rear.

The XR3 comes with SM-RT800 Ice Tech Freeza 160mm rotors front and rear. I've always felt that 140mm diameter discs are plenty when using hydraulics on a road bike, but I suppose you can never have too much braking power to play with, especially when you've got this much moderation. They do get bloody hot, though, so I'm not sure how this cooling technology works.

Keeping things in house

Reparto Corse is Bianchi's own component brand and it is always decent quality stuff. On the Oltre you get an aluminium alloy stem and handlebar which work well enough, although for this kind of money I'd be expecting a bit of carbon fibre.

On the plus (or minus) side, the stem has a +/-7-degree angle for a low front end, and the bar has a shallow drop to suit the majority of riders.

The XR3 uses an aero seatpost which is secured by way of an expanding bung in the top tube. It works and I had no issues with slippage at all. The alloy head is reversible +/-35mm so you can go for a more aggressive saddle position if you like as well.

Moving outside of the Bianchi parts store, you'll find a Selle San Marco Concor Startup saddle. I found it firm but never uncomfortable and really liked its minimalist shape.

Wheels and tyres

The Fulcrum 418 wheelset specced here basically looks to be the same as the 4 DBs with different graphics. With a claimed weight of 1,690g they aren't exactly lightweight but they are decent enough performers on the flat and in the hills.

They have a 35mm-deep rim which is too shallow for any real aerodynamic gain, but they are pretty solid and I certainly didn't have any issues with them when it came to durability.

They are a £300+ set of wheels, depending where you buy them, which is a little cheap for a bike of this price, but they work and I wouldn't be in a massive hurry to change them.

As for tyres, the XR3 might have clearance for 28mm tyres but Bianchi has decided to spec 25mm Vittoria Rubino Pros as standard. They roll well and I was impressed with their grip levels, happy to take a risk or two with them on quick descents without any concerns.

It's the same when it comes to durability: I had no issues with punctures or cuts, and while they aren't the most performance-orientated tyre out there, they cover all bases.

Value

At a penny under £4,000, the XR3 Disc is right at the upper end of the price band. Giant's similarly designed and specced Propel Advanced Disc, for example, is a grand cheaper at £2,999. It does have a 200g weight penalty but it comes with deep-section wheels which are never light.

Saying that, though, BMC's TeamMachine SLR01 Disc Two comes with an Ultegra groupset and costs a cool £4,450... though it is half a kilo lighter.

> Buyer's Guide: 12 of 2018’s hottest disc brake-equipped race bikes

The Bianchi does offer a very good ride quality, and there are some really clever design ideas behind it. It's easy to dismiss products on price, weight and paper spec sheets in this game, but it's all about the little details, and this is where the Oltre XR3 Disc goes some way to redeem itself.

It's not as quick or racy as I originally expected, but I grew to enjoy it. This is one of the reasons why I love how long our test periods are on road.cc; every bike is different and it gives you time to adapt. Sometimes you need that time to connect with a bike, for it to make sense.

Would I pay four grand for the XR3 Disc? I don't know; it would just depend how much I wanted a Bianchi I suppose, but if I did I wouldn't be disappointed.

Verdict

A fast bike that doesn't feel like a fast bike, but its comfortable ride grows on even speed-loving cyclists