VINER STRADA BIANCA £1699
› Does this Italian gravel racer work as an all-rounder in Blighty?
The Italian Strade Bianche is a modern spring Classic raced partially on Tuscany’s dusty farm tracks – the ‘white roads’ that give the race its name. It’s a notoriously demanding race for riders and equipment alike.
Viner’s Italian-designed Strada Bianca looks like it would be a very tempting proposition for just such a challenge. It has a carbon frame, a SRAM Force 1 groupset with carbon cranks and 41mm-wide tyres. Its three-point-fixing rear rack mounts, easily serviceable external rear brake routing and internal gear cabling make it ideal for British cycling conditions too.
While Planet-X sells mainly online, allowing for its aggressive pricing, it also has a couple of stores in Yorkshire where you can see the bikes in the flesh and size them up. But if you can’t make it to God’s Own County (why not?), we can tell you the reach is short for any given frame size, though the standardissue 110mm Selcof stem means that the riding position doesn’t actually feel that cramped.
The long stem and slack head angle make it feel stable through the bar, but a shortish wheelbase stops it feeling too barge-like on the SPECIFICATION 8.65kg (M) Carbon Carbon SRAM Force 1, 42, 11-28 SRAM Force hydraulic discs WTB Frequency rims, Selcof Pro hubs
Weight Frame Fork Gears Brakes Wheels Finishing kit
Selcof stem, bar and carbon seatpost, Selle San Marco Concor saddle, 40mm WTB Nano TCS tyres road. The San Marco Concor saddle came in for praise from our testers, particularly when we were too tired to stand and needed a stable shape to grind a big gear around. And as the Viner pairs a 42t chainring with an 11-28 cassette – a bottom gear equivalent to a 34x23 – you are likely to find yourself doing quite a lot of low-rev, high-torque climbing.
And don’t expect the Strada Bianca to gain speed easily however much power you throw at it, as the otherwise lightweight bike features a heavy pair of wheels. Even with the stiffness and security of a 142x12mm thru-axle, the shallowish chainstays with a flat
The Concor saddle was praised by our testers, particularly when we were too tired to stand