Reviews - Wilier's Cento and BH's Connect

On the 9th day of Christmas the Crankset gave to me:
Wilier Triestina’s Cento and BH's Connect
Vanderkitten Clothing
Champion System Apparel
Spoke Punchers bike hats
ELEMENTAL Action,
A guest review of The Warmfront,
The 3rd Edition of the Cyclepassion - Bicycle Calendar,
Stocking stuffers from Three Story Press, and
Shimano and Campagnolo compatible "enhancement" brake HUDZ

It being a holiday travel weekend I got caught behind in our Christmas Reviews, so you'll get two reviews jammed into a 24 hour period. This morning, we take a look at Wilier Triestina's Cento and BH's Connect.

If you live in the United States, there's a good chance that you've heard of Wilier or BH, but probably haven't seen one up close, let alone ridden either [unless of course you've been over to Europe in the past 100 years or are a huge cyclophile]. But that will soon change as both the Italian and Spanish company have begun to have more of presence in the US.

Surprisingly, both companies have been making bicycles for well over 100 years [talk about well kept secrets or hidden gems].

Wilier Triestina
"Wilier is one of the oldest and most experienced names in road racing, producing alloy and carbon bikes in Italy. The brand was formed in 1906 by Pietro Dal Molin in a small workshop at Bassano del Grappa and after further development, a professional team was set up, captained by a rider from Trieste."

From those extremely humble beginnings, Wilier Triestina, was created in 1945. Its first offering in the red copper color would become an authentic Wilier trademark. "The firm was forced to close in the fifties but has been since re-established by the Gastaldello brothers from Rossano Veneto, who bought Wilier Triestina in 1969 and have been dedicated to providing professional teams such as Cofidis and Lampre, who took top honours in the Tour, with stylish, super-light and incredibly strong bikes."

Wilier Triestina's Cento (one hundred in Italian) came out in 2006. The swoopy lines of the top tube have been often compared to the earlier editions of the Specialized Tarmac, but it possesses a decided Italian flair.


Constructed with a patented molding process that enables precise control of tubing wall thickness, the Cento's unidirectional carbon fiber monocoque frameset uses both T60 and T30 unidirectional carbon fiber. The mix of light weight and heavier, more rigid tubing provides the Cento with a stiff, lightweight frame that weighs in at 900g without fork for a Large size.

But perhaps the most unique feature of the Cento is a special squared off integrated headtube and fork. For a racing bike, the "boxiness" of the headtube is certainly a departure from all the aerodynamic designs out there, but the company purports that its design provides more rigidity [especially in an area where it is needed].

"The chainstays are molded under high pressure in high modulus T30 unidirectional carbon fiber to provide maximum power transmission, and the front derailleur hanger that is constructed as part of the frame itself. The only aluminum parts on Wilier Triestina's new Cento are the aluminum inserts for the bottom bracket and headset cups."

The first thing I noticed, or rather didn't, was the weight of the Cento. Then again, that can probably be said for most high end carbon fiber bikes these days. Over a 2-mile loop that featured a recent fresh coat of asphalt and a descent one way, with the corresponding ascent on the other, the Cento performed impeccably well. Its easy to see why a climber like Damiano Cunego (Lampre/Fondital) has this ride under him as it was ultra responsive to accelerations when I chose to step on the gas on steeper portion of the climb.

The Cento that I rode was equipped with Campagnolo's new Record group for 2007, with Fulcrum's Racing Zero wheels, ITM's new 101 carbon fibre stem and bars and Selle Italia's new Thoorx saddle.

For more information go to www.wilier-usa.com

BH
Like Wilier Triestina, BH has been in existence for nearly 100 years. "Beistegui Hermanos S.A. (B.H.) was established at the beginning of the 20th century (1909). The brothers Beistegui founded a factory, where they initially manufactured firearms. In the early 1920’s, BH took their manufacturing expertise and turned their focus to bicycles."

The company is based in the famed Basque region of Spain. In 2005, BH was seen in the European peloton under Manolo Saiz's Liberty Seguros team. Through the efforts of Chris Cocalis, founder of Titus Cycles, BH has finally entered into the U.S. market. In 2008, the BH Connect can be found in the women's peloton under Team Vanderkitten (see below).

Bicycling magazine recently reviewed the Connect:
"It looks like an American-style crit bike. The 890-gram frame (claimed, size small) has a short head tube and very short chainstays (400mm), and the massive front triangle's tubes scream stiffness. The 71.5-degree head-tube angle, however, is a good degree slacker than normal.


On the road, the BH Connect's tucked-in rear wheel, shortish head tube and dominant front-end stiffness reward sprints and tight cornering. Testers rated bottom-bracket stiffness at about an 8-plus out of 10: not a sprinter's dream, but not flexy either. Ride quality is acceptably comfortable and isolated, which is, to be fair, somewhat extraordinary given the Connect's very compact triangles and large-diameter tubes. However, testers found the Connect's ride didn't sparkle with personality. Some also thought the relaxed head tube would keep them from choosing the Connect for crits, but this bike will, after working through a touch of heaviness as you tip it into a corner, carve up descents confidently at extreme rates of speed. It provides the rider with all the qualities of a top race bike without constantly demanding attention to maintain a line--what it lacks in initial responsiveness, it gives back in steadiness."

For more information, contact BH Bikes US.

Kittens Primped Up for NRC Party
TEMPE, AZ – BH Bikes USA has signed on as the frameset supplier to the professional women’s road racing team Vanderkitten. The team will compete on BH for the 2008 NRC season. “This is a great opportunity for us to partner with a team of women who know how to ride fast and have fun. These women will be contenders in every event they compete in and will be superb ambassadors for BH,” said Chris Cocalis, CEO of BH USA.

Vanderkitten rider Liz Hatch Team Vanderkitten will ride on the BH Connect. “We are honored to have such top-notch support and sponsorship from BH Bikes USA. Vanderkitten Racing is committed to growing the sport of cycling for women and promoting fashionable, top quality, alternative cycling products. The BH Connect will allow all of our women to achieve the highest results possible while riding stunning, world-class frames. As a tribute to this relationship, we’ve changed our signature color scheme for the road team to something that will definitely complement both companies,” added Dave Verrecchia, Creator of Vanderkitten Clothing. Vanderkitten Racing will field and impressive roster for a first year team with seasoned talent and very strong development riders from the US, Canada and abroad. A key component to their flexibility will be their talented regional squad supporting the NRC effort.