It's business time

Wilier has refocussed its dual-purpose Rave to be a pure gravel racer

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t's been four years since Wilier introduced the Rave, its shapeshifting gravel/all-road bike. In that time it not only earned rave reviews, it proved itself to be one of the world's fastest gravel race bikes, being ridden to victory at both Unbound 200 and Traka 200. But that was in 2022, and gravel is still evolving fast, so Wilier has decided the party's over: the new Rave is serious business.

Second life

The second generation, officially called the Wilier Rave SLR ID2, is purely a gravel racing bike. There's no double life and there's no compromise - Wilier has developed it with a singular focus on gravel.

Developed alongside Ivar Slik - the winner of those Unbound and Traka events - and MTB XCO racer Luca Braidot, there were three core principles Wilier prioritised in its development, which it labels 'Speed, Space and Smile'.

Speed is obvious, but takes the most work - which we'll get onto. Space indicates an increased tyre clearance to achieve the optimal balance of aerodynamics and rolling resistance. And Smile is for the joy of pedalling, and not just for those at the top of the sport - after all, gravel races aren't just for professionals.

Maximum gains

Aerodynamics were central to the design of the Rave SLR ID2, and Wilier's Innovation Lab was put to work with a 3D model of the frame, fork and handlebar for CFD simulations to find the shapes with the least drag.

Meanwhile, resin version of the same parts were produced for wind-tunnel testing. Several prototypes were made and, with influence and adaptations from the CFD and wind-tunnel tests, a decision was made on the Rave ID2's final form. But that's not the end of the development story.