Wilier Max out their Urta SLR cross-country bike to meet the demands of modern racing

Wilier has beefed up its full-suspension cross-country race bike, the new Urta Max SLR features more progressive geometry, a bump in suspension travel, and a new Urta Max integrated carbon handlebar. The new bike will give the Wilier-Pirelli Factory Team a more capable race bike ahead of the UCI World Cup season opener this weekend.

The new bike marks a significant upgrade in capability over Wilier's existing best full-suspension bike. Most notable is the new geometry, where the standard Urta has a conservative 69-degree head angle and 426mm reach (medium), the new bike has a slacker 67.5 degrees and longer 443mm reach for increased stability and control on descents. The seat angle has also been steepened by a degree (to 75 degrees) and in true cross-country fashion, the stack has been reduced to accommodate the longer fork.

To make the most of this new geometry travel has been increased to 120mm from and rear. As courses get rougher and more technical, longer-travel lightweight cross-country bikes are starting to prove the best tool for racing. The suspension uses a single-pivot suspension system which still leaves enough frame space for two bottles. The Urta Max SLR also comes standard with a dropper post for maximum maneuverability.

The frame is built using HUS-MOD high-module carbon fiber, which is the same material used for Wilier's top-range road bikes. The Urta Max SLR also sees new cable routing for the brake, derailleur, and dropper through the headset, similar to their road bikes. Willier says this was done not only for a cleaner cable-free front end but also because not having cable routing around the headtube improves the overall stiffness of the front triangle.

The new Urta Max handlebar is designed to pair perfectly with the new bike. Built from the same HUS-MOD high-module carbon which is said to have an "exceptional ability to vertically absorb all the micro-vibrations generated by riding on rough terrains". It also has a very aggressive -27-degree rise as Wilier wanted to offer a slammed bar position while accommodating the 120mm fork.

Wilier offers 20 different builds of the Urta Max SLR which feature all combinations of Shimano or SRAM drivetrains and RockShox SID 35 or Fox 34 forks, and all the models come with Miche wheelsets. The bikes can be specced with the new Urta handlebar or a two-piece cockpit using a Wilier Stemma SL aluminum stem. 

Pricing starts at €6,200 for a RockShox SID 35 Ultimate, Shimano XT, and Miche 966 wheelset build, then maxes out at €11,200 for the Fox 34 SC Factory, SRAM XX SL, and Miche K1 setup.