Best Road Bike for Triathlon – Bianchi Aria Aero Road Review
The impressively stunning Bianchi Aria Aero Road and Time Trial bike is a beautiful new cycle by Bianchi — with new design features borrowed from the Aquila bike, this new Aria Aero is a must-see for road bike enthusiasts, group riders, and those seeking a great TT bike.
The Aria
The new Aria embodies the ultimate aerodynamic performance crafted by Bianchi. With race-focused geometry and a wind tunnel proven design, the Aria is a much more affordable road, racing, and time trial bike than the Aquila, but has a greater range of riding applications too.
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In order to overcome wind resistance, Aria was precision-engineered with a carbon fiber frame with an integrated fork and integrated cable routing, as well as an advanced aerodynamic shape and racing geometry.
Technical Specification and Features
The carbon fiber frame features the must-have internal cable routing and it is compatible with both electronic and mechanical groupsets. The cables are easy to access and the internal construction means they will be shielded from the elements and dirt.
Bianchi has said that the Aria design was “heavily inspired” by their wind tunnel testing of cooperating professional riders.
The seat tube of the Aria is cutaway around the leading edge of the rear wheel, which is a time-honored design in aero road bikes, and the deeply profiled down tube is cutaway around the front wheel. The tapered head tube has an aerodynamic profile — as does the seatpost — which comes with a wedge-type clamp that is recessed into the top tube, and a 20mm offset (the distance that the saddle clamp is set back from the center of the post).
The seatstays are slim in order to reduce drag. This was inspired by the Aquila bike design, according to the Bianchi brand — the same goes for the fork legs.
The fork crown is integrated into the head tube / down tube junction, which is something that is being seen more and more on aero bikes. The fork itself is full carbon for both strength and aero properties.The rear dropouts are made of carbon and feature metal inserts to increase their durability. The bottom bracket is press fit 86.5 x 41.
The Aria is said to have a frame weight of 1,100g (plus or minus 5 percent) for the 55cm model. This means that this model is not ultralight compared to the Specialissima by Bianchi, but it is certainly not heavy for such a deep-tubed aero bike. The full carbon fork claims 370 grams of the weight overall.
Size Options
The Aria will be offered in eight different sizes, from 44cm to 61cm. The geometry of this bike is very much performance oriented. As far as the seat tube is concerned, the 55cm model uses a 550mm effective seat tube, a 550mm effective top tube, and a 140mm head tube. The stack height is 541mm and has a reach of 390mm.
These figures are exactly the same as those on the Bianchi Oltre XR4. As the brand stated before, Bianchi was very keen to push the Aria as a road bike that can be adapted for not just racing and time trials but for triathlons, as well.
TT and Triathlon
“Getting the required horizontal-back aerodynamic tuck position for fast tri bike leg is easy to achieve with Aria’s triathlon configuration. Just clip-on aero bars, set the bars’ stack height if required and adjust saddle height and angle,” stated Bianchi.
The seat angle on the Aria isn’t as steep as those on a dedicated TT or tri bike (it is 73.5 degrees on the 55cm model). This means you will flex more to get into a flat-back position, but the Aria is definitely a more versatile, affordable, and broad performance bike.
Price
The first Aria models will be featured in a Campagnolo Centaur build and will cost around 2,249.99 GBP. You may be able to get your hands on an Aria in June, but July will see them hitting bike shops and online retailers en masse.
The Campagnolo Centaur build will include an 11-speed compact with a 50/34 up front and Vision Team 35 wheels.
Wrap Up
The Italian brand, Bianchi, has already impressed with their Oltre aero road bikes, and recently released the Oltre XR3, so what makes the new Aria special? This new aero bike represents a trickle-down of the Aquila Time Trial / Triathlon design, but in a much more affordable and broader application for cyclists.