Wilier Urta Ultimate XX SL Bike w/Fox Factory 34

The Wilier Urta Ultimate XX SL Bike w/Fox Factory 34 is Wilier's top-tier carbon cross-country race bike, with 120mm of travel at both ends and a build that pairs SRAM's wireless XX SL T-Type drivetrain with Fox Factory suspension. It is a Wilier mountain bike for riders who race XCO or ride like they do, and it is built for courses that have become steeper, faster and more technical than they were a few years ago.

Built for how XC racing looks now

Wilier developed the Urta Ultimate with the Wilier-Vittoria MTB Factory Team, and it raced under test decoration before its public launch. The brief was to keep the pedaling efficiency a cross-country bike needs while giving up less on descents, where modern XCO courses are won and lost. The frame is carbon, built with Toray fiber, and Wilier says the layup is tuned for stiffness across the geometry, suspension and frame structure. Cables run fully internal, and the one-piece Urta Max carbon stem and handlebar keeps the front end clean.

The rear suspension was reworked with a clear target in mind. Wilier describes a stroke that is sensitive early so the rear wheel tracks small bumps, supportive through the middle where you spend most of your time pedaling, and firm enough at the end to handle bigger hits. A revised leverage ratio is meant to make the shock feel more linear and predictable, and anti-squat has been tuned to limit pedal-induced bob. On a technical climb, the intent is that the rear wheel keeps following the terrain instead of skipping off it.

Geometry you can adjust

The Urta Ultimate has an adjustable head angle, set through Acros-developed headset cups. In the steeper 66.5-degree position, Wilier positions the bike for agility in tight, technical sections. In the 65.5-degree position, the front end is slacker and calmer at speed. You can change it to suit the course, whether that is a rooty, switchbacked trail or a fast, open one.

The rest of the geometry points the same way. The seat tube angle is 76.8 degrees in every size, up from 75 degrees on the previous generation, which puts you in a stronger position over the cranks on steep climbs. Chainstays are 433mm across the size range, and reach runs from 424mm in the small to 505mm in the XL, with the medium at 452mm and the large at 480mm. The bike rolls on 29-inch wheels.

The XX SL build

This build is about light, precise parts. Shifting is SRAM XX SL Eagle T-Type with an AXS pod controller, a 34-tooth chainring and a 10-52 12-speed cassette. Because T-Type is a wireless, direct-mount system, the drivetrain is designed to shift under load. That matters on a bike that spends its life in hard efforts. Braking comes from Shimano XTR M9200 hydraulic discs with 180mm rotors in front and 160mm in the rear.

Suspension is Fox Factory throughout. The fork is the Fox Float 34 SC Factory with 120mm of travel, and the rear shock is the Fox Float SL Factory. A Fox Transfer SL dropper post lets you drop the saddle out of the way for descents. Miche K1 RD carbon wheels are fitted with Vittoria Saguaro 29x2.25 tires, and the cockpit is Wilier's own one-piece Urta Max bar and stem with a -27 degree stem angle. The saddle is a Selle San Marco Shortfit 2.0 Open-Fit Narrow. Pedals are not included, so you can fit the ones you already race.

Proven at the top level

Wilier reports that the Urta Ultimate has been tested at World Cups, the Cape Epic and the World Championships. Early results cited by Wilier and the press include Simone Avondetto winning the Italian Elite XCO title on the bike and Juri Zanotti taking silver in both XCC and XCO at the European Championships. Wilier has been building bikes in Italy since 1906, and the Urta Ultimate is the brand's most race-focused answer to what XC riders now ask of a bike.

It is available in sizes S through XL. If you race cross-country, or simply want the lightest and fastest full-suspension bike you can put together, this Urta Ultimate is the model to look at.