2003 Bianchi Giro

If you think Houston has bumpy rides, you should come to New Orleans sometime.

Anyway, I own a Bianchi Giro. I have nothing but good things to say about the Giro, which is a very fine piece for both club rides and training. Mine is a 2001 model - thinwall AL frame with carbon fork and carbon seat and chain stays. The current ones have AL chain stays. Mine has Mavic CXP21 wheels. I don't know anything about the wheels the present ones have - you may want to swap wheels with your present bike and sell it along with the Alex wheels. I don't know the exact weight of my Giro, but it is lighter than my associate's comparably equipped Lemond Buenos Aires.

I just completed a rather spirited century on my Giro, and find it to be very comfortable on long club rides yet is plenty responsive enough to be ridden seriously (and be taken seriously by others). My Chorus equipped Bianchi XL EV2 is a little bit lighter and more twitchy, but not nearly as comfortable - and this is painfully apparent on the long rides. On the Giro, while I get plenty of road feel and reponsiveness, I don't get quite so beaten up as I do on the Reparto Corse unit.

Alas, I'll be selling my Giro only because I have discovered that I'm just a bit more comfortable on a 53cm frame as opposed to the 55cm of my Giro (sigh). If I could snap my fingers and make it a 53cm, I would.

Anyway, the Giro a good value, and delivers a nice dose of AL performance with carbon comfort.

I had been considering the Giro, but now I've decided to go for Steel, possibly Imola or Vigorelli. I'm not a racer. but i like the lightness and comfort of the steel.
the Giro, performance wise is superb I'll admit, but I'm nmore concerned right now with durability and comfort, sacrifing a bit of light performance, like I said I'm nor a racer.
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Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Joefish
Hello to all,
This is my first post here. (Also posted on the Bianchi forum). I am a 230+ lbs rider, I currently have a '96 Specialized Comp M2 with 8 speed 105, Rolf Vector Comp wheels, with an alum fork. It is starting to have some minor mechanical trouble, but still a solid bike. I am getting beat up on long, bumpy rides (I am in Houston, they are all bumpy!!). I have done 6 MS 150 and many other rides on this bike. It was my 1st road bike. I am a 1 or 2 day a week/weekend rider (30-80 mi a week) that does a few charity rides a year, with MS 150 my "big ride". I am thinking about buying a 2003 Giro, is this a good replacement? Will it be a more forgiving ride than my M2 frame (alum/ceramic), alum fork bike? Will it have the stiffness I am used to in take offs and tightness in turns? I will be going from 105 8sp to 105 9sp, but what about the wheels, am I down grading the wheels, if so what is a good upgtrade? I would like a good, strong stiff wheel that also looks good (purchased Rolf based on 70% perforfance/30% styling). I may be able to keep the Rolf whhels if they are better then the Alex wheels that come on the Bianchi.
Sorry for the looong post, but it has been 7 years since my last bike purchase.
Thanks.
Joe

Go ride one instead of asking someone else.It's your butt,not theirs. Stiff Al is stiff aluminum,with few free lunches. The Alex wheels are no prize. Check excel or colorado cyclist for good wheels bult with open pros or cxp33s that don't fractture the wallet.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by boudreaux
Go ride one instead of asking someone else.It's your butt,not theirs. Stiff Al is stiff aluminum,with few free lunches. The Alex wheels are no prize. Check excel or colorado cyclist for good wheels bult with open pros or cxp33s that don't fractture the wallet.

what's wrong with asking for a review? many, many things become apparent after a few days/weeks/months which a ride round the lbs parking lot isn't gonna reveal. what's the point of websites like this if you can't hope to benefit from the experience of others?

to continue, i'm thinking about buying one too. i've never ridden an alu bike over a long ride. i've owned steel and i've owned ti, and i'm a little skittish about getting this bike for that very reason. only reason i came to this board was to see what people had to say about this bike i light of having owned/ridden one for a protracted period

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by eddiebrannan
to continue, i'm thinking about buying one too. i've never ridden an alu bike over a long ride.

I have. In fact, AL frames are all I ride. Yes, they are stiff and twitchy, but I like a lot of road feel. For rides over about 30mi, I suggest a good set of aerobars, which goes a long way toward making the ride more comfortable.

so do you think the carbon seatstays will make a difference?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by eddiebrannan
so do you think the carbon seatstays will make a difference?

Yes. The two frames I have the most experience with are a 2001 Giro, which has both carbon seat and chainstays, and an all AL EV2 XL. The Giro frame was definitely a bit milder, which I attribute to the carbon stays. The current Giro has AL chainstays only, so I don't know to what degree (if any) that will stiffen the ride.

yeah i think i'll go for it. i've been riding freeride/dirtjump bikes for the last 3 years so going back to road is going to feel mighty strange whichever frame material i choose lol

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by eddiebrannan
so do you think the carbon seatstays will make a difference?

Generally, yeah, they do. Nothing will change that poorly made or assembled carbon can be worse than aluminum in dampening properties, but for the most part, a little carbon fiber these days takes the edge off of any frame material, and can shave a few grams. The ubiquitousness of carbon forks is only part marketing.

word - thanks all. just as soon as i sell my other bike the giro is mine. oh and ps the lbs can do it for $1,400. sound good?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by eddiebrannan What's the point of websites like this if you can't hope to benefit from the experience of others?

That would be keen if everyone had the same butt calibration.

how's your butt calibration then boudreaux? actually know what? keep it to yourself! lol

Hey all,
Just to let you know, the 2003 Giro came in and had bad paint, so the LBS sent it back, per Bianchi, they did not have another, so, instead of getting the 2004 model (I do not like the paint-blue/celest (green) and black carbon), plus it was more (2003 was $1125.00, 2004 $1300.00), the LBS owner offered me a 2004 Trek 2200 with blue Bianchi Race lite Wheels for $1400.00!!! I originally was choosing between the 2003 Giro and the 2004 Trek 2100, I chose the Giro due to the full 105 components, the Trek 2100 has 105/Tiagra/off brand components. When I was offered the 2004 2200 for this price (ultegra/105 mix), I was very happy, the he LBS owner) threw in the better wheels on top, well, I just smiled and asked "when can I pick it up?"😄 😄

nice. i just bought an 04 giro

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by eddiebrannan
nice. i just bought an 04 giro

Nice bike, I just was not happy with the color mix.....

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Joefish
Nice bike, I just was not happy with the color mix.....

I'd love to get that 2004 color scheme, it's great Celeste/Black

I had a 2001 Giro (the yellow one with the carbon-fiber wrapped seat and chain stays. I bought the bare frame and built it with an 8-speed Record groupo I had and put Bianchi's Levitation wheelset with carbon-fusion hubs. Very nice bike, but it was definitely cheaply made. It's made in Taiwan for Bianchi, and the paint quality was very poor, as was the bottom bracket milling. It was only so-so-comfortable - possibly due to the carbon-over-aluminum stays?

I was glad to sell it for a full-carbon frame which is lightyears ahead of the Giro in terms of comfort - and much lighter to boot.

I would imagine the newer ones with full-carbon seat stays are more comfortable, but they're still not made in Italy in Bianchi's factory, but made in Taiwan - if that's a concern.

I think it is based on the comments about the paint above...something to think about though.
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