Anyone ride Bianchi?

I ride a 2003 Bianchi SL3 ALU with a double centaur group - same frame, and the group is one above Veloce, so probably of pretty similar quality.

I chose mine ahead of the 2004 Trek 1500 and 2004 Specialized Allez Comp. For the sake of reference, it cost me £1260, reduced from £1400 because it's a 2003 model.

I've ridden the bike for a couple of hundred miles now, and am extremely pleased - in fact I only just got back from a somewhat strenuous 40-mile excursion on it and my legs are killing me, so the fact that I'm still singing the bike's praises speaks very highly of it! The frame feels very solid and stiff, stiff enough to prevent noticeable chainrub even when out of the saddle (admittedly I'm no sprinter though). This makes it a pretty heavy frame, and for a road bike it's actually a bit of a beast in the weight department. However, I'm perfectly happy trading lightness for durability. The fork is nice and stiff too, and although I don't have enough experience to make concrete statements about the carbon's vibration-damping ability, I can say that after several longish rides over the typically terrible British roads (and this is with tyres at 120psi), my arms don't feel numb or battered.

I have noticed that the steering of the bike is pretty twitchy - I wouldn't want to try riding it no-hands. By comparison, the steering on the Specialized is very stable - sprinting out of the saddle with hands on the hoods, I found that the bike just goes in a perfectly straight line even if you're not really concentrating. With the Bianchi, riding out of the saddle takes a bit of getting used to (depending on your starting point, of course), but I think the extra responsiveness is well worth it. Weaving in between potholes and rocks and dead animals and all the other non-bike-friendly stuff on the roads is effortless, even at speed.

The Campag kit on the bike is great and this is the main reason I chose it over the Shimano-equipped bikes - I just don't like the idea of a shift lever also being a brake lever. The Campag shifting is clunkier than Shimano, in a good way - it's not crunchy or imprecise or slow to shift, it just really lets you know when it's shifted. It's down to personal taste, of course, but I would rather have some feedback than have stealth shifting. If you're getting a 2004 model, I'm guessing it'll have the 2004 Veloce group on it, which is 10-speed, and I've found the 10-speed drivetrain is pretty fussy with cable and limit screw adjustment, so be patient with it. Once you get it dialed in, you shouldn't have to worry about it any more, except for the occasional tweak-up. Also, the front shifter with it's many, small increments is a godsend (I would think especially so with a triple drivetrain) - instead of having to tweak it to perfection to avoid a rubbing chain, you can just trim it whilst riding using the ergo lever. There are those who say this is the wrong way to do things and shouldn't be necessary, but it works perfectly, it doesn't cause any damage, it doesn't affect your riding and it won't void your warranty, That's good enough for me.

Campag's brakes IMO are gorgeous - they have great modulation, and if you need a lot of stopping power, Squeeze the levers hard and they do the job admirably. But the shape of the hoods is a little square for me - this is very much a matter of hand shape, riding position, taste and so on. The faux leather effect on the hood covers is naff, but who cares?

I doubt all the other bits and pieces like wheels, tyres, saddle etc are going to match up, but for what it's worth:

The wheels on my bike are Mavic Cosmos. 24 spokes at the front, radial, and 28 spokes at the rear, crossed on both drive and non-drive sides. They are very true and look like they'll stay that way, the braking surfaces are well-machined, there is no visible welding seam and the hubs roll beautifully. I haven't ridden them enough to comment much on durability but I certainly can't find fault with them at this stage.

The bike came fitted with Continental Grand Prix S tyres. They take 120psi, seem pretty tough and roll reasonably well, but are a little harsh-feeling. I've put on Vittoria Open Corsa Evo CX tyres - they're really light and thin and expensive and will wear out in no time and are puncture-prone, but I love them. If you use these tyres, for God's sake don't go on a long ride without a pump and a couple of spare tubes, or at least a puncture repair kit. IMO the ride quality improvement is worth the hassle.

My only real criticism is the saddle - it says "genuine gel" on it and has a little grey plastic beak-like thing at the front and funny little transparent red plastic inserts (reflectors of some sort?) at the rear. It has a pronounced hump in the middle which after 30 miles or so produces the "Ultima Thule" of bike problems - the numb [censored]. And if you're on a busy street you can't exactly get off and try to massage it back to life, can you? The hump is so pronounced that I think it must squish the plumbing a bit; after a 70-miler I did recently, I tried to pee and suddenly became painfully aware of various organs in the pelvic region that I didn't even know I had.

Anyway, I hope this all helps. I reckon this bike was well worth it - if I ever feel buyer's remorse all I need to do is ride it 10 yards and I remember how worth it it is. If I missed anything or you have any specific questions, post 'em up and I'll do my best to answer. Happy riding!

P.S. If you buy into the whole brand-name thing, Bianchi has to be one of the sexiest - way more suave than Trek or Giant or Specialized. Personally I couldn't care less as long as it works well, but that's just me.

Wow!

I'm fairly new to this whole 'forum' thing and have found them to be really useful and helpful but the last post was out of this world - Thankyou!

So good to hear some advice from someone with the exact same bike (with some exceptions).

Guess I'll be going ahead with the SL3 then,
thanks again!

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by mjw_byrne
My only real criticism is the saddle - it says "genuine gel" on it and has a little grey plastic beak-like thing at the front and funny little transparent red plastic inserts (reflectors of some sort?) at the rear. It has a pronounced hump in the middle which after 30 miles or so produces the "Ultima Thule" of bike problems - the numb [censored]. And if you're on a busy street you can't exactly get off and try to massage it back to life, can you? The hump is so pronounced that I think it must squish the plumbing a bit; after a 70-miler I did recently, I tried to pee and suddenly became painfully aware of various organs in the pelvic region that I didn't even know I had.

Good lord, man; I hope you've lost that saddle by now! No sense riding around on a seat that causes that much discomfort, and, let's face it -- potential damage.

Great post, by the way. Thorough beyond belief.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Gavin Rees
Wow!

I'm fairly new to this whole 'forum' thing and have found them to be really useful and helpful but the last post was out of this world - Thankyou!

So good to hear some advice from someone with the exact same bike (with some exceptions).

Guess I'll be going ahead with the SL3 then,
thanks again!

You're welcome - glad to be of help! I hope you get many enjoyable miles out of your SL3. By the way, are you getting a 2004 model, and if so, are you getting that funky new blue colour? That colour's to die for, I so nearly spent the extra for a 2004 model just so I could get that blue. Mmmmmmm......

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by lokstah
Good lord, man; I hope you've lost that saddle by now! No sense riding around on a seat that causes that much discomfort, and, let's face it -- potential damage.

You bet I have, it's currently serving as a rather fetching paperweight. I stuck the saddle from my commuter bike on the Bianchi and rode it 40 miles today, and it was infinitely more comfortable. It's clunky and inelegant-looking and doesn't look right on a nice sleek road bike, but it must be the height of irony to have a sexy-looking bike which knackers your reproductive system 🙂

Had my dealer set the guys in Italy off looking all over Europe (apparently) for the BB (Blue/Dark Blue) colour.

Glad you like it too. I have been made to feel very guilty for not getting it in the traditional Celeste colour!

Celeste colour looks better in the flesh than in the brochures - translucent greeny blue. Nice (if you like that sort of thing) but the blue is 'to die for'!

Yeah, I've seen the Celeste colour in person too, it does have a nice subtle two-tone kind of pearly quality....very nice-looking. I wasn't keen on it at first but it's really grown on me. I went for grey/black in the end, it's a little bit more understated; also, somehow I think I'd feel a bit self conscious on a Celeste-coloured bike, almost like I had no business being on one or something. Maybe I'll make the step up when I'm good enough to tackle L'Alpe d'Huez 😉

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by mjw_byrne
I stuck the saddle from my commuter bike on the Bianchi and rode it 40 miles today, and it was infinitely more comfortable. It's clunky and inelegant-looking and doesn't look right on a nice sleek road bike, but it must be the height of irony to have a sexy-looking bike which knackers your reproductive system 🙂

Hehe, I did that as well, took my commuter seat (a stock Trek mtn bike seat) and put it on my road bike. Fuji ships these awful awful eunuch-creators with exterior stitching; they look sleek and sexy, but they sure are painful. Now my sleek and aero road bike has a big clunky mtn bike saddle. It gets me lots of looks at event rides as wannabe racers on their carbon-frame bikes cruise by.

I guarantee that the extra drag caused by it is negligible after the extra drag caused be the rider. 😉

truly, you will fall in love with your bianchi when you have it.
i have had one for 3 years. Just a steel framed celeste and it handles fantastically.

I guess I should have posted my bianchi-related info, eh?

I'm currently borrowing an older Bianchi Campione (celeste, 105 components) and love it so much, I'm looking to buy a Bianchi touring bike next month.

It's probably the finest frame I've ridden.

Like Gavin I am seriously contemplating buying the same model at the moment, having done the Trek/Giant/Specialized thing (single bloke so luckily can do!!). I have been convinced that Italian bikes are the dog's danglies and also like the look of both the Pinarello and De Rosa kit.

I am not a racer but ride for fitness and just pure enjoyment so need to know that I could do such a bike justice.

The reviews above are all very positive but I am just a bit concerned at the comment about the weight of the Bianchi frame - I am quite a big bloke and need all the help I can get hauling my considerable frame up hills. I had a Trek OCLV 5200 which was a dream weight wise so need to be able to compare really.

So, if anyone can comment I'd be grateful and also the relative merits/demerits of the other Italian marques I mentioned.

Should also mention that I have never used Campag before - are they that different?

Cheers

S

If, as you say, you're a big guy, I'd be inclined to recommend a heavier rather than a lighter frame - you'll benefit from the extra stiffness and the frame should last longer (all other things being equal).

I don't have any first-hand experience with Pinarello and De Rosa, but they are both expensive brands. Whether the premium is just for the brand names or for some more tangible feature, you'll have to decide. But I imagine you wouldn't be disappointed with either.

The main difference between Shimano and Campag groups is the fact that Campag uses a thumb lever to shift to smaller cogs, and the lever behind the brake lever shifts to bigger cogs. The brake levers themselves don't move sideways. The exception to the rule is the Shimano Sora shifters, which use the thumb lever - but the Campag implementation is far superior.

Other, more minor differences include:

-Campag hoods are a completely different shape to Shimano ones. Test ride them and see which you prefer.
-Campag brake quick-releases are on the levers, not the brakes. This is a little more fiddly but is probably safer, because even with the brakes released, they are fully functional. This is not necessarily the case with Shimano.
-The Campag front shifter has loads of detents, rather than two or three. So, shifting the front mech is like using a friction shifter. The disadvantage is that you have to pay more attention to getting it right; the advantage is that you have that extra adjustability. IMO it's a much better system.
-Four of Campag's six groups are 10-speed (in 2004) - the other two are 9-speed. With Shimano's 2004 range, Sora is 8-speed, Tiagra, 105 and Ultegra are 9-speed and Dura-Ace is 10-speed.
-Campag ergo levers route both shifter cables and brake cables along the bars, whereas Shimano ones have the gear cables sticking out in front of the bars. It's mainly a point of aesthetics, but the Campag system makes it a little easier to mount a bag on the bars, should you want to.
-The tools for working on Shimano stuff are much, much cheaper than Campag tools. Often you can get away with using cheaper tools on a Campag group, but if you're risk-averse you might want to avoid that. Where I come from, a standard chain tool is maybe about £10 - the Campag one is £56! And a standard chain whip is around £7.50, whereas a campag one is a whopping £71. Insane.

I picked up a (barely) used Steel Mega Pro XL Record for the same or less than a new SL might cost. Simply the best bike I have ever ridden. Beautiful machine.

As far as your questions, Saint, the advice you have gotten from some other posters is spot-on. If you are a big guy, you will probably do better with a slightly heavier and stiffer frame. Saving half a kilo on your frame will not make you go significantly faster, and having a light, flexy frame will definitely be more noticeable and troublesome!

De Rosa frames are great (that is all I have ridden for the past decade or so, so I cannot compare to others). The craftsmanship is excellent, and depending on your wallet size, you can get some really beautiful frames. I ride the more proletarian Planet - alu with carbon rear triangle and fork, all Campagnolo Chorus, and am extremely happy.

As for Campagnolo, mjw_byrne gave you all the information you need. The groups, vis-a-vis Shimano, are almost equivalent, and it really comes down to personal preference. Being Italian, the choice was quite easy for me! 😄

One last thing - here in Italy, Pinarellos have an awful reputation in terms of availability. Maybe they export them all, but the word on the street here is that you have to wait for ages for a frame, so unless you are able to pick up what you need directly from your LBS, you better be patient!

Enjoy the shopping and riding!

I just recently bought a Bianchi SL3 Al w/ Shimano Ultegra components. I just started riding this spring and this is my first road bike. I absolutely love it.

I'll admit I payed twice as much as I was planning on paying for a new bike, but I don't regret it at all.

A friend of mine got the Celeste colour, but since I ordered mine a few days later, they only had the yellow frame available. I'm super happy about that cause the yellow looks amazing.

On the much lower end of the spectrum, I've had a Bianchi Strada for nearly 2 years now, and have really loved it as a "return to road cycling" bike. Definitely looking at another Bianchi when I upgrade. The geometry suits me well, the components are what they need to be, and this is one of the few serious road bikes that comes with flat bars (I know, some will be aghast, but I've lost my love of being hunched over and thrown over the handlebars).

My MTB's are C-Dales with all kinds of XTR & aftermarket Ti bits - very modern & high-tech.

But, for me, a roadbike must be Italian, all steel and all Campagnolo!
Very traditional.
Xtra points for Celeste paint!

Clearly, I had to have a Campy equipped Bianchi.

A couple years ago I bought a 2002 Bianchi Campione.
I could have had a much higher-end bike, but it had to be steel, and I wanted to keep it very traditional.
I also got this bike to replace an older early 80's bike i had with full Campy that was stolen.
So, I wanted the Campione's steel fork, as much for the ride quality as for the retro quality, and I knew at that time that the '02 would be the last year with the steel fork.
I've since upgraded the derailleurs & shifters to Veloce (from Mirage), along with a Veloce triple crank (with Chorus 30-40-50 chainrings), Chorus headset (1" threaded), Chorus Ti seatpost, and Deda Stem & bars. (The O.E. crankset is Veloce double - so I have my choice of double or triple)
I'm saving my nickels & dimes for a set of Campy Proton wheels next.

It's Bianchi, it's Celeste, it's all steel, it has all Campy, every single component on it is Italian, and it's kinda retro - perfect!

I love the legendary "feel of steel" - The ride quality is ethereal (the frame is actually handmade in Bianchi's Reparto Corse race shop).
The Campy Veloce equipment works very well - TONS better than my old Nuovo Record ever did! Shifts very positively even under substantial pedal pressure.
It's been completely faultless to date - I'll say that the Campy gear definitely needs some miles to break-in and it gets much smoother. Conversely it feels like it'll last forever!

I love my Bianchi!😄 😄

I have just upgraded to a Bianchi SL3 (in celeste, of course). Built it up custom (only frames were available at the time) with a pretty standard kit - '04 Campag Chorus & Mavic Cosmos wheels.

The campag groupset, with a few miles under the belt, is absolutely fantastic.

The Bianchi frame suprised me in the size of the tubing. There seems to be a good match (for my liking) between rigidity and comfort. I am a pretty powerful rider weighing in a bit over 80kgs and I am happy with the response of the frame. The carbon fork is one of the more erotic bits of cycling gear I have ever seen and works pretty well too (bloody hard to attach a polar speed sensor too though!)

The frame is a little heavy compared to other carbon/ti/duck-fart offers but its certainly not to point where it would have a hugely measurable affect on performance. Same can be said for the wheels which are tougher than a drover's dog on steriods - the ride & security of such being worth a few extra grams.

Minor things I am unhappy with at the moment fixate around (note that none relate to frame specific issues) -

* Fi'zik:k Pave saddle, which isnt hugely comfortable, particularily when I adjust my position to go down to the drops.

* Bianchi OEM seatpost - heavy & rigid, will be making way for a carbon item asap.

* Ritchey stem is a little short, easily fixed as I am trading it in on a longer 'un.

* The included bidon cage may have to be the rattliest, cheapest piece of [censored] ever to come in the same carton as such a nice frame - what were they thinking, it's not that a replacement cage was expensive but its just a bit of an insult.

To all of those who bought a Bianchi in a colour other than Celeste - tsk tsk tsk, what on earth were you thinkin!?! :P

[IMG]fraserwebusiness.com.authebianchi.jpgOpen ↗[/IMG]

Quoted post said:

To all of those who bought a Bianchi in a colour other than Celeste - tsk tsk tsk, what on earth were you thinkin!?! :P

😎 This was directed toward people like me.

When I bought my bike, or was looking to buy a bike, I was shown mostly the Celeste colour. I was told this was THE Bianchi colour, everyone would know it's a Bianchi when they saw it, people would notice,....I was cool with that, but if I was going with this colour, I had to let it grow on me.

I didn't order my bike till a week and a half later and all they had left in stock in my size was the yellow frame. Seeing I wasn't totally attached to the Celeste, I went for the yellow.

The Celeste is a nice colour, but I was pretty happy with the bike they gave me. To each his or her own I guess.