Bianchi San Mateo?

In article <[email hidden]>,

Hell and High Water said:

Any thoughts or comments on this bike?

or thoughts and comments about Bianchi bikes in general?

No idea about this model, but Bianchi in general makes fine bikes. The
green made-in-Italy Bianchis are very nice. The lower-end made-in-Taiwan
Bianchis are little different from similarly priced Giant or Specialized
or Trek bikes.

Quoted message said:

or thoughts and comments about Bianchi bikes in general?

i just got a frame+fork a couple of weeks ago. built the bike using a
campagnolo group, fsa headset etc... it's an xl ev2 (same that pantani
rode), new old stock: sitting in a shop and got a super deal on it. it's
an aluminum frame. a friend of mine as a vigorelli, steel frame, built
with shimano. both frames are very well designed and built. particular
attention is given to the welding, with some reinforcing at the junction
to the head tube and top tube. the rear dropout is replaceable on top
end models, which are hand-built in italy. i do not know about the
models built in asia.
i came from a cannondale, which i really liked, but this is really a
step up. it's very well built.
as an anecdote: the "green" color is called celeste, and is patented by
bianchi.
check also their website. if you are in the us it's bianchiusa.com
they have some deals on accessories, the best one being the pedals
(color celeste). designed and built by look, but with a rock bottom
price: $36. same good deals for bottle cages, handlebar tape, etc...

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I can't tell you about a Mateo but I love my Virata. The steel/carbon
frame is very comfortable; aluminum/carbon bikes I have tried were much
more harsh. I am very pleased with the Shimano groupo. Go with
celeste, (it is a cult thing).

Ted.