Bianchi XL Carbon.

jazmo said:

I'm in the market for a new road bike since I stacked my old one and wrote it off. Have stumbled across the Bianchi XL Carbon and I like what I see. Has anyone out there had first hand experiences (or second hand for that matter) with this bike? Ta.

would love to take one for a spin. Cecil Walker are having a big sale of Bianchi stuff at the mo. must be end of year-making way for next year sale. Apparently they dont go 'stringy' after a bit of time like the GIANTs do (but, hey that was waffle from a guy who rides one and works in a LBS that sells both, so who knows)

jazmo said:

I'm in the market for a new road bike since I stacked my old one and wrote it off. Have stumbled across the Bianchi XL Carbon and I like what I see. Has anyone out there had first hand experiences (or second hand for that matter) with this bike? Ta.

I came very close to buying one. In the end it came down to the Bianchi and a Specialized Roubaix. Have not looked back since and could not have bought a bike that I would have been happier with. The ride is magic as is the feel and weight and everything else. I love it. Oh, by the way I bought the Roubaix 🙂

Part of my looking at the Bianchi is that I want to get an Italian road bike. I'll also be looking at some Colnagos (I'm not talking c40 or c50 - that's out of my price range thanks!). I'm also avoiding full on compact frames 'cause I want a more classic bike. The Bianchi XL Carbon is about the extent of compact frame that I want to go.

Dutchy, the Giant / Bianchi comparison made by the LBS guy does sound like unsubstantiated waffle to me. Mind you, with Giant claiming to have the lighted CF frame around, they may have cut some corners to do so.

Quoted message said:

Part of my looking at the Bianchi is that I want to get an Italian
road bike. I'll also be looking at some Colnagos (I'm not talking c40
or c50 - that's out of my price range thanks!). I'm also avoiding
full on compact frames 'cause I want a more classic bike. The
Bianchi XL Carbon is about the extent of compact frame that
I want to go.

I bought a Colnago Dream Plus in 2000, after a couple of years the paint started to bubble off it under the top tube. I asked the importer about getting it fixed under warranty, but was told they only have a 12 month warranty, so no luck. A guy I race with bought a CT1 at much the same time, and had trouble with the dropouts (aluminium) corroding badly.

Colnago (indeed most Italian bikes) are badly over-rated. I'm over my Italian phase, and wouldn't buy one again.

Regards,

Suzy

"suzyj" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I bought a Colnago Dream Plus in 2000, after a couple of years the
paint started to bubble off it under the top tube. I asked the
importer about getting it fixed under warranty, but was told they only
have a 12 month warranty, so no luck. A guy I race with bought a CT1
at much the same time, and had trouble with the dropouts (aluminium)
corroding badly.

Colnago (indeed most Italian bikes) are badly over-rated. I'm over my
Italian phase, and wouldn't buy one again.

Regards,

Suzy

--
suzyj

Good comment Suzy.
It's not countries that build bikes, it's people that build bikes. And a
Chinese frame builder can have as much, or more, pride in their work as an
Italian builder. Attitudes are more important than nationalities.

Marty

jazmo said:

Part of my looking at the Bianchi is that I want to get an Italian road bike. I'll also be looking at some Colnagos (I'm not talking c40 or c50 - that's out of my price range thanks!). I'm also avoiding full on compact frames 'cause I want a more classic bike. The Bianchi XL Carbon is about the extent of compact frame that I want to go.

Dutchy, the Giant / Bianchi comparison made by the LBS guy does sound like unsubstantiated waffle to me. Mind you, with Giant claiming to have the lighted CF frame around, they may have cut some corners to do so.

Italian road bikes are marketing gumpf. They are painted in Europe (so they can say made in France/Italy, etc) but frames are out of Taiwan normally, sometimes China, Malaysia or similar. The frame angles of bikes these days are normally pretty similar too, so the differences in ride quality are unlikely to be huge. Buy an appropriately sized bike from a reputable brand in a material you find comfortable, and get the best parts mix you can for the money you have (wheels and frame are most important).

Has anyone heard of a factory in France or Italy that actually has the machines required to build unlugged carbon frames???

Roadie_scum said:

Italian road bikes are marketing gumpf. They are painted in Europe (so they can say made in France/Italy, etc) but frames are out of Taiwan normally, sometimes China, Malaysia or similar. The frame angles of bikes these days are normally pretty similar too, so the differences in ride quality are unlikely to be huge. Buy an appropriately sized bike from a reputable brand in a material you find comfortable, and get the best parts mix you can for the money you have (wheels and frame are most important).

Has anyone heard of a factory in France or Italy that actually has the machines required to build unlugged carbon frames???

Even Italian frames are subcontracted to composite technology firms in Italy. For instance, both Wilier and Opera carbon frame parts/monocoque frames are subcontracted to K2, a firm that has made aerospace and auto parts in the past. Or so I am told by a few insiders.

M "if it feels good, ride it" H

Quoted message said:

suzyj
Colnago (indeed most Italian bikes) are badly over-rated.
I'm over my Italian phase, and wouldn't buy one again.

Finally.. you're seeing the light! 🙂

Repeat after me:
"mass produced alu is for me, expensive Ital frames no siree!"
"mass produced alu is for me, expensive Ital frames no siree!"
"mass produced alu is for me, expensive Ital frames no siree!"

hippy ;-)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Has anyone heard of a factory in France or Italy that actually has the
machines required to build unlugged carbon frames???

Even Italian frames are subcontracted to composite technology firms in
Italy. For instance, both Wilier and Opera carbon frame parts/monocoque
frames are subcontracted to K2, a firm that has made aerospace and auto
parts in the past. Or so I am told by a few insiders.

M "if it feels good, ride it" H

--
mfhor

& that is if you are lucky, the Italians ( not pointing the finger at any
particular manufacturer) are pretty liberal with those 'Made in Italy'
decals, just do your homework & caveat emptor!
A black Bianchi 🙁 Its like buying a yellow Ferrari Testarossa!

Steve @ IDEAL

hippy said:

>suzyj

Quoted message said:

Colnago (indeed most Italian bikes) are badly over-rated.
I'm over my Italian phase, and wouldn't buy one again.

Finally.. you're seeing the light! 🙂

Repeat after me:
"mass produced alu is for me, expensive Ital frames no siree!"
"mass produced alu is for me, expensive Ital frames no siree!"
"mass produced alu is for me, expensive Ital frames no siree!"

hippy ;-)

i like this one better!
Repeat after me:
"mass produced cromo for me, colnagos with ksyriums no siree!"
"mass produced cromo for me, colnagos with ksyriums no siree!"
"mass produced cromo for me, colnagos with ksyriums no siree!"

Hippy said:

Finally.. you're seeing the light! 🙂

Quoted message said:

Repeat after me:
"mass produced alu is for me, expensive Ital frames no siree!"
"mass produced alu is for me, expensive Ital frames no siree!"
"mass produced alu is for me, expensive Ital frames no siree!"

I'm confused... My expensive Ital frame _is_ mass produced aluminium...

Regards,

Suzy (who's rapidly turning into a retro-grouch - where are those down-tube levers...)

Quoted message said:

suzyj

Quoted message said:

Hippy wrote:
Repeat after me:
"mass produced alu is for me, expensive Ital frames no siree!"
"mass produced alu is for me, expensive Ital frames no siree!"
"mass produced alu is for me, expensive Ital frames no siree!"

I'm confused... My expensive Ital frame _is_ mass produced aluminium...

Yeah, sorry byron and suzy.. steel is real, steel is real, steel is real!

I forgot most of the Italian makers sold out and started using alu and
carbon a while ago :-)

Having said that, I ride an alu frame. A Scapin would be nice.. 🙂

Quoted message said:

Suzy (who's rapidly turning into a retro-grouch - where are those
down-tube levers...)

I want barcons on the drops for my next "thrown together for commuting
and crusty weather training rides with fat puncture proof tyres" road bike

hippy

mfhor said:

Even Italian frames are subcontracted to composite technology firms in Italy. For instance, both Wilier and Opera carbon frame parts/monocoque frames are subcontracted to K2, a firm that has made aerospace and auto parts in the past. Or so I am told by a few insiders.

M "if it feels good, ride it" H

Wilier carbon frames are ultimately subcontracted to a factory in Taiwan (though there may be multiple people getting arbitrage in the middle), not Italy.