Experience with Bianchi San Remo?

I have a 1999 San Remo. I has Campy Mirage components,
30/40/50 crank, Shimano Acera cantis, Mavic MA-2 wheels.

The bike has held up well, just normal maintenance needed.

I have made these changes:

Replaced original seat with Terry Fly at time of purchase. Replaced Shimano brake pads (eating my
rims) with Kool-Stop salmon pads. Replaced 30 chainring with 26, and it shifts fine. Added a rack
and panniers - no problem with heel clearance.

I use the bike for day rides in hilly terrain and light touring.

If I had it to do over, I would get a bike with Shimano wheels and wide range cassette, but keep the
Campy Ergo levers and FD, and use a Campy long cage RD. I want more low range on the cassette, and I
don't need the gears spaced so close together. I might get a
30/41/46 crank. I rarely use the 50 ring.

You might want to look at a Volpe, if you are interested in even light touring.

Joe

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I have a 1999 San Remo. I has Campy Mirage components,
30/40/50 crank, Shimano Acera cantis, Mavic MA-2 wheels.

The bike has held up well, just normal maintenance needed.

I have made these changes:

Replaced original seat with Terry Fly at time of purchase. Replaced Shimano brake pads (eating my
rims) with Kool-Stop salmon pads. Replaced 30 chainring with 26, and it shifts fine. Added a rack
and panniers - no problem with heel clearance.

I use the bike for day rides in hilly terrain and light touring.

If I had it to do over, I would get a bike with Shimano wheels and wide range cassette, but keep
the Campy Ergo levers and FD, and use a Campy long cage RD. I want more low range on the cassette,
and I don't need the gears spaced so close together. I might get a
26/36/46 crank. I rarely use the 50 ring.

You might want to look at a Volpe, if you are interested in even light touring.

That is one of the bikes on my list, along with the Fuji Touring and Specialized Sequoiah Expert.

Thanks for the comments. I had seen people say they were all good bikes, but had only seen comments
from actual owners on the Volpe, Touring and Sequoiah.

--
David Kerber An optimist says "Good morning, Lord." While a pessimist says "Good Lord,
it's morning".

Remove the ns_ from the address before e-mailing.

Quoted message said:

If anybody out there has experience with the San Remo, how was it? I'm particularly interested in
the durability, reliability and maintainability of the bike, in relation to your riding style.

Even such things as reliability are greatly influenced by the dealer that sets it up; wheels, in
particular, need to be tensioned properly and pre-stressed. Sometimes wheels as they come from the
factory are fine, sometimes they are decidedly not, and a good shop will recognize this and deal
with it accordingly.

The fit issues are also going to vary from shop to shop, so I'd suggest you look for a combination
of shop + bike that's most appropriate, not just the bike itself.

And, of course, being a totally biased TREK dealers, I'd also suggest you take a look at the TREK
520 model (if you're looking for an indestructible "classic" touring bike) or even consider an XO1
CycloCross bike with different tires (we make that change fairly often).

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles chainreactionbicycles.comchainreactionbicycles.comOpen ↗

I have a Bianchi San Remo - had it for about 18 months. It was about a year old when I got it. Apart
from paint jobbie, I think the spec is the same as current model (Campag Veloce/Mirage mix).

I love it. Only changes I've made are to put a Terry's Liberator TiLite saddle on it 'coz being
female, the saddle that was on it was uncomfortable for me, a rear rack and mudguards on it so I
don't get mud-splattered in the rain on the uneven country lanes hereabouts and I can carry a load
on it too if out for any extended period.

Durability, reliability & maintainability great. Have replaced the chain and I keep it clean & oiled
and it's fine (well, personal bike mechanic a.k.a. my husband) and I can see the bike lasting me
many a long year to come. It's riding very well on the bumpy country lanes that are found in my part
of the world. Took it to Italy last summer and cycled it there and possibly to Germany this summer.

I love my Bianchi!

Cheers, helen s

~~~~~~~~~~
Clean up the waste & get rid of the trapped wind to send a reply

Any speeliong mistake$ aR the resiult of my cats sitting on the keyboaRRRDdd
~~~~~~~~~~

An interesting idea, XO-1 for touring. The Trek site mentions XO-1 as best and 520 as better. Not
sure what just "good" is. I need to expore this subject myself.

No matter what I decide, I'm not sure if it is worth putting a S&S Coupler on this price range bike.
The installation and case is the price of the bike. But without easy disassembly, travel is
difficult and much more expensive.

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

Quoted message said:

take a look at the TREK 520 model (if you're looking for an indestructible "classic" touring bike)
or even consider an XO1 CycloCross bike with different tires (we make that change fairly often).

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles chainreactionbicycles.comchainreactionbicycles.comOpen ↗

archer <ns_archer1960@ns_hotmail.com> wrote in news:MPG.1947b87bcdf71ea85 @news.cox.net:

Quoted message said:

I am researching for a new bike, and the Bianchi San Remo is one of them on my short list. I have
already seen comments from people who have ridden the others on my list, but none on the San Remo.

If anybody out there has experience with the San Remo, how was it? I'm particularly interested in
the durability, reliability and maintainability of the bike, in relation to your riding style. I
don't bother asking about the ride becasue that's such a personal thing that I might love one
which you hate.

Please not that I'm not asking how the bike might work for *me*, but rather how it works for
*you* <GGGG>

This is a great bike - I love my 2001. Very durable, rides well for long distances, handles trail
riding (dunno about lots of mud and muck, but it's done well in packed dirt/sand/bits of mud).

I opted for Time mtb pedals and have since added a Blackburn Mtn rack (with Jannd panniers - plenty
of heel clearance) and Planet Bike full fenders (only issue there is that there's only 1 eyelet on
the rear drops so you need a longer screw to hold both fenders and rack). The saddle was good enough
for me (but unfortunately I had to replace it when it got stolen).

They're still using Avid Shorty 6 brakes. I would ask your shop to install Kool Stop Salmon pads in
place of the Avid pads (which can squeal quite a bit).

Good luck and enjoy a

Quoted message said:

An interesting idea, XO-1 for touring. The Trek site mentions XO-1 as

best

Quoted message said:

and 520 as better. Not sure what just "good" is. I need to expore this subject myself.

The XO1 is an extremely mis-understood bike in terms of its potential. In my perfect world, you put
28c road tires on it and call it a "Utility" bike, something useful for touring, cyclecross,
commuting and maybe as a rain bike. To pigeonhole it as a cyclocross machine is very short-sighted.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles www.ChainReaction.com

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

Quoted message said:

An interesting idea, XO-1 for touring. The Trek site mentions XO-1 as

best

Quoted message said:

and 520 as better. Not sure what just "good" is. I need to expore this subject myself.

No matter what I decide, I'm not sure if it is worth putting a S&S Coupler on this price range
bike. The installation and case is the price of the bike. But without easy disassembly, travel is
difficult and much more expensive.

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

Quoted message said:

take a look at the TREK 520 model (if you're looking for an

indestructible

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

"classic" touring bike) or even consider an XO1 CycloCross bike with different tires (we make
that change fairly often).

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles chainreactionbicycles.comchainreactionbicycles.comOpen ↗

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

archer <ns_archer1960@ns_hotmail.com> wrote in news:MPG.1947b87bcdf71ea85 @news.cox.net:

Quoted message said:

I am researching for a new bike, and the Bianchi San Remo is one of them on my short list. I
have already seen comments from people who have ridden the others on my list, but none on the
San Remo.

If anybody out there has experience with the San Remo, how was it? I'm particularly interested
in the durability, reliability and maintainability of the bike, in relation to your riding
style. I don't bother asking about the ride becasue that's such a personal thing that I might
love one which you hate.

Please not that I'm not asking how the bike might work for *me*, but rather how it works for
*you* <GGGG>

This is a great bike - I love my 2001. Very durable, rides well for long distances, handles trail
riding (dunno about lots of mud and muck, but it's done well in packed dirt/sand/bits of mud).

I opted for Time mtb pedals and have since added a Blackburn Mtn rack (with Jannd panniers -
plenty of heel clearance) and Planet Bike full fenders (only issue there is that there's only 1
eyelet on the rear drops so you need a longer screw to hold both fenders and rack). The saddle was
good enough for me (but unfortunately I had to replace it when it got stolen).

They're still using Avid Shorty 6 brakes. I would ask your shop to install Kool Stop Salmon pads
in place of the Avid pads (which can squeal quite a bit).

Thanks for the comments; have you noticed any difference in the stopping power with the
different pads?

Quoted message said:

Good luck and enjoy

I plan to!!

--
Dave Kerber Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

David Kerber <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote in :"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

archer <ns_archer1960@ns_hotmail.com> wrote in news:MPG.1947b87bcdf71ea85 @news.cox.net:

Quoted message said:

I am researching for a new bike, and the Bianchi San Remo is one of them on my short list. I
have already seen comments from people who have ridden the others on my list, but none on the
San Remo.

If anybody out there has experience with the San Remo, how was it? I'm particularly interested
in the durability, reliability and maintainability of the bike, in relation to your riding
style. I don't bother asking about the ride becasue that's such a personal thing that I might
love one which you hate.

Please not that I'm not asking how the bike might work for *me*, but rather how it works for
*you* <GGGG>

This is a great bike - I love my 2001. Very durable, rides well for long distances, handles trail
riding (dunno about lots of mud and muck, but it's done well in packed dirt/sand/bits of mud).

I opted for Time mtb pedals and have since added a Blackburn Mtn rack (with Jannd panniers -
plenty of heel clearance) and Planet Bike full fenders (only issue there is that there's only 1
eyelet on the rear drops so you need a longer screw to hold both fenders and rack). The saddle
was good enough for me (but unfortunately I had to replace it when it got stolen).

They're still using Avid Shorty 6 brakes. I would ask your shop to install Kool Stop Salmon pads
in place of the Avid pads (which can squeal quite a bit).

Thanks for the comments; have you noticed any difference in the stopping power with the
different pads?

Quoted message said:

Good luck and enjoy

I plan to!!

Haven't actually got them installed yet 🙂 But I bought them after much research in newsgroups and
message boards about problems with Avid pads.