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The Bianchi Proto thread

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The Bianchi Proto thread

Old 05-04-16, 02:31 PM
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styggno1
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The Bianchi Proto thread

I tried to get this in one post but since there is a 10 picture limit – and this post is useless without them I hope it is OK to make three parts of it.

Since I today found this old thread:

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...ake-sense.html

And it made me so happy I thought it would be appropriate to pay back to this site a little.

I have made some observations while I have investigated my Caurus Proto and I would like to share it with those here that might be interested. During some years I have collected material and today I no longer can trace where I have found the pictures. Let us call them "borrowed" from the net. I hope no one takes offence. If so and you own the rights to any of the pictures - let me know and I will remove yours if you want to.

Bianchi Proto was top of the line between circa 1987-8 to circa 1992-3 (in catalogs from 1988 to 1992). It is a TIG welded frame in Columbus MAX tubes. There are some brochure pictures and in these they are always equipped with Campagnolo C-record. I do believe many, if not all, were sold as bare frames here in Europe - standard here and I think that might differ from the US. The bikes found on the net and whom one can imagine being somewhat original or at least period correct has everything from full C-record, C-record "Century-finish", black Croce d´Aune to Chorus - and some have a mix of C-record and Chorus. Often Chorus brakes to C-record.

Being very expensive at the time it was of course not a big seller. I guess this “The Bianchi Proto thread” will not be a hundred pages…

To my knowledge - the ones with a "Proto" decal are always celeste - except some with Gewiss team colours. But I have seen “Gewiss” without a Proto decal.

This was all fine - until some Bianchi: s in MAX tubing surfaced with "Caurus" decals and totally different paint jobs. Some of them also have "Vento" decals. Normally Caurus and Caurus Vento are low to middle range Bianchi: s. All united by somewhat peculiar (nicely put) paint combinations. Black and pink, black and neon green, etc. But also some that has Caurus decals and are painted in the coveted celeste.

I own one of these Caurus MAX frames. Until I registered here I did not know more about the Caurus version Proto. I had searched and searched but no luck. Why would they call it a Caurus? Why a top of line frame in the murky waters and name of water pipe bikes (Bianchi has of course always done that - painting low end bikes to look like pro bikes but to my knowledge have they never used the name also). To what purpose, on which markets, etc? Then today I found this - provided here on the site by @mrjav

https://www.ciclimasini.com/images/90...i%20Caurus.pdf

And I am forever thankful. There it is - documented in black and white - or should I say black and green... It makes the resurrection of my "Modello: Caurus Proto" so much more fun and rewarding. Thanks again!

Other catalog pictures I have found:



And a German one sold on ebay - and observe that they have named it "Spezialissima Proto". Not Specialissima but Spezialissima and then they top it off with Caurus decals. Talk about confusing us nerds when trying to follow up on history...



An overview of my observations:

The early Proto: s has on top of TT wire guides and conventional under the BB wire routing - with a stop ferrule under the right chain stay. The BB has cast guides for the wires (as you might have noticed English is not my native language and if what I write seems odd - that could be the reason...). Decal on HT. This one has serial F030






This one - small and bad pic - is from ebay and it has serial F058. It has wire guide on top of TT and a braze on number plate holder.



A Gewiss team colour one with thru TT wire routing - both entrance and exit on top of TT (normal pre ergopower and when one still had a choice of aero or "normal" cable routing from the brake handles). Rear der. wire thru chain stay. Observe the, non smooth looking, TIG-welds. Decal on HT.



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Old 05-04-16, 02:32 PM
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This one - said to from 1990 has TT wire routing with entrance under the TT - more in line with post ergopower routing of cables (or when everyone went over to under the handlebar wrap routing). Rear der. wire thru the chain stay. Still a decal on HT.




Then it seems like there is a shift. But it could also be a parallel track. These have thru the TT, entrance under - exit on top and the derailleur guides under the BB is now a separate plastic piece. These frames also have the Bianchi eagle directly machined/pantographed into the HT. I have only found one celeste MAX bike (there are Caurus Proto: s more of that later) with machined HT and I am not 100% sure it has its original paint and decals. But I cannot prove it has not either. The fork does not belong there - I am certain:





Then there are the Caurus variations.

A Swedish guy called Sönke: s bike. Machined logo on HT.



One that I found on a German site. Machined logo on HT.



A pink and black with a decal on HT. Crude TIG- welds.

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Old 05-04-16, 02:33 PM
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Another Swedish owned one - Gustav: s. Machined logo on HT. Smooth welds.



Mine. Smooth welds. Machined logo on HT.













I welcome any feedback on this post and please enter your own Bianchi Proto. I am certain there are many versions/variants of Protos out there. I am under no circumstances believing or meaning my above post gives the full picture or is in all parts correct. It is a start. There are Proto, Caurus and whatever other Bianchi in MAX tubes out there that we still do not know about.

I will build mine as close to the one in the PDF file as possible – even if that one possibly is a year or so older than mine as it has the brake cable both entering and exiting on top of the TT. Mine entering under the TT. Yet a variation within the, by me known, Caurus: s (edit - I have since I wrote this post learnt that the one in the PDF has a higher serial number than mine - making it somewhat newer actually)

Regards
JE

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Old 05-05-16, 02:14 AM
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Are those Shimano dropouts? I have similar ones on fillet brazed Frame I just purchased. Do they have adjuster screws? Thanks
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Old 05-05-16, 05:43 AM
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Adjuster screws - yes.
Shimano - very likely from how they look.

It is funny, I was in my hobby workshop this morning and took some photographs. Not one of them show the rear dropouts... I will check the next time I go there.

The point of me going there was to check the fork steerer tube for information. Many times there are stamps and/or something else that can give information. I was lucky this time again.

A message from Italy somewhere around 1990. And now we know what they called this colour. Verde Germoglio. Translates to "green sprout" - a young plant. Maybe there is a better translation - any Italians here?




I also want to clarify something I wrote in the original posts here. When I wrote "smooth welds" - I meant they have been made smooth after welding. How - I do not know without ruining the paint. It could be brazed on material but there are other alternatives also.

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Old 05-07-16, 03:34 AM
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I have found out that there seem to be two different serial sequenses for Proto: s. Serials that start with a "F" and then numbers and serials that start with a "BCOC" and then numbers.

I have too few recorded numbers to make any assumptions in differences in build. Hopefully others here can provide theirs and we will reach some concensus in the future.

As of yet it seems like the early ones - having conventional cable routing thru rings on the TT are the earliest ones and those have "low" F: s (030 and 058).

To me known serials:

F030
F058
F136 (added 7/7 2016 found at "vintage art work" on flickr)
F.243 (added 5/5 2016 - and also have a dot as 254)
F.254 (has a dot between F and number)
F287 (added 16/8 2016 -found in old ebay auction)
F370
F382 (mine)
F403 the one in the PDF-file at https://www.ciclimasini.com/images/90...i%20Caurus.pdf

BCOC157
BCOC360
BCOC515 (the O probably stamped at an angle - making it look like BCCC)

Example:



The F403 in the PDF is interesting as it has the brake cable routing both entering and exiting the TT on top, while mine with a lower serial has below/top (and also F370). This being maybe contradicting in a time line - if making the assumption that top/top would be an older standard more in line with pre "mandatory" under the handlebar tape routing.

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Old 05-07-16, 08:56 AM
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Hey styggno1, I was so glad to see that other thread pop back up. It's precisely why I posted that scan. I just don't want information about these great bikes to get lost to time and not shared around!

You've motivated me to post a translation - I'll get to that as soon as I can! I didn't do OCR text recognition on that scan so that it could be copied and pasted into Google translate - would've been one option.

Anyway, this beast just popped up onto eBay... calls back to your comment on how Bianchi would use the same paint style on frames all the way down the line. Favonius!!

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Old 05-08-16, 02:31 AM
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@mrjav

Extra nice to see you in this thread as you are the reason for its existence. Thank you for sharing the material.

Yes, there are those "beasts" popping up here and there. While picture googling 99.9 percent are water pipe bikes. When now planning my restoration it might help me though as the mass of bikes produced with theses colour schemes makes it possible there might be possible to find that black/green shade handlebar tape to be found somewhere.

I tried to convert the PDF to another format also. No luck. I have started to write it down, planning a computer translation, but work and family got between (and the latter is a good thing).
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Old 05-10-16, 03:19 PM
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Shimano dropouts it is.


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Old 05-11-16, 01:31 PM
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So I'm back! Not with the translation (yet - I like to do them accurately). BUT I did finally find this article from my archives. 1988 Bicycling magazine article of "new steel" frames. The Proto was the second one after a beautiful Tommasini MS (never seen that paint job since).

The pearl white Proto with Celeste accents and the celeste sidewalls made this one stand out for me. I thought it was the greatest bike I had ever seen. Of course, it quickly left my mind once I figured out I'd never see one in the flesh (still haven't).

Anyway... enjoy...

https://www.ciclimasini.com/images/88...ng_Thunder.pdf
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Old 05-11-16, 02:06 PM
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Bianchigirl has a couple Protos, including one I used to own. Would love to find a big one someday. Or Bianchi MTB frame in MAX.

LOVED that bike, just too small.
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Old 05-11-16, 02:13 PM
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Originally Posted by mrjav
So I'm back! Not with the translation (yet - I like to do them accurately). BUT I did finally find this article from my archives. 1988 Bicycling magazine article of "new steel" frames. The Proto was the second one after a beautiful Tommasini MS (never seen that paint job since).

The pearl white Proto with Celeste accents and the celeste sidewalls made this one stand out for me. I thought it was the greatest bike I had ever seen. Of course, it quickly left my mind once I figured out I'd never see one in the flesh (still haven't).

Anyway... enjoy...

https://www.ciclimasini.com/images/88...ng_Thunder.pdf
You are really delivering good stuff here! I certainly enjoyed this one.

It has, at least, three pieces of info that I find interesting:

1. It says that this white Proto is fillet brazed in contrast to the Italian piece that says it is TIG-welded. This in regard to what I wrote in the first post above - that there seem to be a difference in the visual appearence between the frames I have seen. It can clearly be seen in the pictures. What value does the fillet brazed info have - though? The guy writing it - was he thinking it was fillet brazed based on the smooth execution or does he really know? One can TIG-weld and then make it smooth afterwards with different means. OR is it really fillet brazed? If the guy knows his stuff and it actually is fillet brazed that is explaining a real difference in the frames I showed in the beginning of this thread. Oohh... I am so tempted to check my frame but it would ruin the paint. To me it makes a big difference if mine would be fillet brazed compared to TIG-welded. Fillet brazed is nice. TIG not so much in my book.

2. This white frame has a totally different fork crown than the rest. Much more sloping crown than the "usual" fork crown.

3. The colour in itself. The only other one I have seen documented is the one in this Japanese catalog.



Is it the same bike? It looks like the one in the catalog at least have different tubes installed - with a much larger decal/print. If it is another one - there are at least two white ones. Your chances has doubled...

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Old 05-11-16, 02:42 PM
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So unfortunately aside from the eventual translation of that BS article, I'm a bit tapped out on info or resources! I do have a 1992 and 1994 Bianchi catalog that I could scan, but neither of them have MAX in them. That said, I do know quite well a certain manager of the reparto corse from back in that day who might be able to shed some light on this frame.
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Old 05-11-16, 11:35 PM
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Almost bedtime here in SoCal, so I'm going to post what I have completed of the translation and let you enjoy that when your day starts! Note I've only done the non-article stuff. That will come next. In the meantime, enjoy the following:


Data Sheet
Brand: Bianchi spa • Reparto Corsa • Cascine Battaglie, 5 • 24047 Treviglio •
Tel. 0363/41444
Model: Caurus Proto
Launch date: 1989 Milan Trade Show
Color: black/neon green, black/celeste Bianchi, black/pearl coral, green/pearl violet, fuchsia/violet
Available sizes: from 49 to 63 cm (cc) or custom
List price: Lire 3.230.000

Technical Details
Tubing: Columbus Max in nivacrom steel
Conjunctions: seat tube juncture and fork crown Columbus, the others are made with Tig welding, joined head to head
Group: Campagnolo Record with Delta brakes
Saddle: Selle Italia Turbo
Handlebar: 3t Super Competizione, stem 3t 84
Freewheel/Cassette: Regina America superleggera
Chain: Sedis Sport
Rims: Campagnolo Sigma Pavé Hardox
Spokes: Alpina
Tires: Vittoria Corsa Cx Squadre Prof tubulars

BS Ratings:
The Bianchi Caurus represents an esthetic elaboration of the Proto model. It is a proven and special high-performance bicycle.

ESTHETICS AND FINISH 8
The welding is workmanlike. The model is elegant in its lines and volumes. New are the colors and approach.

POSITION IN THE SADDLE 9
The proven geometry of the Caurus results in a perfect fit and does not need those annoying adjustments.

CLIMBING 9
Very balanced in power transfer, making it particularly efficient on medium climbs.

DESCENDING STABILITY 8
You must move your body weight back to lighten the front end. In doing so, you won’t notice any loss of traction.

RESPONSIVENESS 9
In out of the saddle attacks you will particularly appreciate the short rear triangle and the relative rigidity of this type of tubing.

VIBRATIONS 7
The bike shows its best on a smooth road. The road bumps are not absorbed by the frame.

MECHANICAL 8
Small problem in adjusting the brake shoes and in setting up the rear derailleur. Great were the true wheels and the gluing of the tubulars in the heat.

Note that the voting expresses our vote relative to the Technical Details of the tested product.

Photo Captions:

The seat tube junction is the only lug utilized in the Bianchi Caurus Proto, whose tubes are Tig welded. Above, the Caurus model in its original colorway.

In the photos on this page you can see some of the important details of the Caurus: the bottom bracket shell, the heat tube junction and the internally routed rear derailleur cable.

A view of the handlebar, with its round curve, from the rider’s point of view. Below, the “motor” of the Caurus. In the upper right, the elegant line of the fork with its teardrop shaped dropouts
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Old 05-12-16, 12:49 PM
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Bianchi Caurus
The Proto is Reborn

All of the mountain and road bikes of the 1990 Bianchi catalog carry strange names and, in cycling terms, are already outdated. In reality the big Italian player wanted to renew itself even in its glossary, assigning to its offroad line Latin terms corresponding to the family of spiders, mainly because the spider can climb wherever it wants, like the friendly bicycle. The high end bikes were given names of winds, some picturesque and pleasant, since racing bikes are capable of higher speeds and are therefore similar to the idea of a strong wind.

Caurus, ie Cauro or Chorus, is a wind that blows from the west and occupies therefore the upper left part of the quadrant. In fact, in the Bianchi line, it corresponds instead to an elaboration, especially graphically, of the Proto model.

The Bianchi "Caurus" is the object of this test.

GRAPHICS

A bike utilizing tubing in a very peculiar form and painted in glossy black with neon green highlights could not necessarily be called ‘subtle’. This bike, is singled out from the group at close range but can be called out from a distance, even if being ridden by a lone rider.

And yet the Bianchi Caurus succeeds, in our opinion, by being flashy but not chaotic. The two colors form a sharp contrast and, combined with bad taste, could have resulted in definitely eye-catching results, but lacking in style. Instead, the bike has its own modern personality, that needed updating, especially as seen by a younger market. Looking at this model in its totality, you can appreciate its balance of the geometry that is made up of lines and angles, not of colors. Also noted, digging into the details, is the accuracy of the finishing, especially the head tube logo, the famous Bianchi eagle, which is pantographed and filled with neon green on the black tube. The component group ties itself nicely to the model with its finishing choices. The one exception, unbelievably, is the substitution of the water bottle cage that has an opaque grey finish which is totally removed from the complete package.


THE SPECS

The frame of the Bianchi Caurus Proto is contructed of Columbus Max, Tig welded without lugs, except for the seat tube junction and the fork crown. These are original Columbus items as well due to the understandable shaping necessary. These are very particular tubes ovalized in different directions on the same draw, studied for its resistance to various stresses, that could not fit to any commercially available lug.

The fact is that a structure of this kind corresponds theoretically to a concept of high functional rigidity, understandable even to the naked eye, with the implicit promise not to waste energy with unwanted flex even a portion of the energy applied to the pedals. The fork blades for example are very flattened in order to assure a relative stiffness front to back and a relative give laterally, necessary to keep your line when taking curves and leaning over at speed. The seat and down tubes meet the bottom bracket shell with larger diameters oriented to counteract pedaling forces.

This frame measures 52 x 53.5 cm from center to center. It is 27.1 cm high at the bottom bracket and has a very tight rear triangle, barely 39.5 cm, with a wheelbase of 97.5 cm. Particularly balanced is the rake of 14 cm and trail of 5 cm.

Frame mounts are all welded, with just one water bottle mount located on the down tube. Cable routing for the rear brake is inside the top tube, while the cable for the rear derailleur is inside the chainstay that is bare from any chain protection. Seeing as there is no chrome, it would be a good idea to apply an adhesive chain protector (transparent) even if our road tests didn’t result in any marks on the paint. The dropouts are semi-vertical, but the tips have no chrome on them.

The bike is assembled with Campagnolo’s Record group, with Delta brakes and chainrings of 41/53. Selle Italia Turbo saddle. 3t Super Competizione 42 cm handlebar and 3t 84 100 mm stem. Regina America freewheel, with lightweight alloy cogs of 13-14-15-17-19-21-23 teeth. The chain is a Sedis Sport with chamfered internal plates. Wheels are made up of Campagnolo Sigma "Pavé Hardox" rims of 32 holes, laced three-cross with 2 mm Alpina stainless spokes and wearing Vittoria Corsa CX Squadre Prof tubulars.

THE TEST

In the saddle of the Bianchi Caurus Proto we rediscovered a familiar taste. We’re referring to our 1989 test of the Proto model in its original Bianchi color, of which this bike represents a true copy. The winning feature of this racing bike is its geometry. This is a bike that allows you to immerse yourself in an efficient position both at a cruising speed and while at a frantic pace with accelerations and constant changes of pace. We didn’t note any appreciable flexing of the frame and were happy, as it relates to the stiffness this model is known for, to appreciate its comfort when the road was smooth. While climbing the Caurus certainly has a constant yield when climbing regularly and is ready to respond when attacking out of the saddle. The relatively tight rear triangle is an issue in twisty descents: it’s necessary to move your weight to the rear to face tight radiuses with security.

From a mechanical point of view, we had to adjust the bolts on both derailleurs, but this is normal. That said, we had to intervene on the rear brake pads in order to adjust the wheel guides, which were misaligned. On the other hand, upon flatting a tubular, we were forced to deal with an excellent job of gluing, which was perfectly even and applied while warm, as you need to do on a high end bike like the Bianchi Caurus, taking its place alongside racing models of the highest value.


Fulvio Lo Monaco
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Old 05-12-16, 12:54 PM
  #16  
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So based on that, it appears they tested the Proto in a 1989 issue. Check out eBay Italy for those, if you can nail one down. I'm looking for some Somec and Rossin tests, so if I find a contact from BS, I'll be sure to check the issue for the Proto as well.

I think the next thing you should do would be continue to document all features of the models you can find online. My thought is that all the slight differences will show themselves from one year to the next. I'm a bike industry vet, and that's the norm. Track it all in a spreadsheet and publish to the thread. There was a japanese collector who did an amazing job in defining and then illustrating De Rosa details - I think it should be the standard for how it's done! I have some graphic skills that I could lend - am thinking of doing similar with the Rossin Ghibli and Somec Max and MS frames. Time and energy. That's all it takes, and what most of us are missing - of course, you could just spend your time riding that fantastic bike!!
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Old 05-12-16, 01:34 PM
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@mrjav

I officially and hereby dub you "good guy bicycling knight of the round wheel"! Thank you for taking your time and doing this (scanning, translating, etc). It really means a lot to me. If you need my help just say. If you need a part for a restoration or something - ask me and I will do my very best to help you.

Very best regards
JE

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Old 05-12-16, 10:00 PM
  #18  
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So a quick Google search shows that non-Max Caurus frames are numbered. I've so far found Caurus 909 and Caurus 840, both with lower level Shimano parts and what appears to be maybe a Chromor or similar tube set, maybe Aelle. The hunt for info continues...

I just pulled the trigger on a Somec MS frame. I guess the last wish would be to find a celeste Caurus in size 56 with the pantographed head tube logo. PS - per other threads elsewhere, the term pantographed is most likely not correct for this, as there are many means to engrave that logo and pantographing is not exactly the most likely means.
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Old 05-15-16, 03:24 PM
  #19  
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@mrjav I will let you know if I see one in your size up for sale.

Today I added another serial to the list in a previous post here. No F.243 - now there are two with "dots".

Found and bought this one from the UK today. I hope it will arrive in good order. Now I just have to find the right nice old frame for it.
Sellers pictures:



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Old 07-06-16, 07:44 AM
  #20  
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I need to read through this more but I think the appearance of the Cauras decal is simple miss labeling by owners who didn't take the time to get the correct decals. That one black green is an obvious repaint, just look at that crappy attempt to paint a head lug.

BTW two of the three US market Protos I've seen did not have a Proto decal, but that is common on Reparto Course frames of the time. The third is an obvious repaint.

AFAIK all US Proto frames were painted in the states and I believe you could pic some colors. Mine sports Celeste with a decal similar to an '89 Advantage. I may have been one of the first in the country to get one.
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Old 07-06-16, 07:59 AM
  #21  
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Originally Posted by Bianchigirll
I need to read through this more but I think the appearance of the Cauras decal is simple miss labeling by owners who didn't take the time to get the correct decals. That one black green is an obvious repaint, just look at that crappy attempt to paint a head lug.

BTW two of the three US market Protos I've seen did not have a Proto decal, but that is common on Reparto Course frames of the time. The third is an obvious repaint.

AFAIK all US Proto frames were painted in the states and I believe you could pic some colors. Mine sports Celeste with a decal similar to an '89 Advantage. I may have been one of the first in the country to get one.
Hi Bianchigirl,
Yes, I believe you need to read thru the posts and click at the links. I do not know which "black and green" you mean but they both have their original paint. There is also no miss labeling when it comes to "Caurus" as you will see if reading it all thru.

I would be very interested in getting the serials of the frames you have or have had - if it is possible. It would add to the puzzle.
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Old 07-06-16, 09:17 AM
  #22  
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Originally Posted by Bianchigirll
I need to read through this more but I think the appearance of the Cauras decal is simple miss labeling by owners who didn't take the time to get the correct decals. That one black green is an obvious repaint, just look at that crappy attempt to paint a head lug.

BTW two of the three US market Protos I've seen did not have a Proto decal, but that is common on Reparto Course frames of the time. The third is an obvious repaint.

AFAIK all US Proto frames were painted in the states and I believe you could pic some colors. Mine sports Celeste with a decal similar to an '89 Advantage. I may have been one of the first in the country to get one.
Hey Bianchigirll, where ya been hiding out lately??? Haven't seen you post here in a few months, and was "worried" about you! glad to see you back on the forum.
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Old 07-06-16, 09:46 AM
  #23  
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Still on the hunt for a Bianchi Max frame... even if I need to repaint! I'm a straight 56, but flexible if needed! These just don't pop up enough!
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Old 07-07-16, 09:00 AM
  #24  
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Found one more serial at "Vintage Art Work" on flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/vintag...57660612816362

F136 - has BB with cast guides for the wires, rear brake cable entering under TT and exiting on top. Decal on HD.

F030
F058
F136 (added 7/7 2016)
F.243 (added 5/5 2016 - and also have a dot as 254)
F.254 (has a dot between F and number)
F370
F382 (mine)
F403 the one in the PDF-file at https://www.ciclimasini.com/images/90...i%20Caurus.pdf

BCOC157
BCOC360
BCOC515 (the O probably stamped at an angle - making it look like BCCC)
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Old 07-09-16, 06:57 PM
  #25  
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Originally Posted by swen0171
Bianchigirl has a couple Protos, including one I used to own. Would love to find a big one someday. Or Bianchi MTB frame in MAX.

LOVED that bike, just too small.
I forget if we ever discussed this, but do you recall why it was painted and what the original color was?
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