Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Classic & Vintage
Reload this Page >

1960/61? Bianchi Specialissima "Campione d'Italia"

Notices
Classic & Vintage This forum is to discuss the many aspects of classic and vintage bicycles, including musclebikes, lightweights, middleweights, hi-wheelers, bone-shakers, safety bikes and much more.

1960/61? Bianchi Specialissima "Campione d'Italia"

Old 06-02-20, 11:57 PM
  #26  
bulgie 
blahblahblah chrome moly
 
bulgie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Seattle
Posts: 1,980
Mentioned: 92 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1163 Post(s)
Liked 2,542 Times in 1,065 Posts
Originally Posted by WolfgangVerne
It appears my headset has two holes in what I would consider the lock ring and then two holes in the upper race. Would this mean that it’s a Gran sport headset? Or am I mid-reading your post?
Well maybe we shouldn't use the name Gran Sport for the headset that isn't Campy, since that was a Campy model name too. Not incorrect, just potentially misleading. I just used that name because the less expensive Bianchi I took it off of was called a Gran Sport. Here's a Flickr album for that Gran Sport if anyone's interested. Despite the name, it came to me with a Campy Sportman rear derailer. I put a Gran Sport mech on there when I sold it, and the Sportman is now in my "museum" (box of old Campy junque)

The only thing I know for sure is that the Campy headset on my Specialissima has four adjustment holes, and the cheaper headset on my Gran Sport had two. I haven't looked at enough Bianchis of this era to know if that was a consistent difference, i.e. one that you can count on.

I'll be very interested in what you find if you open up your headset. Please send pictures!

Oh BTW I noticed the Weinmann/Dia-Compe style housing stop hanger in your headset -- good design, except the way it curls down around the headset, because although it adds stiffness, it blocks the adjusting holes. You should probably try to find a flat-plate style Universal 61 hanger, which doesn't block the holes. That would have been the original part on your bike too. Actually I don't recognize that exact hanger on your bike, it's new to me -- maybe it really is a Universal hanger. But the flat-plate type works better with your headset.

Mark B
bulgie is offline  
Old 06-03-20, 04:15 PM
  #27  
WolfgangVerne 
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 302
Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 54 Post(s)
Liked 43 Times in 22 Posts
Originally Posted by bulgie
Well maybe we shouldn't use the name Gran Sport for the headset that isn't Campy, since that was a Campy model name too. Not incorrect, just potentially misleading. I just used that name because the less expensive Bianchi I took it off of was called a Gran Sport. Here's a Flickr album for that Gran Sport if anyone's interested. Despite the name, it came to me with a Campy Sportman rear derailer. I put a Gran Sport mech on there when I sold it, and the Sportman is now in my "museum" (box of old Campy junque)

The only thing I know for sure is that the Campy headset on my Specialissima has four adjustment holes, and the cheaper headset on my Gran Sport had two. I haven't looked at enough Bianchis of this era to know if that was a consistent difference, i.e. one that you can count on.

I'll be very interested in what you find if you open up your headset. Please send pictures!
Got it, I did see speculation on CR that this may have been a transition model. So perhaps this year of the Specialissima still used a two hole Bianchi design as opposed to the 4 adjustment hole Campagnolo version. I'll grab some photos when I get around to servicing it. May be a few days as I'm re-building another bike as well at the moment.

Originally Posted by bulgie
Oh BTW I noticed the Weinmann/Dia-Compe style housing stop hanger in your headset -- good design, except the way it curls down around the headset, because although it adds stiffness, it blocks the adjusting holes. You should probably try to find a flat-plate style Universal 61 hanger, which doesn't block the holes. That would have been the original part on your bike too. Actually I don't recognize that exact hanger on your bike, it's new to me -- maybe it really is a Universal hanger. But the flat-plate type works better with your headset.

Mark B
The hanger was mentioned as well on the CR list, a list member had the exact same hanger on his Specialissima "Campione d'Italia" as well, so I'd hazard a guess that it is original to the bike. Not sure if it's a Universal hanger or perhaps was sourced elsewhere.
WolfgangVerne is offline  
Old 06-30-20, 08:25 AM
  #28  
ktk17028
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 12
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
The other 1960 Bianchi Campione d'Italia

Originally Posted by WolfgangVerne
Thanks Mark for the informative post! Will be a huge help when I get to servicing the bearings.

I snapped a few more photos of the headset from closer up. It appears my headset has two holes in what I would consider the lock ring and then two holes in the upper race. Would this mean that it’s a Gran sport headset? Or am I mid-reading your post?


If anyone is interested in seeing photos of the other Bianchi Campione d'Italia (CDI) referenced in this discussion, here's a link to photos on my Flickr site:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/404020...57709261273887
I estimated the date as 1960 per the hub locknut dates. Generally Universal Mod. 61 brakes were found on bikes starting in 1961, but I believe the "61s" found on my CDI were the very first production brakes that may have been introduced in 1960. Note the front cable hanger which is more in the style of a Weinmann versus all other Universal hanger (i.e., stamped with hollow rear section vs. 100% flat solid metal). Also note the use of the red colored UNIVERSAL washers on the brakes. Seems that the red color was somewhat unique to the brakes found on Bianchi's.


These are the only two (2) CDI Specialissima models that I have been able to find. This model may have been to honor Fausto Coppi when he passed away in 1960???
Per Per Roberto Bianchi, an expert in Bianchi bikes in Italy,,,,
"The "Campione d'Italia" in racing version is quite rare, and is probably the last "glorious" model linked to a certain type of production of the past.Universally it is better known as "Specialissima", although this term is actually a common denomination for all racing bicycles; in your specific case, even the color is rare, because the absolute best selling color in those years was the "orange-coppered".
ktk17028 is offline  
Old 06-30-20, 10:08 AM
  #29  
John E
feros ferio
 
John E's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: www.ci.encinitas.ca.us
Posts: 21,765

Bikes: 1959 Capo Modell Campagnolo; 1960 Capo Sieger (2); 1962 Carlton Franco Suisse; 1970 Peugeot UO-8; 1982 Bianchi Campione d'Italia; 1988 Schwinn Project KOM-10;

Mentioned: 44 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1384 Post(s)
Liked 1,294 Times in 819 Posts
My introduction to the Specialissima came in the mid-to-late 1960s. I had received a bottom-of-the-line Bianchi Corsa for Christmas 1962. After my brother rear-ended a parked truck with his and had the frame straightened, the proprietor of Westminster Cycles (an Orange County CA Schwinn shop) snidely commented, "Yup, that's the cheap Bianchi frame. It'll do that every time." My pride of ownership was restored when I visited a higher-end shop at Five Points shopping center in downtown Huntington Beach. After I said, "It's just a Bianchi," the owner replied, "That's what we ride," and took me in the back to show off his and his wife's early 1960s Specialissimas. Ever since, I have had this "thing" for Specialissimas of that general vintage. The nearest I have come is my 1982 Tre Tubi Campione d'Italia, which is a blast to ride.
__________________
"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
John E is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.