frenchfry53

Will post pics once I'm allowed as new members are restricted. MIL gave us her bike today. We know the frame was custom ordered from Italy, as her husband worked building custom bikes for professional athletes. But we can't find anything comparable other than here, as all other 83 specialissimas are the classic Celeste color. I saw one thread here with a similar description and discussion of the bike being from a bike shop in verghoza, Italy; an hour away from the manufacturers HQ in Milan. This would match the story of our bike frame. Has anybody gleaned anymore information about these oddities? Is it a rallye frame that could be custom ordered in white?

Any information would be appreciated!

Bianchigirll 

If they custom ordered the frame why did they get white?

jdawginsc 

it translates to white in English? Good question though.

frenchfry53

I'm not sure it was available in different colors. The custom order was for the design and alloys used. From what I can find, 1983 was the year before they started marketing the Reparto corse production line to the public and not professional racers. I think that's why the other white frames from 1983 have so many variations- they were custom ordered. The white with specialissima badging was used to designate it as a special build, and the next year they put Reparto corse stickers on. 1984 was the last year for awhile that they had a team competing in the big 3 tour races, and was during piaggio ownership. I'm hypothesizing they were testing the market interest for getting custom builds versus having a standard frame built on the fancy racing production line by the best craftsman since that line would no longer be building for a large bianchi branded team. They had the people trained and no team to build for. I know the frame wasn't just imported from Italy, it was ordered to specifications for my MIL.

frenchfry53

I still can't post pics, but the serial number is stamped near the seatpost, and it is not machine stamped. The numbers are not on the same straight plane and are very deep like they were hand stamped. Numbers are 9•83 and 678. From what I can find during this era the SN location indicates the RC production line. If I'm making wrong assumptions, please let me know. It's like a Frankenstein frame and there's very little to compare it to, nor any clear information on why there's so few in white.

cb400bill

Pic Assist - https://www.bikeforums.net/g/picture/32808816

Caliwild

I had purchased that same exact frameset for $450 about 4 years ago...

ign1te

Take pictures so we can see the model and make of all the major components.

frenchfry53

Can you not see pictures? It looks like a forum moderator put up the ones I tried adding last night. Am I the only one that can see them?

Also components won't matter- the specialissima was available in frame only in 1983, and I know my deceased FIL picked out the brakes and deruellie and put them on himself. He even spoked the tires as that was his job at the time at the custom bike shop. I'm mainly interested in info about the frame. If you would like pics of the rest of the components just for interest, I'm happy to do that.

frenchfry53

Not sure it was the same. The other 2 white frames from 1983 I've found all have different forks and badging, which what makes me think these were all custom orders made on the RC line. Or they were possibly prototypes that got sold?

frenchfry53

Components. Shimano deruellie was added later when the original was cannibalized for a broken one on another bike. But again, I know this was custom built by FIL and specialissima was available as frame only in 1983, so can't really figure out model based on components.

frenchfry53

Here is a thread of the other white 1983 specialissima I've found on this site. The fork and front eagle badge are different, and this one has an "excluvista" sticker also, likely from the LBS. Reading through, it was determined it was probably from a bike shop in Verghoza, Italy. That's an hour away from the bianchi factory in Milan. So were these custom builds and that's why the badges are different? Maybe that's how they differentiated what was used for the custom builds? Or are they Racing Protypes that got sold later so whatever badges they had were used? IDK. but the third one I found on this forum was from 12+ years ago. Everybody at the time said that one was likely a scammer adding badging to make it seem more fancy, but the wear on the badges doesn't make that likely either. This many years later, and there's still no clear answers on what these are. At first I thought it could be a rallye frame, but that doesn't line up either. The one old listing on eBay i could find the frame sold for less than other specialissimas from 1983 in Celeste. I think they didn't know what they had, and under valued it because if it wasn't the Celeste, people assumed it wasn't the specialissima and that badge was added later. From what I'm finding, I think it's the opposite. I think they're more valuable being built on the RC line. There's just no information and nobody with inside knowledge of the factory working from 83 has come forward with any insight.


https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...ialissima.html

Caliwild

Who knows... looked almost identical. Good luck.

Fahrenheit531 

The Columbus Tretubi decal suggests a mid-tier frame in an uncommon color. Suntour Superbe Road headset is high quality and supports the "bought as frame" idea, and the rest of the components (with the exception of the RD) are pretty decent too. Seems like a cool enough bike that could get several hundred dollars from the right buyer. I don't think it'd command a premium though.

Parting it out would net you more, if selling is your plan. Are those Campy hubs?

frenchfry53

They are custom built rims made by my deceased FIL. We're likely going to sell it to my father who goes biking almost daily if there's no snow on the ground. So maybe he just gets a good deal. At least it will get used.

BMC_Kid 

You're going to sell a bike given to you, to your father? To each their own I guess.

Rick_D

My '81 Campione d'Italia was labeled Columbus Tretubi and also, white. Do not recall it having a chromed chainstay, though. Very different component set here, which seems to have had a ton of swaps. Not versed in the School of Bianchi, though so won't delve any further.

JulesCW 

This is a good project bike for an enthusiastic home mechanic. It is a nice bike that's been neglected for a long while -- like most in that category, it really needs complete going over before being ridden a lot again. That requires lots of cleaning, repacking all of the bearings, possibly/probably new cables, tires, bar tape, etc -- could be $75-$125 in parts, and If you or your father are not experienced bicycle mechanics add a few hundred $$ for labor.

If it was my father I'd fix it up and give it to him -- parts and labor on me. If, as it sounds, you are not equipped to do the work yourself, and you want to sell it to your father, be sure he's aware that he's got to put in several hundred dollars above and beyond his son's "good deal" pricing before he'll be cruising the streets on this bike.

frenchfry53

We're trying to figure that out. My dad doesn't want to take it for free.

frenchfry53

We're trying to figure it all out. My dad has a trek 1200 from 1987 that he restored, so he can do it. He's not wanting to take it for nothing, but if he has to restore it, we might give it to him with the understanding it goes back to my husband's family if he wants to get rid of it. My husband won't ride it, my dad will, and it shouldn't sit in a basement when his dad built it to be used. Btw, I'm his daughter.

JulesCW 

Whoops -- sorry about the "son" assumption -- this list is predominately male.

As it is not a really valuable collectable (it does have value in the $300-$500 range once fixed up) in my opinion giving it to him to restore with the understanding that he return it to your husband's family if/when he's done with it is a good plan. It will live on and be ridden and hopefully enjoyed. Good luck.

frenchfry53

No worries! And thank you!

Kabuki12

In my area a bike like that would top out at about $500 and it would take a while to sell. Bikes that sell quickly are priced very low. It will take a fair amount of work to bring it back to its glory. The bike should be completely disassembled , polished , greased , and perhaps add new cables , brake blocks , and bar wrap. The tires , depending on age might need replacing . Old tires tend to fail at the worst time. I hope your father enjoys this bike , it should be a nice riding machine. Joe

TakingMyTime

Tell him he can buy you dinner.

3alarmer 

...this, mostly. I'm not sure at all about your frame, or its custom order history. But three main tubes Columbus in the 80's was mostly used on mid range bikes. They're solid riders, but they were sold for less money, because they cost less to produce. The mix of components is not unusual, given the history of your bicycle. But it further lowers resale value. (But they are all perfectly functional components.)

An example of a a three tubes Bianchi that was not a custom bicycle would be the Bianchi Nuovo Alloro.