Andy_K 

I've gotta join the chorus against the wheel decals. Have you tried hitting them with a heat gun?

Moose

I am gonna stand up and vote for the decals. I get the irony and I think it looks cool. I am pretty sure they make you faster too, the raised edges serve the same purpose as the dimples on a golf ball.

himespau 

Hey, it's a winter bike. Any extra stickers protect the frame (or in this case, wheels) itself from damage/corrosion (I know, I know, the rims are aluminum, but that's my point and I'm sticking to it). Sticker that baby up.

greg3rd48 

@RiddleOfSteel I like it a lot! Decals or no decals it looks great.

arimajol

I like that! So clean.

Andy_K 

I hadn't noticed the XT rear derailleur and the big cassette until now. That I like.

Narhay

Guys, we are missing the big faux pas. No, not the wheel decals.

Look at the small chainring big cog combo for the photo. Who is going to go fast like that???

ridelikeaturtle

I like the contrast between the shouty wheels and subdued frame - keep the decals!

malcala622

Decals Lives Matter!!!

seypat

Is the front fender on correctly? It seems really close to the ground. Maybe the bracket should be attached in front of the fork. Maybe not.

noglider 

Yes, it's correct. Some people like long fenders. More coverage means less splash. The downsides are cost and convenience when removing the front wheel.

Dfrost 

That’s the way SKS fenders fit when I used them on my wife’s bike. As @noglider points out, having the fender flap near the ground does a great job keeping feet dry.

The semi-rigid nature of those SKS flaps make it harder to fit in a full length bike rack “tray”, but I know @RiddleOfSteel would never desecrate his beloved Camaro with a roof rack!

beicster 

Put me in the "keep the decals" camp. They play well with the subdued frame.

Andy_K 

The other thing the "semi-rigid" nature of the flap does is make the fender into a fairly efficient scoop. This is worth noting because I don't see SKS's safety release on the front fender mount. Am I just missing it somehow?

I had this happen with the SKS Longboards on my Grand Record last summer:



I guess I had enough of a gap to avoid triggering the release mechanism because this just rubbed the tire and brought me to a slow and painless stop. A couple of months later while riding the CZ Trail with some C&Vers I heard an awful racket of rattling plastic coming from a bike behind me. I turned around to find nazcalines had caught a stick with his fender that did trigger the release mechanism. It was noisy, but the release tab did its job.

The results without a quick release can be extremely bad.

RiddleOfSteel

Would it be a Campagnolo Chorus against the decals? I haven't tried the heat gun yet, in part because I don't own one, the other part being I didn't think about doing that. It is effective, but again, I don't want two shades of black on the wheels.

Thank you! They certainly do make me faster. And I feel faster, and that's important for us Gen Y and Millenial kids to feel good about everything every single second... Also, second that golf ball dimples thinking. I like that. Infallible logic!

Also a most excellent point! Thank you! And come to think of it, all the road soot that invariably turns everything dark grey will first turn my wheels dark grey. Look! All of us can win here! I'll just have to take a picture when it gets that bad. No need to bother with Photoshop helping decide the debate, all I need is rain, road gunk, and plenty of time.

Thank you so much! Commuted on it today--what a great, fun bike!

Thanks, Andy. You're coming around. Soon, you will love the wheel decals... But really, I wanted a triple crank's range in a double while using the 7900 shifters. Perhaps I am a little tired of the 3x10 Campy setup, as good as it has been. FD shifting issues have plagued the Super Le Tour and I didn't want to deal with it, or the fact that Campy just can't offer much of anything outside of a 13-26T cassette. The XT rear derailleur is fantastic. Very smooth with a lot of chain capacity, cog capacity (36T max officially), and articulation. Their price (new) is also a great deal. I like the looks as well.

You have found me out! I only go fast down hill--the rest is for show!

Thank you both! They are here to stay!

Haha, yes they do!

RiddleOfSteel

The directions that SKS provides shows both mounting positions. Behind the fork is surprisingly low. Scandalously low, even! I did think about mounting it in the front. The benefits of rear mounting is 1) I don't have to mess with already-mounted brake hardware (or just messing with it in general) 2) It mounts easily to a rear bolt with just a nut 3) With it mounting 7mm off the back of the fork, I don't have to bend the slotted mount bracket, which is what I have to do with ones mounted in the front to avoid interfering with the headset.

Yup. Thankfully the purchase price was reasonable (anything new in the $40-50 range is a good price to me, especially as it means you get all the necessary hardware). I made sure to provide enough room for wheel removal, even if it adds to the 'scooper' predilection.

Ah yes, my beloved El Camarillo! No one makes roof racks for them, which is understandable as they have essentially no roof in T-tops form! I have thought about it, though. Sea Sucker makes products for people in my situation. I have no desire to fit a trailer hitch to my car, even if it has a truck axle.

You aren't missing it (good eye), SKS supplied M5 bolts and my eyelets take an M6. I need to pick up long M6 bolts to make it work. For now, clean roads and no trails. I never competed or tried pole vault, and I'm not about to start now.

sanmi

I built this up last winter and it's been my main ride this year with nearly 3,000 miles so far. It fits me like a glove and has reassuringly predictable handling. The Salsa Cowbell handlebar is super comfortable and the new Tiagra 4700 shifts flawlessly. Wheels are hand built with Sun rims and Dura Ace 7400 hubs. Not a lightweight build at ~23lbs but just what I need for daily road rides.

sport sx.JPG
sport sx 2.JPG

RiddleOfSteel

Beautiful Bianchi! That Tiagra group looks right at home on it. I tend to think that modern all-black groupsets have been a blessing to Bianchi's in that Celeste looked/looks great with silver components back when they were new, but black components look great now that the bikes are C&V, giving them a sort of new aesthetic life. The contrast really pops. Plus, with Tiagra, you aren't spending a million dollars to look really good! 23 lbs, to me, is a very good weight to be at for a classic steel bike, especially with STIs and 10 speeds out back. The shift levers, in combination with the stem conversion, add up to make a really really nice and 'sure' feeling front end, both in and out of the saddle. Glad it has been so good for you; may it continue to be for many years to come!

dunrobin

Result is truly a nice, thought out build. Keep the decals, makes it go faster?

RiddleOfSteel

Thank you! I am keeping the decals as they do make me go faster.

sanmi

Thanks! Glad you like it.

I agree this is a really affordable way for the mechanically inclined to procure an excellent performing bike. Especially with fantastic affordable modern group sets so readily available.

I also agree that the modern stem instills confidence. I had a traditional quill initially, which was fine, but I did notice the difference when I switched while riding aggressively.

This frame came to me in rough shape. I should pay some pics on the before and after thread later...

ollo_ollo

Another vote to keep the decals and you are right, Winter rain crud will tone them down in no time at all.
Don

Stevensb 

Bike is gorgeous. What stem and bars combo do you have going there?

Thanks.

Brad

Vonruden

Thanks! Nitto Craft stem with Nitto Noodle bars.

kingston 

I updated this 1989 Team Miyata with Campagnolo Athena. It's my first bike with brifters or a compact crankset. I can't say I think either one is that great.