BonesHoffe

I purchased a Bianchi road bike way back in 1982 in Calgary, AB, CA, I still have the bike and it's in very good condition. The serial number of this bike is AS20074. I wondering what it might be worth in today's market & looking for any info on where it may have been manufactured given the serial number. I would post photos of the bike but apparently as a new user cannot until I make 10 posts within this forum 🤷🏻‍♂️.

Clang

If you create an album in your user profile and add the picture there, someone with posting privileges can fish it out for you.

BonesHoffe

Done that I think.

Stevensb 

Hey. Just checked and don’t see an album. Try again?

Where did you buy it in Calgary? Vitasport?

cheers.

Brad

BonesHoffe

Hey Brad:
Try now. 1982 was 40 years ago so I can't remember exactly. There used to be a gold & black sticker on the bike where I originally purchaased. If my memory serves me correctly, it was the International Cycling Centre? Not sure Vitasport was in business way back then 🤷🏻‍♂️.
Cheers,
Bones

T-Mar

That's a 1982, Japanese manufactured Bianchi. It has a SunTour Blue LIne rear derailleur, which is era correct, so I assume it is OEM. The shift levers are not stem mounted, which is a good sign. While the crankset is cotterless. it is only a swaged model. The rims are aluminum but are 27" and the rear axle is nutted. I don't see any tubing decals on the frame and the seat post diameter looks relatively small. My overall impression of the bicycle is that it's around the crossover point from uppper entry level to lower mid-range. However, it may be a hi-tensile steel tubeset, as opposed to a having carbon-maganese or chromium-molybdenum main triangle. That is going to have a substantial effect on the price. Consequently, we should try to determine the composition of the main trtiangle from the seat post diameter.

BonesHoffe

Thanks T-Mar:

Given I bought this bike when I was a summer student, I doubt very much it was a higher end model.

In terms of testing the composition of the triangle frame, how would I do that? Use a magnet for steel composition?

I recently had the bike in for maintenance so I replaced the original seat & the pedals for more modern versions but still have these original parts in my possession.

Cheers,
Bones Hoffe

DMC707

Neat bike with a nice backstory

Hope it can bring you a few more miles and smiles

Others have hit the nail on the head about the bike -- it appears to be in very nice shape and clean . Value to a total outsider like me would be maybe $175 - $200 max but it may have higher intrinsic value to someone else and these basic 10 and 12 speeds from this era can carry a small premium in a college town as they are old enough to be "retro-cool" , especially if they are from a maker like Bianchi, which means "Fancy bike" even to non bike people.

.

T-Mar

We get an indcation of the tubing alloy by measuring the diameter of the seat post. As alloys increase in strength, the tubes can be manufactured thinner. Since the outside diameter of the seat tube is standard, larger diamter seat posts are indicative of thinner tubing better grade alloys being used.

If you remove the seat post, the diamter may be stamped into the seat post, usually just below the minimum insertion mark, about 5 - 8cm from the bottom of the post. Typically, if would be somewhere in the range of 25.4mm to 27.2mm. If it's not stamped, then you have to measure the diameter, preferably with calipers,

BonesHoffe

Hey T-Mar:

Took out the seat post and its 26.0 mm in diameter. I uploaded a pic of the seat post to my "1982 Bianchi Road Bike" album.

Cheers,
Bones Hoffe

jdawginsc 

Seems to be a Canadian market tweener between a Special and a Sport SS.

I don’t think any of the US models had Blue Line.

T-Mar

That's down in the range of a hi-tensile tubeset. Having said that, I went back and checked my database of Bianchi serial numbers and found another 1982 Canadian market model with SunTour Blue Line derailleurs. It used a carbon-manganese tubeset with a 26.4mm seat post.

It seems a bit strange that they would spec Blue Line derailleurs on both the hi-tensile and carbon-manganese frames. Consequently, I'm wondering if maybe the previous owner installed a smaller diameter seat post for some reason? This should be easy to versify via examination of the cinch slot cut into the back of the seat tube. If it's really a carbon-manganese frame requiring the 26.4mm seat post, the cinch slot will be about 2mm narrower at the top than at the bottom. If the 26.0mm post is correct, then the cinch slot will only be about 0.5mm narrower at the top. If you're unsure, just post a photo of the cinch slot.

I know that a difference of 0.4mm in seat post diameter does not sound like much but it's a significant difference when talking wall thickness of bicycle tubing. It would make a difference of $25-$50 in the selling price.

BonesHoffe

T-Mar:

Given I have been the only owner of this bicycle I can say with 100% confidence that this is the original seat post. Also, as you suggested, I again removed the seat post & snapped a pic where the seat attachs and posted it to my "1982 Bianchi Road Bike" album. As the pic shows, the seat tube does decrease in diameter where the seat attaches but I can't give you an accurate measurement as I do not own a caliper.

Duh! Just added another pic to my "1982 Bianchi Road Bike" album which shows the cinch slot cut into the back of the seat tube. This is what you were asking for I believe.

Cheers,
Bone Hoffe

T-Mar

I have seen cases where owners have forgotten about changes to their bicycles, so it doesn't hurt to ask. Regardless, it looks like it is the correct post. In which case, it would appear be a hi-tensile tubeset. Calgary is quite a hot market and while I haven't been following pricing closely since Covid-19, I'd value it at around $250 CDN. Hopefully, some members from the Calgary region will turn up be able to provide more accurate evluations. If not, it won't hurt to start with a slightly higher asking price and see what kind of offers you receive.