koolerb

I'm trying to figure out what year and model, steel Bianchi, to buy for fast road rides. I know I'm going to be out-classed by all the $10,000 carbon weapons in the group but just want to build something interesting that can hold its own. I'll most likely upgrade the drivetrain so thinking newer is better. I know nothing about Bianchi's range so though I would get some opinions from the experts.

Also, open to non-Bianchi suggestions. I just aways wanted a steel Bianchi so though I would start there. I picked up a Bianchi Strada flat bar bike last year just beat around town. It's not celeste green but I love it.

koolerb

Also, There is a Bianchi Alfana on Marketplace, by me; 7 speed 105, guessing 1990's vintage, it looks fantastic in the pics. Only drawback is it's a 58, I could ride it but but 56 is what I'm leaning towards.

Iride01 

I use to want a steel Bianchi too. I settled for a old '91 Schwin Paramount frame and put what at the time was the latest Shimano 105 5800 groupset on it. It was a nice riding bike. However since I had to buy bars, seat post, sadddle stem and all sorts of other little things besides the components of the group set, it cost almost as much as what a Tiagra equipped bike would cost at that time. And the Tiagra equipped bike would have been a lighter bike by about 4 pounds. Which is a lot for a road bike today IMO.

My frame and fork together for the Paramount was about 6 pounds. If whatever frame and fork you get isn't less, then you are looking at the same 22.5 pound bike I got. Though you could put some very expensive and light wheels on it or do a Ultegra or better groupset and maybe shave a couple pounds off. But then you'd be crazy expensive...IMO, and may as well have spent some extra cash to get a mid-tier carbon bike that will be less than 18 pounds. And way less than $10,0000.

koolerb

I'd like to build something steel, 19-20 lbs. Maybe I'm just looking down a rabbit hole.

Thulsadoom

I rode an 03 Vigorelli for years and many thousands of miles. I loved that thing. All Ultegra. Nothing ever went wrong with that bike.

mackgoo

TSX-UL or an EL-OS

LarrySellerz

Get a 56 that looks like it runs well, year doesn’t matter.

mstateglfr 

Not sure why a Bianchi over any number of other brands. Is it the Celeste paint? If so, cool, that's about the only reason I would think.
There are countless frames that have double butted quality tubing which would build up into a solid steel road bike when a modern drivetrain is added.

Panasonic, Centurion, Bridgestone, Miyata, Colnago, Rossin, etc etc etc. Seriously dozens of brands and tons of models thru the years.

This is how you should search based on priority for an older steel road frame-
- size. Comfortable fit and geometry are the most important.
- modern standards- English threaded bottom bracket, 130mm dropout spacing, recessed nut brakes. These things make hanging modern components a lot easier. There are workarounds for anything that isn't modern, but since these things were around in the early 90s even, a lot of frames are included. The least important is 130mm dropouts. You can rake a frame with older 126mm dropouts and adjust easily.
- quality tubing. Tange Prestige, Tange 1, Reynolds 853, Reynolds 631, Ishiwara 022, Columbus SL or TLX or Zona or ELOS, etc etc etc. There are countless tubesets thru the years that were really high quality. Something that is .8/.5/.8 butted will be relatively light and quality.
- cosmetic condition. Paint good? No dents?

Add the wheels, cockpit, and drivetrain you want.
If the frame uses a threaded headset, get a 26mm stem and use a Soma Hwy1 bar that is 26mm in diameter. It's a really good compact bend that holds modern shifters in a good flat spot.
Or you could buy an innicycle headset and install that. It will allow you to elegantly use a modern threadless stem and 31.8mm bars.



I ride 63cm to 65cm bikes and have built up countless 80s and 90s road bikes with modern drivetrains.
I have never based a build off of low weight, but just quality mid level components and my bikes have all been 20#-23# ready to ride with pedals and cages. The 20# is a cannondale so aluminum frame with carbon fork. All others are steel frame and fork.
A quality mass produced steel rim brake frame from the late 80s in my size is 1950g to 2100g. A quality fork is 650g. A modern aluminum road frame in my size is 1500g to 1700g and a carbon fork will be 450g.
Seriously- the difference is like 1.2 pounds. That's it. It just isn't much.

The difference between a mid-level carbon frame and fork in my size and a quality steel frame and fork from 30+ years ago is just under 2#.

I mention these weights because they are real and will hopefully give perspective.

eljayski

Frame can be had, brand new, and built to fit by the master, for < $2500. Send me a pm for more info. Good luck with your quest!

Mine looks just like this!

veganbikes

What is your actual budget, not how little do you want to spend but how much would you actually spend on the bike to get what you want? There are tons and tons of great builders out there who can whip you up a custom steel frame to whatever geometry you want with whatever tubing and lugs or no lugs and whatever paint you desire. Celeste Green is real purdy and if that is your allure to Bianchi which is understandable, any good painter could do it and your frame builder likely has one they work with or they do it themselves. You can also get super light and pretty competitive with some of these 10k carbon builds. You just have to be willing to put down some money it doesn't have to be 10k but it also can be 10k if you really want to go full dream bike.

LarrySellerz

Veganbikes how tall are you, 6 foot 7?

georges1

Bianchi Mega Pro XL Frame / 56 cm / Mercatone Uno / Boron Steel known as the Bianchi Pinella using Dedacciai Triple butted Boron steel, total weight of the frameset plus fork is 1974 grams. Hard to beat frame. Add 1300$-1500$ for campy equipement and wheels so for 3000$, you have a bike that can easily rival with carbons. Other possibility, a Pinarello Vuelta Frameset 56cm ARX Dedacciai 18 MCDV6HT tubing

ussprinceton

I recently saw a Bianchi Campione with all original parts in my size(56cm) on CraigsList for <$600. It was in excellent condition. Before I could have contacted the seller, he took the ad down 'cause it sold. Oh well. It might be a good thing, since it had old gear ratios. I prefer the newer gear ratios 'cause there are a lot of pretty steep hills where I ride

socalife

I recently purchased a new build Torelli steel tig welded frame (super strada) and Columbus CF fork from ebay and transferred most of the components from the CF frame that I really did not enjoy.
Shimano Ultegra 8000 and Fulcrum racing 3 alloy wheels resulted in 18.5 lbs without pedals. this frame and fork was about 3/4 lb heavier than the CF frame from 2016

ussprinceton

the only Bianchi I would own would have to have the celeste color. If it isn't celeste, I don't want it

aliasfox

I love my 2004 Bianchi Vigorelli in 55 - and no, you can't have it!

If you want an Italian built, Dedacciai (sp) tubed bike, you may have to look at older, 1990s era frames - the benefit there is that you'll get a true Italian road bike, but you'll also be dealing with a threaded headset, Italian threaded BB, and likely a metal fork.

If you go for a 2000s era Imola (originally 105) or Vigorelli (Ultegra, later Rival), you'll have an English threaded BB and a paint-matched treadless fork with carbon blades (and alloy crown/steerer, IIRC). I'm pretty sure they're 1 1/8", so pretty standard. Bianchi made a similar model called the Veloce equipped with (you guessed it) Campagnolo Veloce. Given that this one was painted in Celeste and had "Made in Italy" somewhere on the frame, I don't think it's the same frame as the Imola/Vigorelli, but it looks very similar.

Lastly, these frames are what one would refer to as 'Endurance' geometry these days - relatively short reach, and a mid-height stack. Keep that in mind when you narrow down sizing. I believe the Imola/Vigorelli came in odd numbered sizes, so 53/55/57.

Oldguyonoldbike

As mentioned above, there are a lot of good vintage steel framesets besides Bianchi and you can often find them at decent prices. As for building a sub-20 lb. bike, it's not too hard with high-end steel.
I have a Casati Laser (Dedacciai EOM16.5 steel) with a mix of low to mid-tier Campagnolo components and Fulcrum 5 wheels. There's not a shred of carbon on it. Even with a steel fork, threaded headset and quill stem, SPD pedals, and one steel bottle cage, it only weighs 19.9 lbs. Size 58.

veganbikes

First off it use the @ symbol before the handle so it alerts people when you mention them like LarrySellerz (as you would see it) Secondly, huh? I am not 6 foot 7 and not sure what bearing that has on what I have said? I am just under 6 foot.

LarrySellerz

Don't you ride a 65 frame or something massive like that? For some reason I thought you said you did veganbikes

Wildwood

‘80’s - mostly SL is still mighty fine.
From yesterday’s ride.

koolerb

Thank for the great advice everyone. I ended up putting put the steel bike on the backburner. A CAAD10 came up on Craigslist at a great price and I couldn't resist. I'll start steel bike again as soon as the CAAD is a distant memory in my wifes mind.

LesterOfPuppets

I like the '94-ish EL frames quite a bit. Some vintage guys are turned off by the unicrown fork but I kinda like (must be those chrome socks)

I'd probably go with 9-speed Ultegra with Campag 10sp crankset/BB.

merlinextraligh

Bianchi is Italian for Schwinn. Not bad bikes, but tend to be way over romanticized by many Americans.

znomit

1. Fill a container with Schwinns
2. Send to Italy
3. ?
4. Profit!

LesterOfPuppets

It's not a 2-way street. It's the Brazilians that love Schwinns, not Italians.