1955 Bianchi Lusso - progress!
01-10-22, 01:11 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Beaverton, OR
Posts: 1,435
Bikes: You had me at rusty and Italian!!
Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 566 Post(s)
Liked 1,050 Times
in
544 Posts
1955 Bianchi Lusso - progress!
I bought this machine from a family that owned since ~1970 and the bike had, umm, “challenges”. No, it’s not original but I’m not sure how far I want to go in that direction. I isn’t made ‘o money and a few euros have already been dropped in Italy but we’ll see how things progress.
I did a VERY rough fit since gugie was able to help out with steerer tube. Thanks Mark!
The front brakes are a nightmare to assemble. Handlebar off, slide pads onto stirrups, slide stirrup into guide on fork, slide spring and cap onto stirrup, screw on nut and get pads roughly in place.
Get handlebar/stem, start to slide into steerer, line up brake rod with stirrup, slide all of it together - not too far down or up since the rod and stirrup end only have so much length, tighten expander nut in stem some but not fully in case you need to move the whole assembly. If everything is close to correct, start to tighten hardware, sip a bit of Barolo and pray the the brakes do something close to stopping the bike.
Enough whining, here is the VERY rough assembly.
Sorry about the NDS photo. There’s nothing being driven so kind of irrelevant.
Because I am a sucker and glutton for punishment this will be getting a restoration. I like patina but this one’s a bit too patinated for me and my incredibly low standards.
I did a VERY rough fit since gugie was able to help out with steerer tube. Thanks Mark!
The front brakes are a nightmare to assemble. Handlebar off, slide pads onto stirrups, slide stirrup into guide on fork, slide spring and cap onto stirrup, screw on nut and get pads roughly in place.
Get handlebar/stem, start to slide into steerer, line up brake rod with stirrup, slide all of it together - not too far down or up since the rod and stirrup end only have so much length, tighten expander nut in stem some but not fully in case you need to move the whole assembly. If everything is close to correct, start to tighten hardware, sip a bit of Barolo and pray the the brakes do something close to stopping the bike.
Enough whining, here is the VERY rough assembly.
Sorry about the NDS photo. There’s nothing being driven so kind of irrelevant.
Because I am a sucker and glutton for punishment this will be getting a restoration. I like patina but this one’s a bit too patinated for me and my incredibly low standards.
Likes For RustyJames:
01-10-22, 01:19 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Beaverton, OR
Posts: 14,744
Bikes: Yes
Mentioned: 525 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3230 Post(s)
Liked 3,868 Times
in
1,439 Posts
Hey! I just saw one of those yesterday! Or, more to the point, I saw that one in gugie's workshop. It looks nice assembled like this.
That's a tough call on the patina. I'm glad it's your decision and not mine.
That's a tough call on the patina. I'm glad it's your decision and not mine.
__________________
My Bikes
My Bikes
01-10-22, 01:47 PM
#3
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Beaverton, OR
Posts: 1,435
Bikes: You had me at rusty and Italian!!
Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 566 Post(s)
Liked 1,050 Times
in
544 Posts
Sad to say but too much of the paint is gone so off to the paint shop it will go.
Recommendations where I can get the “Bianchi Lusso” decals? Anyone…?
01-10-22, 06:20 PM
#4
Bianchi Goddess
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Shady Pines Retirement Fort Wayne, In
Posts: 27,858
Bikes: Too many to list here check my signature.
Mentioned: 192 Post(s)
Tagged: 2 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2930 Post(s)
Liked 2,924 Times
in
1,491 Posts
Cool Bianchi.
the sales rep gave me this brochure, sadly in Italian, around ‘93ish. I think Bianchi USA was gauging interest or something but I don’t think it ever went anywhere. IIRC they were real pricey.
The man’s bike was the Rex and there was a woman’s named Regina.
the sales rep gave me this brochure, sadly in Italian, around ‘93ish. I think Bianchi USA was gauging interest or something but I don’t think it ever went anywhere. IIRC they were real pricey.
The man’s bike was the Rex and there was a woman’s named Regina.
__________________
“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
01-10-22, 06:34 PM
#5
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Beaverton, OR
Posts: 1,435
Bikes: You had me at rusty and Italian!!
Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 566 Post(s)
Liked 1,050 Times
in
544 Posts
Cool Bianchi.
the sales rep gave me this brochure, sadly in Italian, around ‘93ish. I think Bianchi USA was gauging interest or something but I don’t think it ever went anywhere. IIRC they were real pricey.
The man’s bike was the Rex and there was a woman’s named Regina.
the sales rep gave me this brochure, sadly in Italian, around ‘93ish. I think Bianchi USA was gauging interest or something but I don’t think it ever went anywhere. IIRC they were real pricey.
The man’s bike was the Rex and there was a woman’s named Regina.
I have no doubt a “modern” version of this bike could be quite spendy especially if it was made in Italy to a high standard.
I was hunting for parts on the interwebz and found NEW handlebars that are dead-ringers for the bars on my bike. Crazy part, they were on Amazon.it !?
