OlderNotWiser

Just came across another example for sale at veloseven dot com (apologies, I cannot post links yet), a cycle shop in Poznan in Poland bearing the frame number BC0C34. The ad states the number as being BC0034 but probably a misreading.
Looks like a good example too.

styggno1

OlderNotWiser put to my attention a bike at veloseven dot com. It is said to have the serial BCOO34 but I am fairly certain it is BCOC34. I am also certain it is rapainted frame.

Picture borrowed from veloseven




New in red.
F020(added 15/12 2018)
F030
F041 (added 13/10 2017 owned by c c rider)
F058
F136 (added 7/7 2016 found at "vintage art work" on flickr)
F208 (added 13/10 2017 - owner - bloodytea.
F.243 (added 5/5 2016 - and also has a dot as 254)
F.254 (has a dot between F and number)
F268 (added 29/4 2020 - found on instagram) Gewiss colours
F277 (added 29/4 2020 - found at Premium Cycling)
F287 (added 16/8 2016 - found in old ebay auction)
F.301 (added 10/5 2021 - by owner OlderNotWiser)
F326 (added 17/1 2017 - found at registrostoricocicli.com)
F370
F382 (mine)
F403 the one in the PDF-file at https://www.ciclimasini.com/images/90...i%20Caurus.pdf

BCOC34 (added 15/5 2021 - found at veloseven.com)
BCOC88 (added by Pattycakes in the thread)
BCOC104 (added 25/10 2016 courtesy of scooterpants) Stolen in 1993 - if you see it - let scooterpants know.
BCOC112 (added 25/10 2016 courtesy of scooterpants)
BCOC115 (added 25/10 2016 courtesy of scooterpants)
BCOC157
BCOC359 (last digit might also be a 3) (added 28/2 2017 - from telaio Bianchi Columbus Max BDC-Forum.it)
BCOC360
BCOC515 (the O probably stamped at an angle - making it look like BCCC)

OlderNotWiser

You may well be right on the paint job. It seems to be outside the usual realms of 'celeste' which did, as you know, vary as well as the lack of scratches and chips plus what are probably replacement decals.This probably accounts for the misreading of the frame id.
As I used to match silks from archived examples for ceremonial robes and my wife being a restorer of oil pantings, we come to the same conclusion, however, representation on the screen + lighting +whatever variable can mislead us but.... resprayed wethinks.

felipecely9

I am having this same issue.... trying to post photos so I can date my bike etc.

felipecely9

It looks very similar to me!

OlderNotWiser

If you do post pictures before your ten posts, they do get uploaded to your 'personal' gallery and can be viewed by members.
Cheer, John.

OlderNotWiser

styggno1 Just looking at the picture of the coral pearl and black Caurus Proto frame on the first page of this thread and something struck me as being oddly familiar.
The loss of black paint at the steering head, top tube and losses on the top tube decal are identical to those on my frame so it would appear that that is on my late next-door neighbour's sofa. In short, you already have a picture of my frame and here is another for comparison:


ETA: Any idea where you found the picture? Love to know where it was, there may be others.

Carabo

I am the current owner of F402, which came up locally a few years ago. It came without any trace of the original paint and with the max forks long gone. I had it resprayed in a celeste pearl, colour matched from another Bianchi frame (Mega Pro XL). It's such a hard colour to properly capture on camera. I'm going to sell it soonish as it's not my size. It has a 54cm top tube (c-c). During repaint I had a full carbon fork painted to match the frame. The fork isn not period correct but does complement the frame nicely for the size of its fork blades. If anyone is interested making me an offer please drop me a message.

Bianchi Proto



Two more images here: https://imgur.com/a/I9kxFBX

OlderNotWiser

Just a small bit of additional info ref. cable routing. Like your frame, my F.301 also has the top tube run from the bottom to the top.
Odd that, for a model with a fairly short history would have such variation in this regard and that the timeline does not seem to be a factor.

Bianchigirll 

I agree. It was my understanding that he ones for the US market were shipped airfreight to he US in primer for painting here. Whether that could account for any differences in the frames spotted in the US who knows. I have two, one bought new and one used in 2009. The later has a pump peg and dual bottle bosses but it was repainted at least once and is currently red My original only has one set of bosses and no peg. The serials are only 5 or 6 apart.

Jmpierce

I've posted this elsewhere but I'm really happy with how it turned out. I purchased this from the original owner. It's an 89 CiD mostly original.

OlderNotWiser

Crumbs, the difference between such close serial numbers is rather baffling! Like your first beast, mine shares the lack of pump boss & just the one set of bottle bosses.
Shame about the 🧐 repaint on no.2 but very pretty ponies anyway!
Edited to add: I wonder if the company did this sort of 'switcheroo' to deliberately confuse enthusiasts and/or future archeologists. After all, J.k.Rowling was asked as to why she wrote such impenetrable rules for the game of quidditch. Her answer was simple: "To confuse men."

MarcBiajantschi

Hello guys, I came across this thread several times and so I decided to join you.
It will take me some time to go through all entries here. I really like the shape of the Proto
but I had just one chance to get one in 2020. Unfortunately I was too late. Another guy possesses such a frame as well
but for me 60cm are to big in size.

Since I'm new to that forum I would like to ask you whether there is a way here to get one and joining this
group while building it up again. I am grateful for every hint.

See you soon.

Bianchigirll 

Hello and welcome to the forums. The Bianchi Proto is very elusive. I only have my red one because I was offered it out of the blue and jumped on it.

Diligence and patience are key. Frequent searches on eBay, Craigslist (or regional equivalent) are sometimes fruitful, also if you know how to set up a search thing that automatically lets you know when a Bianchi Proto is listed that is a big help. Years ago I was sitting alert duty for my Reserve unit and had too much time on my hands. After countless hours on eBay I scored my other Bianchi unicorn a Megatube Ti.

MarcBiajantschi

Thank you very very much Bianchigirll (:
I'll give it a try. These are hints that help me a lot. May I ask you, which platforms do have such a automatic search option? I'm not very familiar with that automatic thing.
Which size your Proto actually had? And thank you very much for welcome me. (:

skillasw

Just a quick correction…I am the current owner of F041…for a couple of years now styggno1

F041 Bianchi Proto

Bianchigirll 

^ Interesting.... You have a number tab, one bottle cage and top tube cable guides.

MarcBiajantschi

It has the cable guides like an early one but the new decals. I thought the fork was very very a specific feature of the Proto. Was it changed here or did this frame just never have this
massive fork? The paint also seems to have that shiny blue clear coat on it like I know from Ventos 505, 506 and so on.

Bianchigirll 

I see what you mean. Maybe it was repainted with the Nuovo Celeste if the mid to later ‘90s.

I noticed the fork but that is another mystery. They usually have the MAX fork and I can’t imagine changing it for the ride. Maybe steerer thread damage

MarcBiajantschi

Unfortunately no offers at the moment. At least one seller showed up with the right size but he needs some time to overthink it, he said.
Anybody here who could share one of a few? Whatever I found not fitting my size will be posted here so that everyone gets one.

Bianchigirll 

I'm busy trying to scan my Bianchi catalogs and upload them to FB whilst I spend the weekend in self imposed isolation. Here are the 1990 and 1991 Proto pages from the Bianchi USA catalogs. Not neither have dual bottle bosses or pumps and the the Century Finish Record equipped '91 is a substantial jump in price.

Bianchigirll 

I forgot to triple check the serial numbers on my Protos when I moved them after taking down the tree. I have been spending lots of time scanning my old Bianchi catalogs and other misc catalogs and information and uploading it to my facebook page. I came across this old road test article featuring the Proto in 1988. IIRC it wasn't available in the US until '90 so did it take that long to actually confirm the geometry and secure enough tubesets to make a production run or was development and testing just too late to make the '89 model year? The entire article is both post here in it's own thread and in my facebook albums. Notice the fork crown is much sleeker than the sort of unicrown adopted for production bikes







The price is interesting too. It states $2000 for the frameset and $3500 for the complete bike. My '90 catalog list the price at $2400 wif Dura Ace, and IIRC I paid around $775+/- for mine with employee discount and warranty credit on a broken Super Leggera frame

Bianchigirll 

For the record the Celeste Proto, originally purchased new frame/fork in ‘90 is B000 64 it arrived to me with only one set of bosses and no pump peg.

The red Proto acquired in ‘09 and repainted at least once before I got it is B000 73 I do not know if the second bottle bosses and pump peg are original or added at the repaint. The RD cable routing is external on the red versus internal on the Celeste one




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Pacsiah

Hello all! i know this is the Proto thread, but can we discuss the pro/cons/differences/loves/hates of the MiniMax vs Max? i lovm both. but any firsthand experience w a MiniMax tubed bianchi??
cheers!

mrjav

Hi all,

I just saw this stunner listed for sale on facebook's Italian Vintage Bikes page. White with celeste splatter!?! Yes, please! Thank goodness it's a small one!

No serial number shown.