SpeedofLite 

In what has to be the most unorthodox use of magazine page space I've seen yet, the 10 bikes listed below were reviewed in the first Bicycling issue of 1982.
Photos are scattered haphazardly with hardly any association with the text describing the bike.
And unfortunately, I've had to split the article into two parts to comply with the image limit for each post.

Part 1 (this post)
BIANCHI Nuovo Racing
BIANCHI Limited
LOTUS Super Pro
PANASONIC DX-2000

Part 2 (in a different post)
REDCAY Tandem
ROSS Signature Touring
SAINTROPEZ 710
SCHWINN Super Sport
TREK 728
UNIVEGA Specialissima

Of special C&V significance, note the small ad for Mountain Bikes [sic] on p94 in Part 2.
It's the first MountainBikes ad I've come across, but I certainly could have missed previous ones.
If we're lucky, maybe Repack Rider will share pricing, effectiveness, and other details. Maybe even a scan of that first catalog?

Anyway, this article is similar to eating chicken wings. It's messy, you have to be patient, and you have to dig for the meat.
But once you find it, it's not so bad.
It also reminds me of an old girlfriend who was always telling me she is looking for a man who will peel grapes and feed them to her.
We probably would have stayed together longer if she would have agreed to disassemble chicken wings for me.
But alas, we were not to be.

Oh yeah....the road test article....sorry.

imakecircles

Thanks for this. I have a '82 Bianchi Nuovo Racing, and it's fun to read an original review on it.

SpeedofLite 

You're welcome. Post a photo of your Bianchi. Current photos of these road test bikes always add value to the old articles.

imakecircles

Here are several photos. I believe it was made in '82 based on the SN; however likely sold as an '83 based on the review which said that Bianchi used Ofmega components starting then, which this bike has.

Wildwood 

Early '80s Bianchi Limited. Loved it when i owned it.

pastorbobnlnh 

Well, somehow, I missed this 2 years ago and made a fool of myself last evening requesting Speed of Lite post it early in 2022. Here's my Lotus Super Pro Aero as bought a several years ago.
I purchased it from the original owner who was a professional racer and triathlete sponsored by Shimano and Lotus. He preferred Faimme Red label tubulars over the spec'd Ayra aero rims. Eventually he upgraded the crankset and pedals to newer Dura Ace clipless. He also preferred Cinelli bars, Turbo saddles, and 36-hole hubs (originally spec'd with 32).

He trashed the rear wheel in the late '90s and used a Mavic clincher he had and re-laced it to the DA AX rear UG freehub (I have since swapped the Mavic for a NOS Faimme).

When I bought it, the owner was in his late 70s and had not ridden it for about a decade. I've stripped and cleaned all the parts, frame, the old red Mastic off the front Faimme, and I'm now rebuilding as my retirement rider on the coast of GA. Hopefully before Christmas it will finally experience asphalt once again!

ZudeJammer

my Kuwahara Count has that same" set screw adjustment" just like the Saintropez 710

embankmentlb

I certainly enjoyed the part about the DX-2000.
I put many thousands of miles on mine back in the 80s. In fact I have it in pieces here somewhere. Excellent bike for the money at that time.