styggno1

I have written it here before – Sweden does not have a lot of top-of-the-line vintage lightweights of international calibre. With a somewhat short season cycling has never been a really big sport over here. We have had our share of successful riders, but it is not a sport for the masses and has never been. Therefore, racing exotics when it comes to vintage bicycles are far between.

This means that for a rider and collector like me, before the internet, finding the good stuff locally was very difficult. There was, and to a certain extent still is, a big advantage though – the ones we do have are cheap. There is almost no competition in the market for high end vintage bikes. Most of my collection I have got for almost nothing thru the years (started collecting early to mid 1980ies).

When a local “real” auction house put up this 1987 Bianchi X4 for auction they described it as a 1970ies Bianchi with 26” wheels. They valued it to 8000 Skr (around 800 USD). I knew what it was and was prepared to pay for it. The auction ended well above the valuation but I was prepared to go a lot farther than I had to. It is the most expensive bike I have ever bought. Still, it was a bargain in my book.

From the pictures in the auction, and after I got it home today and have had the chance to have a look at it, it seems to me like it was unused for many years. My theory is that then somebody new got hold of it, got a lock for it and obviously had no idea about bikes – manifested in the over the limit raised stem and tilted saddle. And then used it for a short while. Then, for some reason it ended up at the auction house.

It is, from what I can see, totally original down to the tires, cables, straps and every other little part. Even the Super Record seatpost was specified for the bike originally according to catalogues and other sources (edit - these were also sold as bare frames so let us call it an original build instead). Cobalto brakes and Almarc leather… and it has that nice little “X4” on the brake bridge.

This one is going to be a treat to gently clean and preserve. It is my size exactly (a thing I have always had as a “cap” to limit my collecting) and I might take it for a spin before I clean it but after that it will be retired into the collection. I will keep you updated here when doing the clean-up.

I do believe this might be one of the best-preserved, original and untouched, Bianchi X4: s around.

Happy!

On to the pictures

This is after I set it up for me. Had to untangle the cables (rotate the bars to get them where they are meant to be...)



Before



The money shot



Double Reparto decals






Matching 1986 tubulars front and aft




A few extra pictures in the flickr album
https://www.flickr.com/photos/453061...h/52122407850/

clubman 

Well done! Your collection never fails to amaze.

stardognine

I'm not a "real" roadie, lol, but I'd ride that. 😉 Very nice, congrats. 👍

thinktubes 

When I read the thread title, I thought you scored 4 Bianchis 😜

Soylent 

Incredible. Good for you.

billytwosheds 

What a machine. Congrats on the pickup

merziac

!!!!

Fantastic score!

zukahn1 

Great from what I see no issues other than probably should get new tires and the rear wheel may need a bit of true and maybe light sanding on the scored part. Would seem Odd that it has brake scare on the rim, but piece of sand or small rock gets picked up in the large old school brake graves and one hard brake and you get a scared rim. I have scared a rim in around the block test ride so vintage wise I would say it's near perfect.

jdawginsc 

Wow. Just wow.

Fairlane63

That is a beauty. Doesn't get much better than that. Makes you wonder why the original owner would buy a bike like that and not ride it much if at all?
At least it was stored correctly and kept like new for you to find and appreciate.

obrentharris 

Complete with the cardboard shipping tags on the brake adjusters!
Brent

styggno1

Thank you everybody for the nice cheering!


As the tires are original to the bike and a big part of its history - they will absolutely not be swapped. Or used. If I, in the future, would like to use this bike for anything else than as a display - I do have several other wheels to use for/on it. A pair of C-Record high flange on 1987 correct Campagnolo V-profile rims (Lambda/Omega) if wanting to go for something extra nice.

zukahn1 

I have done the same thing several times on vintage road or MTB's swapped out the nice but slightly delicate OEM wheels for riding with more rugged modern wheel set tires to leave originals intact.

styggno1

We might have a language problem? I have no intention to use "modern wheels". I wrote that I will use a period correct high flange C-Record with 1987 rim.

zukahn1 

I think were not that far apart on a vintage bike like this it's mainly about the tires they can be on nice more modern rims or on vintage if very good. My point is there is no big issue changing wheel sets on vintage 70's and 80's bikes if they work good.

CroMo Mike 

Beautiful Bike! And she's in good hands now.

OTS 

Late to this but
Congrats that's a great score !

tricky 

Whoa! That makes it darn near NOS.

darkmoon

My goodness, a great bike!

Viva, Argentina!

No,no,no, hahaha, Moreno Argentin! worlds 1986, Colorado Springs, America!

I know this bike and saw it at Cycles Yokoo, where they show Gimondi's 1976 Paris Brussels winning Bianchi, in Ueno, Tokyo.
Yeah, Bianchi has been very popular for a long time in Japan, too.
World champion year Bianchi, it's a very special Bianchi.
I don't like C-Record, but, hahaha, not bad.

Cardboard tags of Campy brakes!
Hmmm, they are very rare and precious now.
I bought and used Record and Super Record brake sets, threw away them immediately after completed,,, to save weight, hahaha.

Celeste Verde Almarc is also intact, just finished stitching.

Bianchi-Engraved head tube, I remember it.

I saw your flickr photos.
SSC rims' MAVIC logo is white italic.
It is a proof of early to mid 1980's product.

1987 original and extremely good condition.

Congrats

don compton

Wow, I had one of these in the mid 80's. It was equipped with full Super Record (including a Ti BB). It was pantographed. Great find. Bianchi's "Heyday".

smd4

What a gorgeous bike. That will clean and polish up nicely, for sure!

SJX426 

Definitely a bucket bike! Congrats!

KonAaron Snake 

Even by your standards - this is pretty nice. I have seen so many arguments over what is, and what's not an X-4 over the years - good to see one that is.

styggno1

Thank you!
I believe this to be a quite good place to start in what is and what is not:
https://veloaficionado.com/blog/the-bianchi-x4-code

Olang

Can't believe I missed this post. I remember seeing this bike as well at the auction, and believe I even made a bid or too, but in the end thought it became too expensive for me as it wasn't exactly my size anyway. But as you say, considering what you got, it wasn't that expensive after all! Big congratulations to you. I remember one of my first vintage bikes bought were from an auction too, in Denmark, a 1976/77 Guerciotti in mint condition, built up in 1977, probably used for a short period of time, and then stored away. Didn't pay more than SEK 10.000.

Merry Christmas!