Road Cycling - Bianchi Price?

Hey all,

I recently have been looking at some mid range Bianchi road bikes...specifically the Veloce and Vigarelli....

Ive ridden a few and yesterday at LBS I found a Vigarello that fit me like a glove and I fell in love with it.

Problem: Im not sure if Im getting a good deal. A Vigarello retails for 1699.99.....the LBS had it on 'close out' (last years model) for 1599.99 and the owner offered to knock 20 bucks off the price for a shifter that was marred up. The bike is straight Ultegra, steel frame and has a Mavic Cosmos wheelset. Nice.
They didnt offer any other extras, and would not come down on the price though...

Not sure who here is familliar with Bianchi prices etc. But do you think this is a good deal? I was ready to buy but ended up walking out empty handed and told them Id think it over and come back. I keep thinking about it though, just not sure if this is too much to pay for this bike......

$ 1599 seems like a good price for full Ultegra. Maybe you could call some other Bianchi dealers and see what they are selling the bike for. If your budget is a little more I might suggest the LeMond Zurich. It retails for about $ 1800 with full Ultegra, Bontrager Race Lite, no pedals.

Good Luck, and be sure to let us know what you decide.

Dax

Guillermo,

I looked for other bianchi dealers but there are only two where I live and both have no older models left. The bike is last years model...most stores here sell the bikes new for 1600+....I figured 1599 minus 20 bucks for the shifter was not bad, just wanted to know if anyone else had heard of these going for lower.

My real beef with the price (and why Id like this bike to be 100 bucks cheaper) is that Im still trying to decide if its worth getting the Vigorelli with the Ultegra and Cosmos wheels or just opting for the cheaper Veloce....
I remember reading that for some odd reason the Veloce's frame was made in Italy, while the Vigorelli uses a taiwainese frame with reynolds tubing. Both frames are nice but The Veloce is cheaper due to the Campy Veloce components.

Maybe you can base your decision on what component set you like better then? Campy or shimano! I have never tried Veloce, someone else with a little expertise needs to chime in here (Velocipedio!). Maybe you could try calling Bianchi dealers in other areas, just to check prices.

Maybe compare the sort of steel used in the two frames. Is the Vigarello better than the Veloce, the same?

Dax

Sounds pretty reasonable to me. Regarding the $100 discount, what are the differences between the '01 and '02 models? Ultegra hasn't changed significantly in the last year. I'm assuming both have threadless headsets. Are the wheels the same? The biggest concern I would have in this situation, all other things being equal, is with components, etc. becoming obsolete. Which shouldn't become an issue for several years in any case. Aside from that, if everything is the same, you're getting a $100 discount and probably a different paint job. Getting a much better price on an old model right now is probably unlikely, but you ought to get him to throw in a water bottle and cage anyhow. ;)

My riding buddy bought a Vigorelli about 7 months ago. He got his for just about $1500. I think that it was on a 10 % discount. He got it in a San Francisco bay area shop--I think, in Los Altos. He has been very happy with it and it has really improved his riding. He has had some problems with the cables and the derailleur adjustments. Those problems don't bother him much, but they would drive me crazy.

He is not on the forums. If you want to chat with him about the bike send me a private email about the Vigorelli and I will forward it to him.

Rich

Thanks for the replies everyone,

I just found a shop that gave me a great price on a Bianchi Veloce though....I prefer the Italian frame of the Veloce to the Taiwanese of the Vigorelli. The Veloce also sports Campy group (veloce and centaur)......got it in 'Celeste'......cant wait to get it on the road!!!:beer:

H20.1,

Congratulations on your new bike! I bought a Bianchi Campione about a month ago and I love it so far. I agree with you - Italian frame, Campy components, and Celeste are the way to go!

I'm tellin' ya, I upgraded my lemond nevada city to veloce. Live is sooo beautiful now!!!!
American frame, Italian components, an english saddle and flatproof Armadillos. This is heaven!!!

Thought you might like to know that I have been riding a Veloce for two years now. This is a good steel bike with entry level race geometry. The Campy shifting has been flawless and having the thumb shifter located on the brake hood has been a major plus for me. I am not against Shimano though I just assume to keep it on my mt. bike. The veloce is a tad heavy but very comfortable on long rides. They do have short TOP TUBES (TP) in comparision to the Seat Tube(ST) length. My Veloce is size 59cm., the ST is 59 cm and the TP is 57cm so beware. Overall, this is a great bike and have done many long rides. Italians really know there stuff when it comes to cycling. Pick the Veloce

Originally posted by iamsparticus
Thought you might like to know that I have been riding a Veloce for two years now. This is a good steel bike with entry level race geometry. The Campy shifting has been flawless and having the thumb shifter located on the brake hood has been a major plus for me. I am not against Shimano though I just assume to keep it on my mt. bike. The veloce is a tad heavy but very comfortable on long rides. They do have short TOP TUBES (TP) in comparision to the Seat Tube(ST) length. My Veloce is size 59cm., the ST is 59 cm and the TP is 57cm so beware. Overall, this is a great bike and have done many long rides. Italians really know there stuff when it comes to cycling. Pick the Veloce

Yes, I noticed that (short top tube)....for my body size the shorter top tube is fantastic, as I dont have a long torso.... My Bianchi frame size is 57....fits like a glove.

I think steel frames in general always feel a tad heavy. I think its worth it for the ride charachteristics though. The 2002 has a threadless headset and carbon fork...might be a little lighter than the one you currently ride? Between the Veloce and Vigarelli, I think the Veloce is an all around better deal....the Campy Veloce performs just as well as Ultegra in my opinon even though it is heavier, and I just didnt want to pay 1600 bucks for a Taiwanese frame.