Touring - Bianchi Volpe '06

I have the opportunity to buy a new Volpe from my LBS at, what I conisder to be, a good price. What sort of price would it have to be going for for you to consider it a must buy?

My local dealer is selling them for $935. I like the bike; $700 would get me to think hard about selling my current ride and going for it. (I need that steep discount to overcome the inertia of having 2 functional bikes).

Depends on what your next best option is. For instance, what are you riding now and what do you plan on doing with the Volpe? (Touring, I assume ...)

My local dealer is selling them for $935. I like the bike; $700 would get me to think hard about selling my current ride and going for it. (I need that steep discount to overcome the inertia of having 2 functional bikes).

They're selling it for $36 over list??

They're selling it for $36 over list??

My thoughts exactly.

It's a terrific bike, but not worth a premium over list. My girlfriend paid list for hers and got an extra set of tires (Conti Gatorskins) thrown in.

They're selling it for $36 over list??

My first thought exactly.

It's a terrific bike, but not worth a premium over list. My girlfriend paid list for hers and got an extra set of tires (Conti Gatorskins) thrown in.

i have an old cannondale 3.0, 15 years old or so. i would be using the bianchi for pretty much everything. probably have a set of slicks on them so i can still do some road riding at a decent pace. the price is actually below 700 before tax and what not. think i may have to sell my beloved canny.

You'll be getting an excellent bike that normally sells for an excellent price for an extremely excellent price. How beloved is your cannondale? Does it do what you want it to do? but then again, if it does fit your bill, there's nothing like getting a new bike, especially after 15 years.

If you put conti travelcontacts on the Bianchi (like I did on mine), you'll have it set up for all types of surfaces.

i'm not sure about the tires but i know they said i can switch out the treaded tires for slicks at no extra cost

i have an old cannondale 3.0, 15 years old or so. i would be using the bianchi for pretty much everything. probably have a set of slicks on them so i can still do some road riding at a decent pace. the price is actually below 700 before tax and what not. think i may have to sell my beloved canny.

Below $700 is a great price. My understanding is that components have increased in quality considerably over the past 15 years.

sold my cannondale today and i'll be picking up the volpe tomorrow. i'll post pictures.

sold my cannondale today and i'll be picking up the volpe tomorrow. i'll post pictures.

Post those pictures. The Volpe is hardly discussed on this forum but the it's the value point leader.

Post those pictures. The Volpe is hardly discussed on this forum but the it's the value point leader.

The Jamis Aurora seems comparable to me (I like the lower geared bianchi crankset better though), is it?

i think i'm in love. just brought it home from the shop a little bit ago.
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/6841/img1247kf1.jpg
http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/3796/img1248ln3.jpg
http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/2514/img1249dp6.jpg

sweet!

When I see pictures of it I realize it really is a sweet looking bike. I picked up my '06 Volpe about 2 months back, been on 1 short tour with it so far, had to test it out.

Mine is still all stock too, although I've got some fenders and a rear rack. Dying to take it on a longer tour, just need to find the time... :(

I'm not sure whether to replace the saddle or to embrace the leopard print... maybe get some leopard print handlebar tape, or something.

edit:
Oh yeah... it doesn't just look purty, it's a sweet ride as well!

You get the feeling Bianchi changed the color to match the LHT. My bike is the light blue so it's now outdated. Very nice pictures.

Wow. That is a kewl bike. I dig it.

I'm not sure whether to replace the saddle or to embrace the leopard print... maybe get some leopard print handlebar tape, or something.

I would definitely stick w/ the leopard if I had one. But why didn't they go w/ fox, it's kind of a mixed metaphor as is.

I have an '06 Volpe like yours. Notice you kept the suspension seat post. About 3 weeks after I got it, it started sounding like a squeaky bed. Sounds like it either needs some oil or something. Or maybe I should take it out and use it as a pogo stick.

Sorry about listing these annoyances, but just remembered another. My $250 Bianchi hybrid has two eyelets on the back, one for fenders... one for rack. The Volpe has one set of eyelets. What's with that?

I'v been a hang around at the Bianchi shop here since the early 90's. I have always liked the Volpe, but the specks come and go, in some ways . Mid fork low rider fittings arn't always their. the catalog is'nt always correct. I grabed a 97 from a emploey there. The cat. quote'd 410 cst. but the bike has 435. It is what they call super luged, lugs welded then used in a normal way, I was told that was actuley stronger. the volpe frame hes almost identical geomitry to what Lon Halderman recomends for cros country racing. A Volpe came in the shop one day with 23 cm racing tires on skinnie rims and aero bar, no racks, but the seat was well worn, looked like a real high milage thing. I realy like my LHT and Eros, but If you have a Vople and a couple sets of rims and you can't get what you want to do on a bike done, You better pactice hader!

[QUOTE=sukram]
I'm not sure whether to replace the saddle or to embrace the leopard print... maybe get some leopard print handlebar tape, or something.
QUOTE]

Or bike shorts. Seriously, replace that as soon as possible.