Commuting - bianchi or trek?

Straight to the point- I'm looking at two bikes. Bianchi Brava, and Trek 1000. Bianchi Brava runs 600 for '02, 650 for '03. Trek 1000 is 550. The bike would be for "sporty" riding, errands, and maybe riding a little ways to the town across the bay. The terrain is a little hilly. I would appreciate any help balancing the two. This will be my first road bike so i'm a wee bit excited. Thanxs for any help. I've been gone for a little while but the warm weather finally came back to Minnesota, so my demand for bicycling is back.

From looks of it, the trek would probably be a bit lighter, but would have a harsher ride. And the bianchi being a steel frame would give you a more comfortable ride, but be a little heavier. I would probably go with the bianchi just because I like bianchi better then trek, for no good reason :) Components seem comparable between the two.


Have you ridden both which feels better?

You have to go with the Bianchi. All cool, sexy riders have them.

I tried out the Bianchi in a parking lot, it felt comfortable even going over a speed bump. I will test ride the Bianchi some more when the roads clear up, and i'll test the Trek soon.

Bianchi has been described as the "Trek of Europe", so doesn't seem to be much difference in the companies. Both build excellent machines. But the steel vs. aluminum is a completely different issue. Check out all the responses in the "steel bike vs. aluminum" thread in Road Cycling forum. Loads of info and opinions and experience. As you will read, steel will give you a superior ride. You may also want to think about getting a triple group on the bike if you are planning on doing a lot of hill riding.

Check out the clearance at the caliper brakes, for wider tyres and fenders. For your style of riding, more clearance is always better.
Also, for the same "size" of bike, measure up the length of the top tube + the stem. Sometimes these differ between manufacturers, so you can chose the length which is most comfortable.

Go with the Bianchi. The Campy components will last longer than SOra stuff and for your purposes, steel would be a good material. If you look used you can find bianchis real cheap I beilve. Good Luck!

I have the Trek 1000.

My biggest complaint concerns the brakes. Not enough power. Might need better pads.

The Sora drivetrain is kind of sluggish, but seems OK for general riding. I wouldn't race on it.

The gearing is fine for general riding and light touring. The lowest gear is 29". It has a ridiculously high gear of 128". I would need lower gearing to haul a full touring load up a mountain road, but this bike really isn't designed for loaded touring.

I have 700x25 tires on it, and even with the calipers open I have to struggle a little bit to get the tires through. I haven't tried 700x28s. Also haven't tried fenders.

You can put a rear rack on it, but because of the way the rear brakes were set up (blocking one of the rack braze-ons near the top of the seat stays), I had to use a rack that attached with a central strut to the brake bridge.

It's OK for my long rides on Sunday morning. I kinda wish I'd looked at the Bianchi Volpe instead. A little more money for a nice steel frame and a real touring setup.

Or saved up for a Trek 520.

Originally posted by B1105
Go with the Bianchi. The Campy components will last longer than SOra stuff and for your purposes, steel would be a good material. If you look used you can find bianchis real cheap I beilve. Good Luck!

The current Brava is also a Sora bike, and other than the frame (Reynolds 520 cromo vs Trek aluminum) the bikes are fairly comparable. Between those bikes I too would choose the Bianchi, but for commuting I probably wouldn't choose either one. And I would always try to buy at least Tiagra in a road group, simply because paying for 8-speed shifters doesn't seem like a great investment any more.

For the kind of riding you describe, however, it should be fine.

RichC

Originally posted by cwodave
You have to go with the Bianchi. All cool, sexy riders have them.

You better believe it! :D

(I am picking up a Bianchi Grizzly to add to my stable this Saturday that will make 2 Bianchi's and a Specialized)

I'd strongly suggest riding them both over the same course on the same day. Base your decision on how you feel during and after the ride.

Bianchi adds some Italian allure, but you are buying a bike, not a brand. As for the components, I've always heard if you are buying at the low end of the line, get Shimano, if you are buying top end stuff, get Campy, but all of that is secondary to fit and feel. Steel vs. Aluminium (this is coming from a definite steel fan) comes down to comfort and feel, and you can only tell that by riding. So ride both bikes and buy the one that feels best.

(just my .02, of course)

Well... I must admit i'm looking towards the Brava. Its a 2002 Brava, in white. It felt better than the Trek to me. The only thing I disliked is the woman at the shop yelled at me for not bringing the sun along. :)