Classic & Vintage - Anyone know Bianchi Nyala MTBs?

Did a little bit of dealing this afternoon with a local guy who's got the classic yard full of old bikes. I was looking for something in a mid 80's MTB to convert over as a fat-tyred rough road long haul tourer, like my current Raleigh Seneca, but with a slightly taller frame. I came up with something called a Bianchi Ayala:

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q10/sykerocker/BianchiBefore1.jpg

in weathered but not too bad a condition

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q10/sykerocker/BianchiBefore2.jpg

and seeing it comes from that dark age where I was totally ignorant of cycling, I've got only faint clues as to what I've bought.

My guesses: It's got a chrome moly and lugged frame with decent, but not spectacular, workmanship, so I'm immediately inclined to Japanese construction. Components are Shimano Exage hubs and Altus C10 otherwise (dérailleurs, crank, brakes, 7-speed indexed shifter). Quick releases front and rear, plain old steel black seatpost with the classic clamp. A regular bolt on the seat clamp, not a quick release (first I've seen of that in an MTB). Anyone have any guesses as to year or years of production? Yeah, I'm kinda anal about wanting to know the vintage of everything I own. Comes from the cars and motorcycles.

Thirty bucks, and the guy decided to throw in three weathered but possibly doable Raleigh three-speeds into the deal: A black men's bike in my frame size (first Sports I've owned since 1975!), a black woman's LTD-3, and a coffee woman's Sports. I figure after cleanup, I can get two good ones out of the three, assuming the hubs are in good shape. This could be fun - I haven't overhauled a SA since 1977. If I can get two good ones out of this, there's our pit bikes for this year's AMA Superbike races at VIR in August.

I go back tomorrow to pick up the two black bikes - didn't want to try shoving them all in the back of the pickup and do more damage than what the weather's already done. Once the Bianchi is finished, it becomes the fat tyred tourer, the Raleigh goes to work as my lunch time errand runner, and that Schwinn Ranger I've used in the latter role hits Craigslist REAL fast.

Quick edit: Oops, just discovered, as soon as the entry posted, that in the title I typed the bike's name as Ayala. I meant Nyala. Duh.

This oughta help: http://www.airfreetires.com/specs/Step2.asp?Brand=Bianchi

BTW, here's a photo of some real nyalas.

Metabike,

Thanks for the information - first off on where that (to me) odd name came from (obviously zoology is not one of my greater talents), and secondly about the vintage of the bike. Turns out it's a '93, a bit newer than I expected, so I'm assuming it's a bit on the lower side of the model line. Seems like a decent deal, however. Got it apart last night, you wouldn't believe what it took to unscrew the bottom bracket - try Craftsman 1/2" drive breaker bar adapted down to 3/8" to fit the Shimano tool, brace the stand against the wall to keep it from moving, and put full weight and force on it for just shy of a minute before it would turn. Ouch. Thank God it was a fairly modern Shimano bottom bracket - I'd hate to have tried it with something earlier that would have slipped off easier.

Four bikes, thirty bucks... You did good. :)

Metabike,

Thanks for the information - first off on where that (to me) odd name came from (obviously zoology is not one of my greater talents), and secondly about the vintage of the bike. Turns out it's a '93, a bit newer than I expected, so I'm assuming it's a bit on the lower side of the model line. Seems like a decent deal, however. Got it apart last night, you wouldn't believe what it took to unscrew the bottom bracket - try Craftsman 1/2" drive breaker bar adapted down to 3/8" to fit the Shimano tool, brace the stand against the wall to keep it from moving, and put full weight and force on it for just shy of a minute before it would turn. Ouch. Thank God it was a fairly modern Shimano bottom bracket - I'd hate to have tried it with something earlier that would have slipped off easier.

Yes, it's a very low end model based on the components, really more of a "mountain style" bike than an actual mountain bike. But it's lugged! That makes it a very nice find, it's not all that easy finding nice lugged mtb frames. For what you're wanting to do with it, it's a nice find indeed. If you could find a lugged crown fork that would fit, you'd really have a cool rig-

Four bikes, thirty bucks... You did good. :)

You should have seen the look on the wife's face when I came back with the second . . . . and then mentioned that I've have to come back the next day (today) for the third and fourth. And the realization that until I get the Bianchi done, the Raleigh's are going to sit in her gardening shed.

And you REALLY should have seen the look on her face when I mentioned building them up as pit bikes for the racetrack. She's been bugging me for two years about a little runabout for the track . . . . . . . but she wanted something with a motor, not something she'd have to pedal! It'll be interesting to see how this one goes down.

In 1992, the Nyala was second up from the entry level of Bianchi mountain bikes. Made of tange Chrome-moly. For the price, a pretty good score!

I am amused when I see the name "Nyala" on a mountain bike--Nyala are African antelopes. They do usually live in forests though...

East Hill

You should have seen the look on the wife's face when I came back with the second . . . . and then mentioned that I've have to come back the next day (today) for the third and fourth. And the realization that until I get the Bianchi done, the Raleigh's are going to sit in her gardening shed.

And you REALLY should have seen the look on her face when I mentioned building them up as pit bikes for the racetrack. She's been bugging me for two years about a little runabout for the track . . . . . . . but she wanted something with a motor, not something she'd have to pedal! It'll be interesting to see how this one goes down.
That would look cool w/ an 80cc motor kit. :)

Us wymin, we gotta stick together ya know. :D

I am amused when I see the name "Nyala" on a mountain bike--Nyala are African antelopes. They do usually live in forests though...

East HillIn the 90s, Bianchi mountain bikes were all named after endangered species. The lineup at the time of this particular bike, from entry to top, was Ocelot, Nyala, Ibex, Osprey, Peregrine, Grizzly, and Super Grizzly.

Wouldn't want to meet that last one in the wild, the regular variety is tough enough. ;)

In the 90s, Bianchi mountain bikes were all named after endangered species. The lineup at the time of this particular bike, from entry to top, was Ocelot, Nyala, Ibex, Osprey, Peregrine, Grizzly, and Super Grizzly.

Wouldn't want to meet that last one in the wild, the regular variety is tough enough. ;)

It never occurred to me about the animal names, endangered species, etc. I do remember the lugged Bianchi Grizzly being a beautiful bike-

That would look cool w/ an 80cc motor kit. :)

Us wymin, we gotta stick together ya know. :D
Actually, what I'd really love to find is a BSA Winged Wheel: Early to mid 50's vintage, it was a 50cc two-stroke motor built as the rear wheel hub, and the assembly replaced the rear wheel of a standard English 3-speed. Stock Raleigh-ish rim, and used the stock Raleigh tyre. That would keep her happy, and it still was low powered enough that she'd have to do some pedaling up hills.

In the 90s, Bianchi mountain bikes were all named after endangered species. The lineup at the time of this particular bike, from entry to top, was Ocelot, Nyala, Ibex, Osprey, Peregrine, Grizzly, and Super Grizzly.

Wouldn't want to meet that last one in the wild, the regular variety is tough enough. ;)

Well, that explains the "Project Habitat Bianchi" decal on the seat tube near the top. Had it not been for the Bianchi credit, I would have assumed the previous owner put that on.

Work on the bike continues nicely: Got it torn down by Tuesday night, cleaned up the frame and fork and reassembled that on Wednesday. Turns out the paint is in very good shape, a lot of light scuffing, but nothing that shows up once you're a foot away, and only two spots where the scratches actually got down to the metal. And they're small. Did the wheels tonight, front was perfectly true, rear only needed about five minutes with a spoke wrench to put into real nice shape. Ran the handlebars, stem, seatpost and clamp through the bead blasting tank at work today (if I ever quit my job, my bike refurbishing grinds to an immediate halt), the paint's drying as I write this. Start serious reassembly tomorrow. Go tyre and mudguard shopping tomorrow (looking at Bontraeger 26x2.125's again).

The REAL pleasant surprise is the men's Raleigh Sport that was thrown in on the deal. It's filthy, needs a total tear down and rebuild, but it runs, the rear hub works, tyres are good, and the chrome looks very salvageable if I get to it real soon now. Rode it in the driveway a bit this morning, and yeah, I've got something that's a potential keeper here.

In the 90s, Bianchi mountain bikes were all named after endangered species. The lineup at the time of this particular bike, from entry to top, was Ocelot, Nyala, Ibex, Osprey, Peregrine, Grizzly, and Super Grizzly.

We learn something new every day! I've seen Ibex for sale as well, but I don't recall seeing any of the others. Thanks Blue Order.

East Hill

Naturally, as soon as I posted the above:


"Bianche Supper Grizzly 7000 series. Scratched 18” frame needs some detail work. I don’t know much about it, bought it two years ago used and have only ridden it a few times is Moab, rides smooth. Shimano asecs shifting system, Rockshock “Jutty” front suspension. Give me a call for more information. Thanks."
From the Seattle CL, $180.

East Hill

It never occurred to me about the animal names, endangered species, etc. I do remember the lugged Bianchi Grizzly being a beautiful bike-

Well, that explains the "Project Habitat Bianchi" decal on the seat tube near the top. Had it not been for the Bianchi credit, I would have assumed the previous owner put that on.

We learn something new every day! I've seen Ibex for sale as well, but I don't recall seeing any of the others. Thanks Blue Order.

East HillThere's more.... From the '92 catalog:

"For the last few years, we at Bianchi, have named our mountain bikes after rare and endangered animals to remind everyone that care should be taken when riding through sensitive habitats and to promote minimum impact cycling."

The Bianchi catalog also mentions a "Project Habitat" program, but doesn't really specify what the program was, although it did mention supporting endangered species field research staff with mountain bikes.

Oh gawd, politically correct environmentalism - this bit of Too Much Information may just kill the bike for me before I even get it built :rolleyes: !

:lol:

I think a lot of bike manufacturers were trying to promote a "tread lightly" philosophy then, in order to protect the sport. Maybe they still are, I don't know. Bianchi did its part with its Project Habitat program, helping scientists with bicycle donations to research projects.

Reopening the thread, as I've just walked out of the workshop, and the bike is finished. Rather happy with it. First test ride tomorrow, and I'll knock off a few pictures tomorrow evening.

Thanks for the assistance, it's always nice to know what I'm building. Now, on to the Raleigh's . . . . .

. . . . . . after I touch up the carb on my '69 Bonneville.

OK, final posting. Here's the finished product:

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q10/sykerocker/Bianchi02.jpg
both plain


and with the full touring kit.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q10/sykerocker/Bianchi01.jpg