Road Cycling - Bianchi EROS owners

Would EROS make a good multi-purpose road bike, say: weekend long rides, commuter and fitness (I'm not into racing) bike?
Plus the added possibility of installing 700x28C tires to it, and a rear fender at least?
Corsaire :D

Don't own an Eros, but if I were to by a new touring bike it would be the Eros. Its no the components that drew me to it, its the geometry. The Eros is diesigned for comfort and distance. You could easily dress it for commuting. put a rear track on it insead of a fender and it will become very versitile in the city. Buy a VERY good lock or two. I think its best feture is that it is a Bianchi :D
I have owned 3 of them I still have an '83 San Remo & '02 Grizzly.

Hi,
I would ask a bike shop how big a tire the Eros can accomodate with a fender.
I don't think it is big enough for what you want to do.

Check on the tyre clearance and whether the forks have fender eyelets.
For your kind of use, which is pretty much the same as mine,I would recomend a frame set up for long-drop caliper brakes, so you can fit a generous 28mm tyre + fenders. Std road calipers can only take a 25 with fenders, if that.
Very few frames are built for long-drops; it seems to be tight-clearance calipers, or cantelevers, as on the Bianchi Volpe or Jamis Aurora.
You can get good value frames such as Soma for your LBS to build up.
http://www.somafab.com/extrasmoothie.html

I don't really care much for fender really, one in the rear would suffice my purpose, but the kind that can be
clipped to the post.
However my mainly concern is to be able to put 28C tires. I like Bianchis, so that's what I have my mind set on, and liked the Eros frame which now is made of Reynolds 631, even lighter.
Anybody installed 28C tires on it?
Corsaire

I haven't -- but I would like to agree with Ngateguy's opinion. I own a Bianchi Eros and I absolutely love it. What a great bike! :)

Hibiscus,
How does the EROS climb? please, describe its ride on 700x25C tires ?
Thanks
Corsaire

Does the carbon fork make any difference on the ride, that you've noticed?
Corsaire

I've owned mine for about 5 months or so and I love it. I used it to ride a MS150 in early October (74 miles the first day & 76 miles the second) and it was a very comfortable, smooth riding bike. :) I was a new rider when I purchased the bike so I don't really have anything to compare the Eros to, but I think it's a nice climbing bike. I've lifted weights for about 8 years, and I don't know if it was more the leg muscle or the bike, but I've had no trouble climbing -- I've always done it seated with no problem. I am also not interested in racing the bike -- I bought it more for general fitness and to do longer rides like club rides and rides like the MS150.

yeah, I know, I hit the gym myself 2/3 times a week, fitness and endurance to climd a steep uphill is not my concern, but the bike itself, it's been said that a good bike once you get up on the hill "IT WANTS" to climb with you, responds to every little input you give it, you literally FEEL the response. The one I have now is not responsive at all.
That's why I asked.....thanks
Corsaire

Well, I never put that much thought into it, so I guess the bike is doing it's job. I just know I make it up the hills without suffering. :)

Hibiscus,

Since I look forward to order mine by the end of this year, most LBS my me don't have any Bianchis yet, the '04 models that is.
Would you care to measure for me the distance (in mm, hope you have a caliper) in between the forks? I wonder if a 700x28C tire would fit?
Thanks
Corsaire

i had an older bianchi eros (it was metallic orange), with RSX components on it. i bought it from a place in boston called bikes not bombs. they have a program where they teach kids about bikes. they run a shop, and they also accept donationed bikes. they then ship these bikes to countries in latin america and elsewhere to help build sustainable transportation and economy. (they help start shops in the countries they ship the bikes to, and train mechanics there). i bought it because i needed a bike to get me through the winter, as my track bikes were taking a beating and my trials bike was not cutting it as a commuter, and they needed the business pretty badly.

i had it for about 5 months, and it was a great bike once i got it set up the way i wanted it. it came with downtube shifters, so i got to play around a lot with the handlebars. i experiemented a lot with that bike, at one point i had a 44T bmx chainring in the front. in the end though, i went back to the triple, though i never used the smallest ring. right before i sold it, it had bullhorns that i made by cutting the drops off the anatomic bars that came on it, and full fenders. no other mods. it was a great commuter bike, and it got me through my last winter in boston wonderfully. it really felt like it was my bike. i could go fast on it, weave in and out of traffic on it, it was super smooth, and the first road bike that i bought that i actually kept as a road bike! i learned a lot from it. it was a great ride. i don't know about the current frames, but i'm guessing they're pretty much the same geometry-wise...definitely they have higher quality parts on them, and are made of higher quality material...

i sold it to a friend who's only request was that i put riser bars on it. he also moved out to san francisco, so the bike is nearby. i got rid of it because i wanted a tighter rear end, and i found my current road frame for $300. i kinda miss the bianchi...that bike was a champ.

here's a picture of it:
http://pages.emerson.edu/students/justin_pyatt/media/images/bianchi.jpg

I have had my Eros about 2 years. Its been great for training and for the MS150. I can't say anything bad about it.

For touring I have a Bianchi Volpe - alos pleased with it too.