Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - Another Bianchi ID

Stamped on the BB: KS5876459 (I hope that's not a Nishiki number)
Stamped on the dropouts: BIANCHI

I just picked it up from a lady.

Everything on it is Japanese:

Rims, hubs: brown/bronze 32h 700c Araya w/ eyelets, Shimano
RD, cranks: Shimano Sport LX (also the missing FD)
Brakes, levers and shifters: Exage/Shimano SLR
Headset: stamped Specialized (1")
Bars: Sakae CT (or GT)
Stem: Stamped "custom" on the front and "5R" on the neck.



http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/6117/dscf0715h.th.jpg (http://img189.imageshack.us/i/dscf0715h.jpg/) http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/1292/dscf0724.th.jpg (http://img161.imageshack.us/i/dscf0724.jpg/)http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/373/dscf0721m.th.jpg (http://img195.imageshack.us/i/dscf0721m.jpg/)http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/6449/dscf0722zpa.th.jpg (http://img9.imageshack.us/i/dscf0722zpa.jpg/) <-- What is that inside the right seat stay?
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/8936/dscf0720ujt.th.jpg (http://img9.imageshack.us/i/dscf0720ujt.jpg/) http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/2281/dscf0726s.th.jpg (http://img188.imageshack.us/i/dscf0726s.jpg/)http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/8293/dscf0727i.th.jpg
(http://img31.imageshack.us/i/dscf0727i.jpg/)

I'm going to try to pitch in here. I'm by no means an expert, but I posted a Bianchi ID request as well, and I've felt the excitement and then disappointment when noone replied. At least for a while. But you start to pick up some loose knowledge after reading these posts.

In my opinion, it's probably not a Bianchi. Older bikes get upgraded and components changed-out over time; so you might ask yourself what makes a bike a specific brand or model over time. In my opinion, it's all about the frame. Bianchi's of the 70's and much of the 80's were handmade in-house and they stamped B' or Bianchi or their crest in various places on the frame so nomatter how many times the frame had been painted over, you would still see those logos. Bianchi, like many bikes of the late 80's had their frames fabed in Japan because of the economics and because the Japanese were making some really nice frames in the 80's that some would say are equal to or better than the Euro frames. That's why Japanese made framed bikes of the 80's are still very desirable.

The components that you have described and the general look of the frame seems to me to be a Japanese bike of the 80's. The 700 wheel didn't start showing up until the 80's. The rear triangle had a little narrower spread before that. That doesn't mean that someone didn't have them spread, which is quite common. And, that doesn't mean that you don't have a very nice bike. If the bike fits you and you like riding it, it's a keeper. Take everything I've written with a grain of salt. Hopefully there will be much more experienced folks that populate this forum that will chime in and give you more details.

Looking at the serial number it could be a Nishiki, but the S means it would have to be a frame built before 1975 according to this person (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090329223850AALEPA2). This can't be that old, can it?

I want to be skeptical that the frame should have a B stamped into that steer/top tube lug, but only because I've never once noticed one. =P

Did Bianchi make dropouts for other manufacturers? Their name is right on them..

Maybe these cable grooves indicate something:

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/8293/dscf0727i.th.jpg (http://img31.imageshack.us/i/dscf0727i.jpg/)

That thing your pointing out is a chain hanger to help from scratching the chainstay when popping off the rear wheel. I have a Bianchi that has one, mine does not have any B or Bianchi stamped anywhere on the frame.

More image searches tell me it's likely a Nuova Alloro from the mid 80's.

Nope, it's a Strada LX