Commuting - Bianchi's NEW Commuter

Someone posted on the other forum the 2005 Bianchi lineup. Well guess what?? Bianchi has a new commuter with fenders and Dynamo lighting. (3 watt, 12 volt bulb)

I'm not crazy about the green but it's not bad for a first attempt.

http://www.bianchiusa.com/607.html

If no one is creazy about the green, then it might make the bike less of an attraction to thieves?? Or am I not giving those thives enuf credit?

That's looks like a great bike. There's no list prices on the web site though.

My question is what is a dymano driven light? is this a generator light?

My question is what is a dymano driven light? is this a generator light?
Yes

I like the green - besides, it's Bianchi's signature color.

George

raiyn,

The frount hub has a built-in generator hooked to the headlight.

Overall, it looks like a good bike... a steel frame is always a good start. My question is does this bike enough gears for most commuters? (42T X 11/26 for 9 total speeds) My commute has a huge killer hill that I would really struggle to climb with with bike I think. For 90% of urban riding I think this would be great.

Also, what's up with the 32 spoke wheels? Why not 36? The bike is heavy anyway.

Its the same frame as the cyclocross equipped volpe, why not just buy a volpe and add racks and fenders to it? More gears, etc. Me, I would want a better range of gears than that. Then again, I am hardly out of my large chainring and only use a handful of gears out of the 8 I have.

I like the green - besides, it's Bianchi's signature color.

George

Celeste Green is the signiture color. I do have to admit I like the pun Gang Green. Haven't made up my mind abotu the color though

raiyn,

The frount hub has a built-in generator hooked to the headlight.

Overall, it looks like a good bike... a steel frame is always a good start. My question is does this bike enough gears for most commuters? (42T X 11/26 for 9 total speeds) My commute has a huge killer hill that I would really struggle to climb with with bike I think. For 90% of urban riding I think this would be great.

Also, what's up with the 32 spoke wheels? Why not 36? The bike is heavy anyway.
Ummm yeah I know that's why I said YES to the question

apparently it's a track bike?

It's a Volpe with a single front chainring. Somebody screwed up.

It's a Volpe with a single front chainring. Somebody screwed up.

I think so too. For that, I better get the Volpe itself which I already got equipped with fenders and the works. It's like they took the Volpe frame and built a subpar bike calling it commuter just because a cheap light and cheap fenders were added. Yeah, somebody screwed up big time!
Corsaire :(

The dynamo is cool is the biggest difference, otherwise it would just be a Volpe with fenders. The did forget at least a rear rack for a commuter.

I think so too. For that, I better get the Volpe itself which I already got equipped with fenders and the works. It's like they took the Volpe frame and built a subpar bike calling it commuter just because a cheap light and cheap fenders were added. Yeah, somebody screwed up big time!
Corsaire :(

I didn't notice it at first but you're right. They left out the tripple. I guess you're paying extra for the light.

I didn't notice it at first but you're right. They left out the tripple. I guess you're paying extra for the light.

I even bet, it's more expensive than the standard Volpe, I guess you have to pay extra for those "Oh so fancy" "HID lights and fenders", give me a break....

Corsaire :mad:

I like the green - besides, it's Bianchi's signature color.

George


Gang Green, gotta love that name

If I were going to morph a cyclocross/utility bike into a commuter, I would use the Nexus hub from the Milano on 700c wheels, add a mechanical front disk brake, put a rear rack on the thing with panniers and an integrated or Arkel style attachments to the rack, and suspension seat post. I would use reflective paint for every painted surface and set the thing up with fenders. I would probably opt for a rechargeable light rather than a generator driven one as well, except the battery would run both the front and rear lights.

Dan

I didn't notice it at first but you're right. They left out the tripple. I guess you're paying extra for the light.

Given that adding a hub dynamo to an existing bike means building a new wheel, it makes sense to buy a bike that already has one. What I don't get is the single chainring up front. I don't see the sense in this, unless they are going to install a chainguard -- which they have not. Do they think that their buyers are so price sensitive that the price of the extra cogs would blow the deal? The drop bars may say "fast commuter" but the gearing says otherwise.

Maybe they should have dipped into the Milano parts bin and used a Nexus-8 instead. Or just offer the Milano with a dynamo option. Or offered a commuter version of the Volpe.

Paul

Ready out of the box, but no rack?

Given that adding a hub dynamo to an existing bike means building a new wheel, it makes sense to buy a bike that already has one. What I don't get is the single chainring up front. I don't see the sense in this, unless they are going to install a chainguard -- which they have not. Do they think that their buyers are so price sensitive that the price of the extra cogs would blow the deal? The drop bars may say "fast commuter" but the gearing says otherwise.

Maybe they should have dipped into the Milano parts bin and used a Nexus-8 instead. Or just offer the Milano with a dynamo option. Or offered a commuter version of the Volpe.

Paul

I'm more towards the latter, Bianchi should've offered a commuter version of the Volpe. Yes, it does have a chainguard, still doesn't cut it, I'd rather have the triple than the ridicuolus chainguard, which I'm sure it'd fall off anytime during a ride anyway.
Corsaire

Reckon they should have put a more appropriate chain retention system on the front...

You people are so gullible. That bike's made of copper tubing, the green is because it's rusted.

You people are so gullible. That bike's made of copper tubing, the green is because it's rusted.

No thank you, I'll stay with my current Volpe 2003, already adapted for commuting, it's been proven one more time that if you want a commuter you have to do it yourself.

Corsaire

From the looks of the picture, the left brake lever isn't even a Tiagra STI lever, just an aero brake lever. You couldn't add a front derailer with the stock bike if you wanted to.

With a 9speed cog, it makes a sense for a lot of commuters to use a single chainring . Unless you live with really steep hils, you dont need the small gears, and if you are not racing, the big gears are useless. Old 10speed bikes (5x2) used to have about 8 usable gears. This gearing setup is typical of a London bike courier's roadified MTB.
Its a pity they put on such crappy fenders, with no rear reflector.
I give them 8/10 for effort.

Loved this quote from their web page: "...unique in the US market. "

Gee, no kidding... trying to get a decent commuter bike is like pulling teeth... everytime I mention commuter in a bike shop I am shown "campus bikes."

Most folks here have built up something themselves.

I myself have a custom bike built over 20 years ago that strongly resembles the current 26 inch wheeled Bruce Gordon bikes.... I want to upgrade due to the stress on the frame from 20 years of touring and commute riding... So I have been looking around.

I had only seen the Trek 520, and the heard about the Cannondale... I have now seen the Surely LHT and the Bruce Gordon bikes on the web only, other than those, there really aren't any good commuters/touring bikes offered. The BG site offers a nice comparison: http://www.bgcycles.com/faq.html#chart2

Someone posted on the other forum the 2005 Bianchi lineup. Well guess what?? Bianchi has a new commuter with fenders and Dynamo lighting. (3 watt, 12 volt bulb)

I'm not crazy about the green but it's not bad for a first attempt.

http://www.bianchiusa.com/607.html the bulb spec must be a mistake. i seen the site too. it must be a 3 watt 6 volt bulb as they don't make 12 volt hubs as far as i know.