Classic & Vintage - 1987 Bianchi Super Leggera

I'm interested in what I believe is a '87 Super Leggera frame and I'm wondering if someone can help me out with the components.
The frame has a Super Leggera decal on the top tube. The cursive script style and a 1987 World Championshp decal on the down tube make me believe the bike is an 87, but I'm wondering whether it could be an 88.
A couple of things about the bike make me wonder whether it is a Super Leggera, or at least whether the headset and BB have been replaced. The dropouts, headset and BB on the frame are all Gippieme (sp?). I would have thought those would be Campy on a near top of the line bike. Another oddity is that the bike has older style a "generic" columbus tubing decal (not the typical "repaint" columbus decal) on the seat tube. Based on other threads, that could mean the frame was repainted or that decal could have just been the most convenient Columbus decal lying around the factory that day. The decals on the fork are celeste Bianchi Formula Columbus. Another perhaps distinguishing feature is that the frame has Bianchi in cursive script on the seat stay.
I'd be grateful for any insight anyone can provide on the frame, what tubing it is and what components were originally on it. Thanks in advance!

Pics! Pics! If it is a Leggera, you can be sure that Campy was original spec.

If it was sold as a complete bike it would have had a Chorus gruppo, not Gipiemme. The Super Leggera was built form SL or SP mix depending on size, so a standard Columbus decal is right. Gipiemme drops may be right by this time? Reparto bikes always used Campagnolo drop-outs, but the Reparto frames were getting pretty generic by the mid 80's and they may have switched?

I can't help, but just want to thank for the above info, as I've been looking at these bikes as well.

I have a 1988 Bianchi Super Leggera. Gipiemme dropouts. All Campagnolo Chorus components. The Bianchi name is engraved in cursive script at the top of seat stays, but the Bianchi decals and Super Leggera name are both in block letters.

Thanks for the replies. Sorry I don't have pics at present but will post when/if I can get some. Sounds like it's an 87 but the headset and BB may not be original. Hopefully there will be others who can elaborate. Again, thanks for the input, it's much appreciated.

Pics! Unfortunately not good ones, but pics nonetheless

What I recall from the 86-87 Championship sticker is that bikes could be as late as '89 with those. It's sure not an '86 (I checked the catalog). Definitely between those years.

Something Bianchi Girl keeps reminding me of also is that not everything is consistent with these bikes. Maybe your top tube decal got replaced by an owner or at the factory, and was supposed to be block lettering?

different styles of the Colorado decal were used well into the '90s IIRC.

if the paint and decals are original, judging by the style of Bianchi decl the scrip model name the above frame is an '87. the fork however may likely be a replacement. Bianchi used lots of GPM dropouts on some great frames in those days. also a Chorus equiped Super Leggera didnot appear until '88, and had a Chorus BB and HS.

I am out of town but (OH this frame is in th states yes?) PM me friday and I will look up more specific info about this model.

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=178434&d=1289877323

if this rides anything like my '88 SL did yuo will certainly enjoy it no matter how yu build it up

Serial number?

The serial number is in two parts on the underside of the BB.

Drive-side: 22860

Non-drive: 1 . 6 (what I have as a 1 could be an I, also the dot between the two is centered)

Wow, that Colarado Springs decal must have been slapped on right after Argentin won! It was made in late 1986, but is probably an early 1987 model.

Bianchi Girl & T-Mar, thanks for confirming this as an 87 model. BG, thanks too for offering to look up additional details. I'll take you up on that with a pm later this week. BTW, the frame's in Colorado.

Hi dwg, OK looking in the '87 catalog yes this is an '87 Leggera but it was the 3rd road bike down the X-4, Mondaile, and Giro were above it. it does have a rather eclectic parts mix, which while typical for Bianchi in this period seems odd for a bike so high in the pecking order.

the HS was GPM Chronosprint, the BB itself is not listed (normal) but the cranks are listed as GPM America 87 with Anodized rings, so I would think the BB would be GPM too.

Shifters/ Deraillers; are just listed as Campagnolo C-Record/B Victory Ft der. brakes; Modolo Flyer with anodized kit as well as the bar/stem

the 'generic' Columbus matches the pic in the catalog as I said earlier I don't think a SL decal was in fashion until '89 or later.

the fork crown looks correct for the period but that Formula decal still makes me think it was a replacement.

Thanks Bianchi Girl! I really appreciate your help.

your welcome. don't forget to update the thread to show us how the build is going

Wow, that Colarado Springs decal must have been slapped on right after Argentin won! It was made in late 1986, but is probably an early 1987 model.

I.6 would be a manufacture date of Sept 86. I picked up a 1987 catalog when I first considered buying the Superleggera in the summer of 1987. The 87 shows a mint celeste colour and mostly the same decals as the 1988 model that I eventually purchased and looks just like the one on the showroom floor. My 1988 Superleggera (bought in mid 1988) differs from the 87 in that it has a black ITM stem and ITM handlebars instead of a silver 3TTT stem with 3TTT handlebars.

This catalog is labeled as 1986; however, it's identical to my 1987 catalog: http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/Bianchi-86/

I wouldn't be surprised to hear that they were selling 1986 spec'ed bikes in early 1987.

192385

From the '86 catalog:

http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/Bianchi-86/3.jpg

beautiful '88 Super Leggera

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=192385&d=1299367374

is this from the Bilgier site? it is actually a page from the '88 catalog. there was no Super Leggera in the in the '86 catalog and the Pista is thusly posted above the leftover '85 Centanario


From the '86 catalog:

http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/Bianchi-86/3.jpg

as i recall, the earlier super leggieras were better quality/super record etc,,,,later they were dropped down a notch or two in the bianchi heirarchy and lower end parts.

it seems to have moved around a bit sometimes on top others times down a model or three.

is this from the Bilgier site? it is actually a page from the '88 catalog. there was no Super Leggera in the in the '86 catalog and the Pista is thusly posted above the leftover '85 Centanario

You are right, the Bulgier catalog is 1988. Now that I think about it, I picked up another Bianchi catalog (the one that I have) just before I bought my bike. Besides, according to the Campagnolo catalogs, Chorus wasn't released until 1988.

I am not sure who runs that Bulgier site but I also notice that sometimes they onlt sho the top 5 or 6 models and not the whole catalog

Sorry to bump this back to life but.....
This thread has been a fantastic help to my son and I.
We were both over the moon to have finally found a real Italian road bike and a Bianchi to boot.
Turns out it's an 87 Super Legerra, all original with the same unusual script.
The original Super Legerra decal had come off but you could still see the strange script.
It wasn't until I found this thread that I was able to completely decifer the model.

Originally it was a Birthday gift to myself but as my son and I have been working on the bike
my son has fallen quite in love. Funniest thing was when we got home he said to his Mom..
"Mom, I'm in Love and her name is Bianchi!" LOL!

I'm not sure what the outcome of this is but it for sure mean's I'll be looking for another
beautiful Bianchi.
Thanks to all for the insight

Kilgour Trout
P.s. Anyone know if there might be a source for the script Super Legerra?

Sorry to bump this back to life but.....
This thread has been a fantastic help to my son and I.
We were both over the moon to have finally found a real Italian road bike and a Bianchi to boot.
Turns out it's an 87 Super Legerra, all original with the same unusual script.
The original Super Legerra decal had come off but you could still see the strange script.
It wasn't until I found this thread that I was able to completely decifer the model.

Originally it was a Birthday gift to myself but as my son and I have been working on the bike
my son has fallen quite in love. Funniest thing was when we got home he said to his Mom..
"Mom, I'm in Love and her name is Bianchi!" LOL!

I'm not sure what the outcome of this is but it for sure mean's I'll be looking for another
beautiful Bianchi.
Thanks to all for the insight

Kilgour Trout
P.s. Anyone know if there might be a source for the script Super Legerra?

Greg Softley does a number of vinyl grpahics, much easier to apply than varnish fix transfers.

http://shop.ebay.com/gts753/m.html?_trksid=p4340.l2562

for a number of his products, if you do not see it send him a message anyway.

Easy to deal with, but he is busy, the graphics are just a spin off business.

Vinyl, the Breakfast of Champions.

I am glad you found a beautiful Bianchi to enjoy.

I am glad you found a beautiful Bianchi to enjoy.

Since I believe the bicycle is a 1988 Super Leggera, this seems like an appropriate thread to post in. I checked the catalogs posted earlier carefully, and the colors of seat and brake brackets match (owner told me all components were original).

Attaching picture. Seems to have Campagnolo everything...including brake pads. Crank has a number 32 with a square around it. Celeste seat. D/T shifters matching the ones in the 86 catalog picture (which Bianchi Girl has said is actually an 88, right?).

Just looking for an identification and an approximate value. This is my first road bike! Paid $150 for it. Did I get a decent deal? Thanks, everybody!

Dustin251649

Since this thread has come back to life, I thought I'd post an update on the frame that started it all a year and a half ago. Since then I've been accumulating parts and have almost finished the build. The 87 SL came with an odd variety of parts so I scrapped the idea of building a faithful recreation and instead have built it largely with Campy NR/SR (brakes, levers, crank, derailleurs, pedals (not pictured)), 1970s vintage Record High Flange hubs, some period correct pieces (Cinelli 66-44 bars, Bianchi labelled saddle) and some odds and ends I happened to have (90s Chorus seatpost, knock-off Campy hoods). I've been hunting for some Ambroisio Elite rims to replace the present Arayas. One really "off" item is the Technomic stem. I plan to ride her in a century this fall and needed the extra bar height to be able to survive it without crippling my back. Her maiden voyage awaits an overhaul of the Regina freewheel.
As you can tell from the celeste and blue water bottle cages, I'm in the midst of a debate over whether to trim the cages, bar tape and cables in blue or celeste. My prior Bianchis have all been all blue in those areas but I'm leaning toward blue cables and cages with celeste tape. I'll likely let me daughter make the final call, but if anyone wants to offer their opinion, I'm all ears.

Since I believe the bicycle is a 1988 Super Leggera, this seems like an appropriate thread to post in. I checked the catalogs posted earlier carefully, and the colors of seat and brake brackets match (owner told me all components were original).

Attaching picture. Seems to have Campagnolo everything...including brake pads. Crank has a number 32 with a square around it. Celeste seat. D/T shifters matching the ones in the 86 catalog picture (which Bianchi Girl has said is actually an 88, right?).

Just looking for an identification and an approximate value. This is my first road bike! Paid $150 for it. Did I get a decent deal? Thanks, everybody!

Dustin251649


Are you refering to the catalogs on the BUlgier site? yes the catalog (partial at that) listed as the '86 is actually '88. There are subtle differences between the '88 and '89 one being the frame the 88 being SL and '89 SLX unfortunately someone removed the tubing decals from the frame and fork. Another way is the decal and this one with the redline looks like a '89 to me. Does the shifter for the rear derailleur have a small lever next to the main lever? Or a knurled ring? The 2 levers would make it an '88. Eiter way that is a fabulous bike and I hope you enjoy it for a long time. That origianl Chorus is, IMHO, the most beautiful group Campi ever put out.

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=251649&d=1337656245

This looks FABULOUS!! I think this is much better than the OEM fit. I am not sure why Bianchi made that such a mishmash since the only two bikes above it were the Giro w/ DA and then the Mondiale with C-Record. (Well there was the X-4 but that was just a fancy Mondiale) It must of had something to do with either the availability of SR parts or the exchange rate at the time.

Personally I like to use blue housing and tape although I do have just about every combination imaginable. Black cables and Celeste tape, black cables and blue tape, even one bike with celeste Cables and one side of the bar blue and the other Celeste.

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=251730&d=1337708865

Are you refering to the catalogs on the BUlgier site? yes the catalog (partial at that) listed as the '86 is actually '88. There are subtle differences between the '88 and '89 one being the frame the 88 being SL and '89 SLX unfortunately someone removed the tubing decals from the frame and fork. Another way is the decal and this one with the redline looks like a '89 to me. Does the shifter for the rear derailleur have a small lever next to the main lever? Or a knurled ring? The 2 levers would make it an '88. Eiter way that is a fabulous bike and I hope you enjoy it for a long time. That origianl Chorus is, IMHO, the most beautiful group Campi ever put out.

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=251649&d=1337656245

Thanks for your reply! Yes, it does have two levers for the rear derailleur shifter... I had been wondering about that design. It seems to shift more accurately if I keep off the smaller lever, so maybe it's a sort of adjustment device. '88 it is, then.

I am totally new to the Bianchi legacy and had no idea what "celeste" was until a couple days ago (or even down tube shifters, honestly). I'm having a blast, and am already very attached! (I've named it "Ferrari.")

I do plan on enjoying it a long time. I'm training up for a local duathlon next March, and the Bianchi is part of the plan to win it (I took 23rd this year with a 39-pound WalMart mountain bike). I'll post a link when I do!

For now, I'm just enjoying the beatiful craftsmanship of this machine. The D/T shifting is honestly addicting (almost like a stick shift), although it took a little adjustment. The day after I got it, I took it out of my shed three times to do loops around the neighborhood. This is an awesome bicycle!

Despite my lack of experience with road bikes, I took it on my 10-mile course and chopped two minutes off my previous best time with my old bike, and felt refreshed at the end instead of spent! Can't stop raving about this bike.

Did you happen to know offhand if you think I got a decent deal for this bike for $150? Thanks for your help again, and I look forward to making happy memories!

For $150 you got the deal of the century! That sold for about $1600 new and I worked 35-40 hours a week at a second job to pay for mine.

If that is shifting well don't mess with it. Keep it very clean and find a old mechanic who remembers when that bike was new, maybe he can fix it it is needs repair.

That smaller lever is to set the shifter to friction shifting should there be an issue with the rear derailleur, like getting bent in a crash or a wheel change with a team mate or something.

Thanks again! Everything does seem to be working just fine...it will even handily run through all the gears in one motion with no grinding, which is handy because I'm still a bit unstable shifting multiple times at max speed at the bottom of one hill just before starting up another... :)

You'll be pleased to know I'm not a modifier, so I won't be committing the sacrilege of painting it some awful color, turning it into a fixie, or swapping for brifters. From the beginning, I realized this was a bike I needed to change myself to fit, not the other way around. My reasoning is twofold: one, I'm cheap, and two, I realize this bike is approaching a museum piece. I love history!

$1600, WOW! These must have been some of the very best in their day, then! I might have been more willing to cough up the $150 if I knew that it cost so much to begin with. As it was, the guy gave me the bike for $100 less than asking probably because he liked the idea of getting someone started in road biking.