Hybrid Bicycles - Need help please w/converting Bianche Campione . . .

Hello I have a Yellow 1998 Bianchi Campione road bike. Sadly I have barely ridden it over the past 12 years and would guess that I maybe have put 300+ miles on it :eek:. It is in excellent (almost mint condition) and I am now needing to either sell it or convert it as I can't ride the hoods and it is a little uncomfortable now. I do not want to sell it so my option is to convert it to a hybrid. I was told by a friend that it may cost a bike tech $250-$300 :cry: to do this because I can't just simply switch out the handlebars. I have to switch the braking system as well and maybe the shifters because Bianchi parts are made a certain way and are not standard. I don't know much about bikes so I am hoping you can all help me out on this. I am pretty good at tinkering . . . . just sadly never tinkered with a bike so I'd like to know exactly what I need to do to convert this bike to something I can simply ride for pleasure and do it myself. I don;t need top of the line parts but I don;t want to purchase bottom of the barrel cheapos either. Please help with any and all tips/info as I'd really like to work this out and get out biking. Thanks I appreciate your help very much so!

Thanks


I "think" these are the specs:

Bicycle Type Road race & triathlon
MSRP (new) $1,059.00
Weight Unspecified
Sizes 49 cm, 51 cm, 53 cm, 55 cm, 57 cm, 59 cm, 61 cm, 63 cm
Colors Celeste, race yellow
Item ID 78994

Frame & Fork
Frame Construction TIG-welded
Frame Tubing Material Dedacciai Zero/Tre
Fork Brand & Model Bianchi
Fork Material Dedacciai chromoly, butted, unicrown crown
Rear Shock Not applicable

Components
Component Group Campagnolo Mirage
Brakeset Campagnolo Mirage dual pivot brakes, Campagnolo Avanti levers
Shift Levers Campagnolo Avanti Ergo
Front Derailleur Campagnolo Avanti, bottom-pull/braze-on
Rear Derailleur Campagnolo Mirage
Crankset Campagnolo Mirage, 39/53 teeth
Pedals HTI steel/resin w/clips & straps
Bottom Bracket Campagnolo Mirage, 111mm spindle
BB Shell Width 68mm English
Rear Cogs 8-speed, 12 - 23 teeth
Chain Sachs SC-20, 1/2 x 3/32"
Seatpost Selcof, 27.2mm diameter
Saddle Selle Italia Trimatica
Handlebar ITM Super Europa
Handlebar Extensions Not applicable
Handlebar Stem ITM
Headset 1" Miche Trofeo

Wheels
Hubs Campagnolo Avanti
Rims Mavic CXP 21, 32-hole
Tires 700 x 23c Vittoria Action HSD, Rigide
Spoke Brand Alpina stainless steel, 2.0mm straight gauge
Spoke Nipples Brass nipples

Your friend's statement that you can't simply switch out the handlebar is correct. However, depending on what type of setup you ultimately want, the cost of the change could range from reasonable enough to simply unreasonable.

You've got two issues to address. The first is what type of bar should you select to allow you to be comfortable. The second is the compatibility issues of components. The second is really dependent upon the first.

You'll need, at the very least: bar + shifters + brake levers + grips. There's a strong chance that you may also need a new stem which has a shorter reach or longer quill. And, if you're current brake calipers don't have a quick release built in, you may need to replace these as well. It could get costly.

For example: Nitto Albatross CrMo bar ($55) + Ultegra 8-sp bar end shifters ($60) + Shimano R550 short-pull brake levers ($25) + grips ($25) + Nitto Technomic stem ($55) + Tektro brake calipers ($50) = $270. That doesn't include tax, labor or applicable shipping charges. So, you could even exceed your friend's estimate.

Is that still reasonable?

Hello I have a Yellow 1998 Bianche Campione road bike. Sadly I have barely ridden it over the past 12 years and would guess that I maybe have put 300+ miles on it :eek:. It is in excellent (almost mint condition) and I am now needing to either sell it or convert it as I can't ride the hoods and it is a little uncomfortable now. I do not want to sell it so my option is to convert it to a hybrid. I was told by a friend that it may cost a bike tech $250-$300 :cry: to do this because I can't just simply switch out the handlebars. I have to switch the braking system as well and maybe the shifters because Bianche parts are made a certain way and are not standard. I don't know much about bikes so I am hoping you can all help me out on this. I am pretty good at tinkering . . . . just sadly never tinkered with a bike so I'd like to know exactly what I need to do to convert this bike to something I can simply ride for pleasure and do it myself. I don;t need top of the line parts but I don;t want to purchase bottom of the barrel cheapos either. Please help with any and all tips/info as I'd really like to work this out and get out biking. Thanks I appreciate your help very much so!

Thanks


I "think" these are the specs:

Bicycle Type Road race & triathlon
MSRP (new) $1,059.00
Weight Unspecified
Sizes 49 cm, 51 cm, 53 cm, 55 cm, 57 cm, 59 cm, 61 cm, 63 cm
Colors Celeste, race yellow
Item ID 78994

Frame & Fork
Frame Construction TIG-welded
Frame Tubing Material Dedacciai Zero/Tre
Fork Brand & Model Bianchi
Fork Material Dedacciai chromoly, butted, unicrown crown
Rear Shock Not applicable

Components
Component Group Campagnolo Mirage
Brakeset Campagnolo Mirage dual pivot brakes, Campagnolo Avanti levers
Shift Levers Campagnolo Avanti Ergo
Front Derailleur Campagnolo Avanti, bottom-pull/braze-on
Rear Derailleur Campagnolo Mirage
Crankset Campagnolo Mirage, 39/53 teeth
Pedals HTI steel/resin w/clips & straps
Bottom Bracket Campagnolo Mirage, 111mm spindle
BB Shell Width 68mm English
Rear Cogs 8-speed, 12 - 23 teeth
Chain Sachs SC-20, 1/2 x 3/32"
Seatpost Selcof, 27.2mm diameter
Saddle Selle Italia Trimatica
Handlebar ITM Super Europa
Handlebar Extensions Not applicable
Handlebar Stem ITM
Headset 1" Miche Trofeo

Wheels
Hubs Campagnolo Avanti
Rims Mavic CXP 21, 32-hole
Tires 700 x 23c Vittoria Action HSD, Rigide
Spoke Brand Alpina stainless steel, 2.0mm straight gauge
Spoke Nipples Brass nipples



Sell it, and start searching for your dream ride ! Richard

Why don't you want to sell the Campione? Keep it and get a Bianchi Camaleonte Due to keep it company. http://www.bianchiusa.com/bikes/sport/camaleonte-due/

Now that's a hybrid!

Get a taller stem for the Campione to make it more comfortable. That's much too nice a ride to convert to a hybrid. Ride it or sell it, please don't ruin it. You know in your heart you don't want to make it into a Frankenbike.

The Due is a really nice bike and very inexpensive compared to what you would need to put into the conversion. Shimano levers will not work with the Campy deraileurs. I doubt Campy makes flat bar levers that will work either, and if they do, they will not be cheap. So you probably would need to swap out the derailleurs and rear hub and cogset. Lets say new wheelset unless you want to pay someone $$$ to build a rear wheel using your existing rim.

Horible idea. Expensive and bad, bad Karma.

Oh and welcome to Bike Forums. :)

I agree! with your Campagnolo drivetrain changing bars is not really an option. also you will be limited int tire size because of your frame.

sell or trade your Campione and get a nice Boardwalk.

Thanks for the advice everyone - what about if I just purchased and install handlebars that curve up at the ends (opposite of hood bars). I've seen them before and I could put the brakes right on them. If this would work anyone know where I can get one of these "old school" handlebars?

When I stated Shimano bar end shifters, I should have clearly stated that the rear shifter would need to be set to friction. It's true that a Shimano bar end set to indexed will not work with your Campy cassette; but a Shimano bar end set to friction will shift any cassette (5-10sp, any make) with any non-SRAM rear derailleur. Friction shifting an 8-sp cassette is stupid easy. No need to replace wheels, derailleurs or cassette. Your current components will work fine with this shifting setup and will be as (or more) reliable and durable than any indexed trigger shifter.

(I used Shimano in my example because Shimano's 8-sp bar end shifters offer durability, versatility and availability at a price that you'll be hard pressed to find in any other suitable shift lever - sorry to raise hackles. :D)


Thanks for the advice everyone - what about if I just purchased and install handlebars that curve up at the ends (opposite of hood bars). I've seen them before and I could put the brakes right on them. If this would work anyone know where I can get one of these "old school" handlebars?
I don't know what bars you're describing. The Albatross bar I gave in the example would put you in an upright position with your wrists at a comfortable angle. The shifters would plug into the end.

Various images: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=nitto+albatross+bar

http://assets.rivbike.com/images/products/full/0000/0655/16-122-1.jpg
from http://www.rivbike.com/

http://www.rivbike.com/images/static/upload/handlebars_alba.jpg
http://www.rivbike.com/article/components/bars_and_tape

http://i.ehow.com/images/a04/ju/k7/choose-becasue-you_re-reasonable-commuter-200X200.jpg
http://www.ehow.com/how_4848263_choose-becasue-you_re-reasonable-commuter.html

As you may have guessed, I'm philosophically opposed to the idea of turning a road racer into a cruiser, but if you really want to do it, barend shifters with friction mode is a good suggestion.

Using your Ergo levers would not be as ergonomic. I think you would have to mount them on the bend in order to prevent them from contacting the handlebar. (Because of the curve of the levers, they wouldn't work on the flat section of handlebar just forward of the grips, ie. where the blue brake levers are positioned in the above photo.) If you use your current levers mounted on the curved part of an Albatross type handlebar, you would have to move your hands from he grips to shift or brake.

While I feel such a conversion is akin to hobbling a race horse, Albatross bars with barend shifters and compatible brake levers would probably be the most sensible way to go.

I'd be lying if I told you I've never done a drop to flat bar conversion, was very happy with the results, and rode many miles on it until the bike was destroyed in a collision (I wasn't riding it, it was on a rear rack on my car when I was rear ended by someone in a speeding stolen car being pursued by police).

Oddly coincidental, the Bridgestone drop bar tourer that I converted to a flat bar hybrid was originally equipped with barend shifters. :)

Enjoy the ride! Post pics of the bike when the project is completed! :thumb:

Why don't you want to sell the Campione? Keep it and get a Bianchi Camaleonte Due to keep it company. http://www.bianchiusa.com/bikes/sport/camaleonte-due/

Now that's a hybrid!...
Seriously, saw what appears to be an abandoned (reasonably new) Bianchi flatbar this week. It is locked to a bike rack with a flat rear, and leaves, dirt and pebbles blown over / covering the rims. Very sad sight. I may have to take weekly photos to show it's deterioration.