Classic & Vintage - Bianchi Ti (MegaTube?) with Campy Chorus 9 Speed -- Any Info?

I just picked this up and I'm looking for some information. I believe it's a MegaTube. There seems to be little information online about the titanium Bianchis from the 1990s. Any experts out there?

When I got this one it had full Campy Chorus 9 speed, a Kestrel EMS Pro carbon fork, Chris King headset, and Wheelsmith wheels with Mavic SUP rims. I replaced the bottom bracket because it was in awful shape, and now it rides like a dream.

Is this the setup that it came from Bianchi with? Or is it more likely cobbled together after the frameset came from Bianchi? When was it made? Was this one made by Litespeed for Bianchi, or was it made by Bianchi after they took ti production in-house? I'd appreciate any information.

Here's a Flickr photoset of the bike (http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickrose/sets/72157628691867491/with/6625073599/).

Any thoughts? Bianchigirl?

(note I'm reposting from the Road Cycling section (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/790089-Bianchi-Ti-Any-Info?p=13669195#post13669195))

Beautiful Bianchi. I searched high and low for one of those. the frames were offered from '95 to '98 and I am pretty certain they were built in house. they were, except for the 110 Annv. bike, sold as a frame and sometimes a Time fork and a kit seperately. a Chorus kit was offered.

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=232329&d=1325564220

I agree the ride is excellent, I was somewhat disappointed in the ride of my '99/2000 Ti MEgaProXLTitanium frasmeset but these Mega tubes deliver that great Bianchi ride.

I am pretty sure mine is a '98 but the fork on it is a pretty basic Columbus unicrown, like was used on alot of Bianchi's Reparto Corse bikes in those days.

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=232390&d=1325633901

i'd ride it

Wow, thanks for the information Bianchigirll. Is yours an '88 -- or a '98? You've got a pretty badass Bianchi there -- you prefer the unicrown over a carbon fork?

It's interesting you should say that it was sometimes sold with a Time fork, because when I got it (from its second owner) the guy said that he had removed the Time fork that was on it. So, it looks like the Chorus set, along with the now defunct Time fork, would have been its original setup. If that's the case, then I should be able to date the frame by dating the Chorus components, correct?

Any idea if the wheelset would have been part of the kit?

I noticed that your bike has a "Reparto Corse" sticker on the non-drive-side horizontal chainstay (right next to the "Bianchi" pantograph), whereas mine does not. Would you attach any significance to that fact? Mine does say "Reparto Corse" on the downtube sticker indicating the grade of titanium, so it's curious that it wouldn't also have the other "Reparto Corse" sticker.

Wow, thanks for the information Bianchigirll. Is yours an '88 -- or a '98? You've got a pretty badass Bianchi there -- you prefer the unicrown over a carbon fork?

Oh sorry yes '98, thank you, it came with the unicrown and I as yet have no reason to change it

It's interesting you should say that it was sometimes sold with a Time fork, because when I got it (from its second owner) the guy said that he had removed the Time fork that was on it. So, it looks like the Chorus set, along with the now defunct Time fork, would have been its original setup. If that's the case, then I should be able to date the frame by dating the Chorus components, correct?

yes in theroy you could

Any idea if the wheelset would have been part of the kit?

which Mavic rims? I believe SUP was one of the buzz phrases of the era the '97 catalog list the rims as being "Mavic Reflex BCSUP UB double eyelet

I noticed that your bike has a "Reparto Corse" sticker on the non-drive-side horizontal chainstay (right next to the "Bianchi" pantograph), whereas mine does not. Would you attach any significance to that fact? Mine does say "Reparto Corse" on the downtube sticker indicating the grade of titanium, so it's curious that it wouldn't also have the other "Reparto Corse" sticker.

At one time the Reparto Corse decal and frames had a certain panache' to them. the frame were said to be built in the race depaartment right along side the pro bikes, I doubt the same people worked on the frames though. the absence of the chainstay decal or your bike is that is simply came off, perhaps it was starting to peel or something and the previous owner simply removed it. it could also be that they were used one year and not the next. at some point in the in very late '90s early 2000s some marketing idiot got the idea of putting a RC decal of some type on almost every Bianchi, sort of like calling every Mustang a Cobra so to true Bianchi loyalist some of the panache' is lost.

you can see that sticker in the pics?

I suppose I can't see the RC sticker -- maybe it was on another one that I saw. Anyway, it's good to know that the sticker's absence carries no significance.

Is the '97 catalog online somewhere?

try Bikepedia but there may not be a pic. I have been too overcome by boneidleness to scan my catalogs and set up a website as yet.

Well here are some grainy scans of Bianchi's cataogs over the years -- in Japanese. http://members.jcom.home.ne.jp/my_bianchi/catalogs.htm

Looks like mine's a '97.

I can't seem to get any to open. the US '87 and '88 catalogs are backwards

Yeah I don't know -- it's certainly a frustratingly incomplete selection, but it's the only one I've been able to locate online.

I don't see any backwards catalogs. The Japanese ones from 1987 (http://members.jcom.home.ne.jp/the-bianchi/1987.htm) and 1988 (http://members.jcom.home.ne.jp/the-bianchi/1988.htm) aren't backwards, and the other ones from those years (though not clickable) seem to be facing the right direction.

Nice Bianchi. Try Bulgier.net

the USA '88 and '87 are backwards. the one with the red header is an '88 catalog and the all bue on with the speeding rider is an '87

the Bulgier site has incomplete scans, they only show a few top models, and there '86 catalog is actually an '88