Here's a story I
concocted, not necessarily accurate, but much shorter then prefixing each sentence with "I'm guessing", "seems to be", "probably" and the like.
It's a Bianchi frame, made in 1989 from Columbus SLX tubing, the kind that would be used for a Superleggera of the period, built up with Shimano 600 Tricolor parts in 1991+. The frame is not particularly meticulously made, has stamped lugs and has no engravings or stampings, apart from the serial number. Its only redeeming feature is the Columbus SLX tubing and the decal/paint Bianchi branding. I read good things about the Tricolor group. The wheels are Mavic Open. Basically: a reasonably good frame was acquired for a reasonable price in the dawn of Nivacrom, some practical, not too fancy components were fitted and it was good. That's my best guess.
This frame and fork on VeloBase look to be an exact match in every aspect. The
dual pivot brakes are a giveaway for the later build date.
Here are more snaps of the actual bike.
Ignoring the celeste it looks to be nothing more then a good frame with decent equipment, above average for its time, still serviceable today. It's in good condition, a few paint chips here and there, more dirty and grimy than (ab)used.
I'm not going to bother you with the pricing details as it would be of no use at all considering my location. Let's just say: it's not an epic bargain find, I can get similar bikes for less, but in worse shape, with less usable equipment and less desirable color choices and for a little more I can squeeze in a new, department store-like, absolutely basic road bike.
The intent is to ride it, but resale, sooner or later, is all but inevitable. It would be my first road bike, it looks like it will fit me, but come on... It's not going to fit, is it?
So my main question is: does this look like a good bike to get some life experience about fit and road bikes in general? Is my guesswork wrong? The fact that it's just a built up Bianchi frame, not a specific model, decreases the value, doesn't it? I would stand to lose money in resale, wouldn't I?
Of course, any other information or advice is welcome.