Originally Posted by Eric F

Okay, cool, but that's not the point I was making. Yes, there are a ton of modest-budget vintage bikes that can adequately get the job done. No doubt about it. I recently rehabbed my own vintage frame, and built it into a very capable retro race machine that I'm hoping to have my own Eroica experience with. My build cost me north of $1k, did not include new paint, and was mostly used parts.


If you start with a vintage frame, and refresh it to showroom-new condition, including never-been-used/NOS parts and new paint, you're going to get into the same realm as the Bianchi pretty quickly. Not all people are motivated to go through the process of building/resurrecting a vintage machine. The cache of the Bianchi name certainly has a factor in the equation. If it's not for you, don't buy one.