Dad's early 90's Bianchi Virata in storage for 20 years. Is it worth fixing up?
09-04-16, 07:27 PM
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Dad's early 90's Bianchi Virata in storage for 20 years. Is it worth fixing up?
https://imgur.com/a/Yhky2
My dad has a an old Bianchi Virata that has been sitting in storage for about 20 years. He said I can have it since he has no use for it. My mom told me that my dad only rode it a few times and never rode it again. Haha I asked and he confirmed.
As you can see from the pictures, it's really dirty, but I'm assuming it's in good shape since it's been in storage. He said there's no rust. I haven't gotten to check it out in person yet since I live far away. I was planning on picking it up next time I go home. He doesn't know exactly what the frame size is, but he's about the same size as me. Hopefully he bought the correct size for himself!
Does anybody have any knowledge on the bike? Is it worth the time and effort to fix it up?
I recently bought a 1984 Centurion Comp TA, seen here: https://i.imgur.com/jmXdu0t.jpg
I'm wondering which would be better to keep? Unfortunately, I only have room for one bike.
My dad has a an old Bianchi Virata that has been sitting in storage for about 20 years. He said I can have it since he has no use for it. My mom told me that my dad only rode it a few times and never rode it again. Haha I asked and he confirmed.
As you can see from the pictures, it's really dirty, but I'm assuming it's in good shape since it's been in storage. He said there's no rust. I haven't gotten to check it out in person yet since I live far away. I was planning on picking it up next time I go home. He doesn't know exactly what the frame size is, but he's about the same size as me. Hopefully he bought the correct size for himself!
Does anybody have any knowledge on the bike? Is it worth the time and effort to fix it up?
I recently bought a 1984 Centurion Comp TA, seen here: https://i.imgur.com/jmXdu0t.jpg
I'm wondering which would be better to keep? Unfortunately, I only have room for one bike.
Last edited by chiyama; 09-11-16 at 04:50 PM.
09-04-16, 07:49 PM
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Both are very nice bicycles. It looks like the Comp TA was upgraded to Shimano New 600EX SIS. The main advantage of the Bianchi is that the 600 Ultegra is a generation newer. You'll have the conveience of 8 speeds and the Hyperglide cassette will shift much better, particularly under load. The SLR dual pivot brakes are more powerful, with a much lighter feel and better modulation. On the downside, the Bianchi does appear to be 2-3 cm larger and will require a full overhaul.
You should try riding the Bianchi for at least a week, to see how it feels. Even if you feel it's too big, you just might like the 600 Ultegra enough to consider a component swap, which is probably the route I'd take.
You should try riding the Bianchi for at least a week, to see how it feels. Even if you feel it's too big, you just might like the 600 Ultegra enough to consider a component swap, which is probably the route I'd take.
09-04-16, 09:44 PM
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How tall are you? Both of those are pretty small bikes.
Do you ever need a bike when visiting your parents? Perhaps scrub up the Bianchi and put on the pedals and handlebar stem that you like on it (that stem is pretty long), then use it as a spare bike for visiting. Snag it later if something happens to your Centurion. Perhaps wrap the Bianchi in a sheet or something after you spend the effort to scrub it.
Do you ever need a bike when visiting your parents? Perhaps scrub up the Bianchi and put on the pedals and handlebar stem that you like on it (that stem is pretty long), then use it as a spare bike for visiting. Snag it later if something happens to your Centurion. Perhaps wrap the Bianchi in a sheet or something after you spend the effort to scrub it.
09-04-16, 11:38 PM
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How tall are you? Both of those are pretty small bikes.
Do you ever need a bike when visiting your parents? Perhaps scrub up the Bianchi and put on the pedals and handlebar stem that you like on it (that stem is pretty long), then use it as a spare bike for visiting. Snag it later if something happens to your Centurion. Perhaps wrap the Bianchi in a sheet or something after you spend the effort to scrub it.
Do you ever need a bike when visiting your parents? Perhaps scrub up the Bianchi and put on the pedals and handlebar stem that you like on it (that stem is pretty long), then use it as a spare bike for visiting. Snag it later if something happens to your Centurion. Perhaps wrap the Bianchi in a sheet or something after you spend the effort to scrub it.
I don't need a bike when I visit them, so it would just be sitting around collecting dust. Keeping it there for future use is a good idea though.
Last edited by chiyama; 09-04-16 at 11:41 PM.
09-04-16, 11:40 PM
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Both are very nice bicycles. It looks like the Comp TA was upgraded to Shimano New 600EX SIS. The main advantage of the Bianchi is that the 600 Ultegra is a generation newer. You'll have the conveience of 8 speeds and the Hyperglide cassette will shift much better, particularly under load. The SLR dual pivot brakes are more powerful, with a much lighter feel and better modulation. On the downside, the Bianchi does appear to be 2-3 cm larger and will require a full overhaul.
You should try riding the Bianchi for at least a week, to see how it feels. Even if you feel it's too big, you just might like the 600 Ultegra enough to consider a component swap, which is probably the route I'd take.
You should try riding the Bianchi for at least a week, to see how it feels. Even if you feel it's too big, you just might like the 600 Ultegra enough to consider a component swap, which is probably the route I'd take.
09-07-16, 03:48 PM
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That poor Bianchi. Those early Viratas and Alfanas (next bike down with 105) were very nice machines. Tange UltraLite Prestige frames nice rims and tires. Always wanted to try one.
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Last edited by Bianchigirll; 09-07-16 at 03:53 PM.
09-07-16, 04:58 PM
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Those are both very nice bikes the Bianchi looks to be in very good shape under the dirt and is worth fixing up. It is probably a bit nicer than the Centurion I like that it has a full 600 Tri color components.
09-07-16, 04:59 PM
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09-08-16, 07:12 AM
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You gonna eat that?
No, they're not links for whatever reason. You have to copy and paste them.
The Bianchi is a time capsule. Beautiful.
The Bianchi is a time capsule. Beautiful.
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Originally Posted by bragi "However, it's never a good idea to overgeneralize."
09-11-16, 04:53 PM
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Sorry about that, I thought the links would show up as hyperlinks, but I guess they didn't. I fixed it. I'll be going back home at the end of the month to check out the Bianchi. I think it's a 52cm, I'm not 100% sure yet. I'll be sure to clean it up and post more pictures! (Correctly this time)
12-07-16, 03:36 PM
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Both are very nice bicycles. It looks like the Comp TA was upgraded to Shimano New 600EX SIS. The main advantage of the Bianchi is that the 600 Ultegra is a generation newer. You'll have the conveience of 8 speeds and the Hyperglide cassette will shift much better, particularly under load. The SLR dual pivot brakes are more powerful, with a much lighter feel and better modulation. On the downside, the Bianchi does appear to be 2-3 cm larger and will require a full overhaul.
You should try riding the Bianchi for at least a week, to see how it feels. Even if you feel it's too big, you just might like the 600 Ultegra enough to consider a component swap, which is probably the route I'd take.
You should try riding the Bianchi for at least a week, to see how it feels. Even if you feel it's too big, you just might like the 600 Ultegra enough to consider a component swap, which is probably the route I'd take.
Hey @T-Mar, so I've been riding the Bianchi for a couple weeks now. And I like the components much more than the Shimano 600 SIS on my Comp TA. Shifting is a lot smoother and the brakes stop and respond much better. Is a component swap on these two bikes possible? I'm guessing that I would need to spread the rear dropouts? Would there be any other weird steps other than simply switching over the components? I think the Bianchi might be slightly too big for me. I haven't decided yet.
12-07-16, 05:35 PM
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I'd just ride the Bianchi. The amount of seatpost showing on the Centurion means that the inch or so larger frame the Virata has shouldn't matter. You can straddle the top tube, right?
12-07-16, 11:34 PM
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My wife rides an Alfana and loves it!
12-08-16, 06:48 AM
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Hey @T-Mar, so I've been riding the Bianchi for a couple weeks now. And I like the components much more than the Shimano 600 SIS on my Comp TA. Shifting is a lot smoother and the brakes stop and respond much better. Is a component swap on these two bikes possible? I'm guessing that I would need to spread the rear dropouts? Would there be any other weird steps other than simply switching over the components? I think the Bianchi might be slightly too big for me. I haven't decided yet.
12-09-16, 11:05 AM
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Both bicycles are Asian manufactured so there should be no thread compatibility issues. The seat posts may be about one size different. Brake reach should be similar. You could just manually spread the stays to accept the 8 speed wheel but I'd cold set them and align the dropouts. There shouldn't be any other issues.
What are some telltale signs that a bike is too big for me? I'm having a lot of trouble deciding what to do. Any advice is appreciated!
12-09-16, 02:28 PM
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Try a shorter stem. That's way easier than swapping the entire drivetrain.
12-09-16, 06:41 PM
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What's the easiest way to figure out which stem will fit? I'm not very experienced with the sizing of the handlebars and everything. I'm at work right now and I don't have my bike with me. Would the sizes be engraved on the stem or handlebars anywhere? I've been looking at stems online and am getting a little confused.
12-11-16, 07:42 AM
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What's the easiest way to figure out which stem will fit? I'm not very experienced with the sizing of the handlebars and everything. I'm at work right now and I don't have my bike with me. Would the sizes be engraved on the stem or handlebars anywhere? I've been looking at stems online and am getting a little confused.
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“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
12-12-16, 06:31 PM
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You need a 1-inch quill stem and I'm guessing since that has a Modolo stem on it now it needs to have a 26.0 clamp diameter. You can measure the length of it from the center of the little black cap on top out to the center of the handle bar that looks like it might be a hundred 110 millimeter stem. If you just look at the two place you can see how this down on the Centurion is much shorter. I hope this helps
12-13-16, 06:39 AM
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100mm is the default. 80-120 are fairly common. You could just measure the stem on the Comp TA and try that size. That has an 80 or 90mm stem. Make sure that you get the right clamp size.
The modolo is also prone to breaking. Given your height, unless you're really... er ... chubby, you are unlikely break it. More information on that is on John Allen's site. This stem is in the second picture: Hazardous bicycle handlebar stems
The modolo is also prone to breaking. Given your height, unless you're really... er ... chubby, you are unlikely break it. More information on that is on John Allen's site. This stem is in the second picture: Hazardous bicycle handlebar stems
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