Hi,

I wasn't sure whether to post this here or in another one, but here goes:

A few months ago I decided to take up cycling for fun and fitness. On a low budget I somewhat hastily bought this Bianchi and had it serviced by my lbs. As you can see (if the pics are attached properly) It is quite low end; Weinmann brakes, Shimano components. Nevertheless it is quite smart, and I'm really taken by the classic steel frame aesthetics.

However, as I have been cycling more and more I realise there are some potentially expensive issues with this bike if it to be a more serious ride. I live in a very hilly part of England and require a compact crankset which this does not have (my intro to cycling has been tough). The brakes are poor. The wheels could be much better. Eventually it would be nice to have integrated shifters.

So my first question to you knowledgeable folks is: Is it worth the expense of any of these upgrades?

I realise now I might've been better off shelling out more for something modern to fit my requirements, so perhaps I ought to try and sell it to reclaim some money and find something better equipped. But then, I really do like the bike. Part of why I like cycling is for the equipment itself so I would miss it if I were to get something more up to date.

Speaking of aesthetics, as you can see, the paint is chipped all over the bike. There were some bubbly paint spots which I chipped away to treat the rust. My next question then, is what can I do with these bits of bare metal? I have been unable to find a colour to match, and given that there are large bits missing miss-matched paint would look very untidy. I'd rather stick with the chrome showing, what could I put on it to protect it from rust? Is there something I can coat the whole frame with? I did consider stripping and powder-coating (by a professional) but again, is it worth it?

I had thought it would be nice to modernise it a bit since it's not upmarket enough to restore, and that would give me chance to learn the mechanics myself. But with new parts and potentially new paint, could my money be better spent? (I already spent £120 on the bike itself then a service on top of that). One further complication - Eventually I'll be moving to the city, it could make a decent commuter.

I do believe money is well spent when it's spent on something useful and enjoyable, but still, to make a money pit out of a bike which would not be able to recuperate anything at all is probably unwise.

Thanks for your time

F.

Personally, I wouldn't consider that bike "Low End" when I think of low end, I think stem shifters, and turkey levers and heavy cottered cranks. Your bike has none of those, it may lack the modern tech, but you should research more affordable upgrades, like maybe get a cassette/freewheel suited for hills? newer tires are a cheaper option too, i think you did well with that bianchi and i would love to have one like it. make sure you know why you don't like riding it.. is it too big or small? there may be things that your passing off as old but really it doesn't fit well. jut my 2 cents..

This is not low end but not worth investing a lot of money in either. Think of this bike as a wise investment. You bought the bike at a reasonable price and found out you liked cycling. You also found out that this bike is not optimal for your needs. You can sell it to recoup some of your costs or keep it as a lock up/utility bike. Now you know what you need. You can either buy new or find a used bike that has the features you are looking for. If you like the look of vintage bikes, then buy a used one. You can find a really great used bike for quite a bit less than an equivalent quality new bike. Given the terrain you ride in you may want a bike with a triple (triples are more common on vintage bikes than compact cranks).

Welcome to the forums FE11244. Nice looking Bianchi.

I can't tell anything about the tubing from the decal but it looks to have a chromed chainstay and chroming under the paint so I agree this not a lowend bike. It is an OK middle of the road bike and certainly worth a little attention.

First of all if the shop did a proper tune up and the braking is not to your liking go back and describe what you are having trouble with and see if perhaps they can offer some pointers. Also I see a lot of dirt on the front brake so were these pics before or after the tune up? Did the shop replace the brake pads? A new set of pads may improve your stopping, as well as cleaning the rims with a little oil free nail polish remover or rubbing alcohol.

Try nail polish to match the color.

As to the gearing there are two easy things you can do. As mentioned a wider range freewheel will give you a lower climbing gear. Depending on the make and model of your crankset you might be able to change the inner chain ring and reduce your overall gearing a bit.

Great looking Bianchi, I always wanted one that color but when I see one the timing is never right.

Those brakes look like the Weinmanns that came on Varsitys...new brakes should help a lot and would be a cheap and easy upgrade.

Hi, thanks for the quick and helpful comments.

The bike does fit me, and as far as I can tell it is a comfortable ride, though I've nothing else to compare it to.

Bianchigirll, the pics are indeed from after the tune up, perhaps I'm not as diligent with the scrubbing brush and sponge as I should be. The shop did replace the brake pads. The problem is that there is quite some resistance, or rather it feels as if the levers are spongy. The mechanic said some new dual pivots would be a good idea. Thanks for the tip on cleaning the rims. And nail polish, I had tried that but all I had at hand was glossy stuff which didn't quite work out, I presume they make matte nail polish, I'll ask my other half...

Perhaps I ought to have mentioned that the old 24t freewheel was replaced with a new 28t, this has helped a lot, though there are some hills so steep that I can't actually turn the cranks (maybe I'm just very week, but I'm a not-unfit 24 year old so hopefully it's not that!) It was the lbs mechanic who said that I really need a compact, though I like the idea of finding a smaller chainring, the cranks are Ofmega.

Thanks everyone for the help, I'm encouraged to make this work.

I am not a huge fan of dual pivot (DP) brakes but they may be a good upgrade for you. Did they replace the brake cables?

A 28th is a great start but if you need a little more a smaller chain ring may help but it will lower all your gears. What brand is your crankset? How many teeth on the smaller ring?

BTW nothing wrong with commuting on this depending on distance and your requirements. If you need to commute in all weather and need fenders or need racks a hybrid type bike may make a better commuter.

They did replace the cables. Before the service the brakes were vitually unusable so there was considerable improvement after the tune up. When I went to collect the bike after the tune up there was a very expensive modern Bianchi in the shop, I said to the mechanic that it's interesting to see how they've changed over the last thirty years or so, he said 'go and squeeze those brakes' - I did, and found that there is certainly room for improvement on my current set up.

The crankset is Ofmega, there is no other identification, I don't think. The small ring has 42 teeth.

Thanks for the commuting tip.

Good advice, here. Keep it, and keep on riding it. You say you've been cycling only a few months, and if you really start to enjoy it, trust me: You'll be looking for that next bike. If you sold it now, chances are good you might lose money on the deal AND regret it later down the road.

New brakes and tires would make for fine upgrades in the near future. However, I personally wouldn't go too crazy with integrated shifters and compact chain rings....not that I have anything against either (my bikes have combinations of all that stuff). If you keep riding, the hills WILL get easier. I promise. All I know of Yorkshire is what I saw during last year's TdF, and it certainly isn't pancake flat. But after several 100 more kilometers you'll notice your weight dropping and your legs strengthening. Quads will firm up and the calves will be nicely defined. Better fitness and a slimmer body is (monetarily) free, and I believe will do greater wonders for your climbing versus spending money to save a couple teeth on your chain rings.

If you haven't already, subscribe to GCN (Global Cycling Network) on YouTube. An excellent chanel (and they're Brits!) with tons of good advice for cyclists of all abilities.

What is the rear spacing? If it's 130 mm hub width(inside the frame), you can throw a modern wheelsset in there. That will be your best upgrade. You can also work on up grading the rest of your components, from there(save the old parts). When you've upgraded everything you see fit, buy the frame of your dreams & build this one back up the way it was. You'll have two great bikes but, there is a warning attached. You may be disappointed with than new frame & want to put all the stuff back on the bianchi. Nothing rides like steel & modern geometry doesn't have the same feel.
Looks like you have a 6 speed frehub on the back. "Probably" 126mm width. You can still have a new set of rims laced to those hubs & new brakes. You may be stuck with downtube shifters, though(for the time being). It's still a worthy investment to upgrade what you can & save for that new frame, when you figure out what it is.

This aspect of it has been weighing on my mind: That I should just deal with it and get fitter. As it happens I'm very slim already, at 6ft and 68kg, just not very strong, though since I've taken it up I've improved a lot. Actually it's climbing the hills that I enjoy the most, but I have to crawl up them, the option of spinning a little easier and quicker seems luxurious in those circumstances.

GCN is great!

Thanks for this. It is 126mm. I did wonder about spreading the dropouts, the lbs mechanic said it's not a stiff frame. Is this advisable? Presumably new hubs would be better than the current 31 year old ones.

In the steel days, mechanics would spread the rear to accommodate. It can be done, not advisable with the current knowledge. I ride some modern & some vintage hubs. So long as they are in great shape & serviced properly, they should spin just about as well as anything new. You can pair just about any type of rim, modern or vintage to your hubs. I tend to stick with vintage hubs on vintage rims for the appeal. But not everyone cares so much about that & new rims will work just fine. New brakes should bolt up fine, as well. A good set of modern, or even vintage brakes, will help a lot. I usually swap modern pads & holders into my vintage brakes. Mostly Nuovo record & they perform just as well as my new mavic & Campagnolo record brakes. There are many ways to skin that cat of yours. Just depends on what you want to do with it in the future. I'd hate to see you get rid of it, if there are things you really like about it. I think s good steel frame often becomes a standard by which everything is judged.

I think it's a keeper, but I am more than a little biased in favor of steel Bianchi frames. If those are not KoolStop brake pads, they should be replaced with KoolStops. I can't tell from your photo, but you may be able to increase your hill climbing leverage with a smaller inner chaining, keeping the same crankset. Does it look as though you could fit a smaller ring, or are the mounting bolts already almost out to the teeth? The newer Shimano road standard 130mm bolt circle diameter can take a 38T ring, which will be about 10 percent easier than a 42, assuming that is what you now have. Unfortunately, the older 144mm standard goes down only to 41, which is very hard to find.

Keep riding -- you may find that the current gearing (42/28? 40/28?) will become adequate for you over time. I have happily used a 42/26 or 38/23 low for many years on my road bikes, down from 42/23 or 47/27 in my younger years.