Help with Bianchi info
 

I know it's not C&V but there is where the Bianchi experts are so I hope it's Ok.

I'm just trying to get some official info on the 1999 Campione I picked up. The online catalogs are too small to read so I'm wondering if someone can help me with a better scan of the catalog?

I'm curious mainly about the frame. I like knowing the actual geometry for one thing. The other though has to do with repeated comments I find online about this frame being the same as higher end models from that year. Is that true? I'd be surprised because the bike is almost 24 lbs with the pedals and bottle cages. That makes it one of my heaviest rides, are the lower end components really that heavy?

I had the LBS go over the bearing surfaces and such I hadn't gotten to. They also caught a bent RD hanger I missed. The rear was noisy when I was adjusting it but I totally missed the RD. It was obvious when you paid attention as the whole back of the RD was canted inward.

Anyway, any help with the above questions would be a greatly appreciated and a catalog copy would be awesome!

thanks,

Now some pics.

After I cleaned it up last weekend:

http://www.pbase.com/jhuddle/image/164349818.jpg

The rest of the pics came from the original documentation shots I took right after picking it up.

Tubeset:

http://www.pbase.com/jhuddle/image/164333643.jpg

Fork:

http://www.pbase.com/jhuddle/image/164333640.jpg

Says made in Italy so I guess that is accurate but??

http://www.pbase.com/jhuddle/image/164333641.jpg

If I like the ride of this one I very well may put a lot of money in it. I've already scored new Zondas for $306 and maybe I'll treat it to a modern Campagnolo groupset too.

The frame is definitely not the same as the higher end models from 1000. The Giro Pantini Replica and XL Mega Pro used proprietary Bianchi aluminum tubing, while the Giro and Alloro used Easton Elite aluminum tubing.

As for geometry, just measure it yourself.

Looks as C&V as any number of my rides I continue to pontificate about with impunity whenever possible ---

Steel frame, level top tube, quill stem, Campagnolo groupset, -- looks close enough to C&V for me :thumb:

If its Veloce, and tuned up properly, --- heck you may just keep it on there -- I have the same groupset, only a triple chainwheel on one of my De BErnardis --- Its not as slick as the newer 10 speed Veloce , but its adequate

Almost a pound of your weight woes are likely tied up in that seat and tires if they are wire bead -- but my triple ring DeBErnardi weighs 23 lbs with a cromor frame --- yours is likely roughly equivalent to Cro-mor, Aelle or Thron - somewhere in there ---- the darn thing rides so nice that the weight is not a limiting factor though

I like Cromor. Whenever I move my 89 CDI frame around the shed, I constantly think how light it is.

Thanks T-Mar! I should have thought to at least check bikepedia to see what the others were made of, :o

Now measuring the tube lengths and wheelbase is easy enough but getting the angles accurate is another thing in itself, LOL!

I just like knowing to try and figure why a bike "feels" like it does.

Yeah, and I just added more weight before today's ride putting my Brooks Cambium saddle on it, LOL!

I'm by no means a weight weenie but a lighter bike under me, especially the wheels makes it feel so much better going up the mountains. And I'm surrounded on all 4 sides my mountains. I'd still say a good stiff rear is better for dropping time on a climb but feeling lighter helps mentally.

It's a Mirage groupset with Avenir brakes. I did a 50 miler on it today and it shifted reliably. Not as light and easy as my modern Athena Groupsets but still it worked well. I did find the ability to drop 3 cogs in one stroke pretty sweet for when I topped a hill.

Oh, and this bike was so comfortable. I expected some harshness as I'm still running those stock tires. They are smaller than my preferred GP4000s in 700 x 25 so I was running them with 15psi more pressure. Can't wait to get the bike out with my usual rubber on it. It was for stable but seemed eager to turn, unlike the old Orbea I've been riding some that seems like it fights me on the turns. The bike handled the worse sections of my ride very well. A mile long section of cracked, pot holed chipseal that will rattle your brains out on a stiff bike.

It was too windy today to really judge how well it gets up to speed or hold speed. Maybe tomorrow will be a calm day so that I can really shake it out.

Me too! Both my Giordana Antares and my Greg LeMond are Cromor and wonderful rides.

Well, I've gotten two more rides in on this. An aborted ride of only 21 miles and then 31 miles today. I still don't know what to think. It's comfortable but my pace is really slow on it. I've dialed in my normal fit on it so that is not an issue. I don't know if I'm maybe sick or if there's a lot of resistance somewhere in the drivetrain still. I'm still running those old tires but I can't believe that my prefered GP4000s tires will make a huge enough improvement to get me back to my normal pace.

You can buy digital protractors/angle finders. You put it on the top tube and zero it, then put it on the seat or head tube and it will display your angle. Sold at many hardware/automotive stores and online.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Elec...28015726.html#!

Well, who da thunk! Thanks T-Mar!:thumb:

And an update on the ride quandary. I took out the Prologue yesterday for the exact same 30 mile I route I had struggled on with the Campione the day before. On the old Schwinn I was immediately back up to speed and finished the route with a 19.9 mph average. Well up from the 17.2 mph average on the Bianchi the day before.

So I took the wheels off the Bianchi this morning and put on my standard GP4000S II tires in 700 x 25c. So that part of the equation will now be the same as on my other bikes. But I did notice some drag and roughness in the front hub. The rear seems fine. The other thing was how heavy the wheels felt. I'll have to check the weight on those old CXP-21 rims. Plus I think the rear cassette is packing a lot of extra weight. I have a set on Zonda's inbound that I was going to put on the Circuit but maybe I'll put them on this instead. And source a higher end and lighter cassette.

I do like the look of the Conti's on this bike. Goes well I think with the rest of the black and a dark set of Zonda's may accent the look even better.

http://www.pbase.com/jhuddle/image/164458543.jpg