sdrubbins

Never posted here before, but I'm trying to figure out what this bike is. (I'm just now getting back into bicycles; the last one I owned was the one I had at age 13 - a Raleigh Record that lasted to age 22, then was stolen. Maybe it's because steel-frame classic lightweights were what was aound then, or maybe I just have good taste... but I can't see myself on one of these new Alu or Ti or CF things...) Anyway, I recently picked up a 16-speed Bianchi in Celeste green. Not sure how most pictures are posted here so I'll link to a Picasa album:

https://picasaweb.google.com/brianmcd...ey=7nNlbUf1cAs

Most identifying characteristics are noted in the picture captions, but here are the details:

-- The numbers under the bottom bracket are "59 C.734"
-- Pretty much every moving part (derailleurs, brakes, shifters, cranks, and headset) is Campagnolo; where it gets more specific, it says Chorus.
-- The 8-speed rear cassette is Shimano 600, and goes from 12 to 25 teeth.
-- The seat (replaced with a Specialized POS I'm already regretting) I think was a "Vetti."
-- The wheels are Mavic CXP-10.
-- The stem and bars are shiny and black... they and the new-seeming bar tape (and the brifters? and the wheels?) may not be original.
-- The paint is peeling in places (no visible rust though) and almost all of the stickers are in very bad shape.
-- About those stickers: one on the downtube seems to say "campione del mondo 1986" (from which I gather this is a 1987 model); one says "made in _____" (I assume Italy, they wouldn't brag about the origin on the Japanese-manufactured models); one says "forcella originale" (what does 'forcella' mean?).

It rides like a dream... only problems so far are the fit (mostly worked out with seat adustments) and the front shifter doesn't work so well - it thinks there are like four speeds in the front instead of just two.

(I'm trying to decide, between this and my Cilo with downtube shifters, which one should be my 'city' bike (which I ride like a single-speed) and which should be my 'country' bike. But that's a whole other question...) (More on the Cilo later if peeps are interested.)

I'm not trying to put a value on it (it's for riding, not selling - the value is what I get out of it every day), I just want more information about my new baby from people who know more about Bianchi bikes.

velomateo

I checked on the bulgier site and it looks like yours is post 86, but you can take a look for yourself. Looks like a nice bike, a little seasoned, but definately upper end.
https://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/

sdrubbins

Ah, thanks for the link. So maybe it's a Super Leggera? That's the model that had Chgorus parts in the '86 catalog.

And from doing some more research, I note that the Chorus line first came out in '86. That and the 'campione del mondo' sticker suggest it's from the late 80s... so not an amazing vintage find but seems like a good quality bike for everyday riding.

T-Mar

The 1987 models that I've seen have used the rectangular World's Championship decal. This frame appears to have the round decal used in 1988 and later. We know it's no newer than 1992, as that's the year of Bianchi's next win in the World Championships. The components appear to be much newer than the frame. Ergopower shifters did not come out until 1992 and the rear derailleur appear to be even newer than that.

In my opinion, I would not not be trying to determine the model based on components that appear to be much newer than the frame. My guess for the frame, based on the decals and serial number, would be a 1988 model built in late 1987.

Forcella translates to fork blades. I can't quite tell the colors of the fork decal based on the pic. Gold with a red border was employed on the TSX/SPX/SLX tubesets circa 1988. Gold with a blue border was used on the SL/SP and MS tubesets. Silver with a blue border was used on Cromor.