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How do I date my Bianchi bicycle?

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How do I date my Bianchi bicycle?

Old 07-30-10, 07:00 PM
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How do I date my Bianchi bicycle?

Yesterday my mother gave me my father's old Bianchi bicycle. It is definitely NOT in good condition....my brother spray-painted most of it when he was a teenager, but he thoughtfully did not paint anything that had the Bianchi logo on it. My dad was born in Italy and came to the US in 1954. This bicycle either dates from his university days--he started at the University of Rome in 1939--or when my folks got married (1952). Are there books, catalogs or websites I should look at? Or is there somebody in the Maryland/DC area who might be able to identify it?

I will post a picture, likely tomorrow, when I have access to a camera.
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Old 07-30-10, 07:10 PM
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How do I date my Bianchi bicycle?

Walk up to her casually and ask her out for a drink, if she excepts you can go on from there.
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Old 07-30-10, 07:28 PM
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box it up and ship it to me. I look it over and have a rough idea when it was built in about 10 years

seriously welcome to the forums. you think your father brought this from Italy? finding the exact year might be hard, and if it is that old it is beyond my realm of knowledge. however there are some very cleaver gentlemen here. we will narrow it down to within a few years if we get good pics of the frame and the components.

browse around to some of the other threads and see the kind of pics that are posted, that will give you an idea what pics to take.
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Old 07-30-10, 07:52 PM
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Start w/ the serial number and a list of any original components that are still on it.

Many Bianchis have a # A xxxxxx format, in which # is the last digit of the year of manufacture, and A is the fortnight of that year. Mine (see signature) may be a 1982 model, but the frame was evidently made in mid-1981.
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Old 07-30-10, 08:03 PM
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Originally Posted by John E
Start w/ the serial number and a list of any original components that are still on it.

Many Bianchis have a # A xxxxxx format, in which # is the last digit of the year of manufacture, and A is the fortnight of that year. Mine (see signature) may be a 1982 model, but the frame was evidently made in mid-1981.
I'll have to see about that with a few of my bikes I did not know there was an order to the ser numbers. However seeing as the OPs bike may have been built between 1938 and the late 1950s this may not hold true for him.

PS I have been told by different sources at Bianchi USA that they did not really track serial numbers very much not even on the vaunted RC frames.
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Old 08-05-10, 08:29 AM
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I finally have the pictures of this bicycle!
More to follow...
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Old 08-05-10, 08:32 AM
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Originally Posted by Alacarts
I finally have the pictures of this bicycle!
More to follow...

Looks old! Very cool!
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Old 08-05-10, 08:34 AM
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Some of the detail photos. Once I figure out the year (or thereabouts), what are the first steps to restoration?
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Old 08-05-10, 09:56 AM
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Holy moley that's an old bike. Suh-weeeet.
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Old 08-05-10, 01:13 PM
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this is very nice. I think perhaps Bianchi was still "Biker Maker to the King/Queen" when this wass built. it has rod brakes so maybe some of the Raleigh/Carlton guys can help.

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Old 08-05-10, 01:32 PM
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Very cool bike and a more than worthy candidate for restoration.

If you can swing the cash, a professional restoration may be the way to go.
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Old 08-05-10, 08:35 PM
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Professional restoration? Just what might that cost? Somehow the challenge of restoring this bicycle appeals to me, but I'd like to know my options.
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Old 08-06-10, 06:04 AM
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a professional restoration could cost a few thousand dollars. a good paint job alone, on a frame / fork not to mention fenders, can be $500. but that is a bead blast prep 2 or 3 coats of paint and rubbed clearcoat. (better then the MACO job on your car)

do you use flicker? there is a Bianchi group there. post a few pics and make sure you put in the description you would like help dating it. perhaps someone can help you.

https://www.flickr.com/groups/bianchi...th/4864844070/
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Old 08-06-10, 07:00 AM
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This site has several vintage bianchi (and other) bikes of that type:
https://www.flickriver.com/photos/zag...r-interesting/
1931:
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