I've come across a ridden hard Bianchi frame and fork which appears like it might be somewhat high end. It has cable routing through the top tube and through the drive chainstay for the RD. The bottom bracket has some serial numbers preceded by an "E1". Makes me wonder if this might be El or EL-OS tubing. The decals are pretty much gone. Any thoughts and opinions would be most welcome. Thanks!

Oooh, I like the looks of it. Chrome stays and fork and internal cable routing... and celeste! I don't know what it is though, sorry.

Hmmm...interesting interior cable routing. You don't usually see that on older bikes, but the finish and decal make it look pretty old.

Paging Bianchigirll...

I'll weigh in just because I've been down this lonely road before, and it give me the opportunity to post my old Bianchi, Yeah! First, I don't think you will find the satisfaction of an exact ID of which you seek. Noone has ever been able to crack the Bianchi serial # code. My long efforts to ID mine ended in me settling on mid-90's, probably 92-94. Most the features on yours are on mine. Reparto Corse was a special race branch of Bianchi that concentrated on making the good stuff. I think yours may have been one of those. The thing that has puzzled me on this and other bikes is the rear brake bridge. Mine was a flat upward pointing 'V'. Your's is the more traditional brake 'nut'. For the fun of it, I'm thinking your's is a mid 90's columbus Reparto Corse, which would also agree with your assessment of EL tubing. Model may never be known. These bikes were also sold as frame only. I think it is one of the better ones IMHO and may be worth a refinish.

is the DT oversized and hen ovalized at the BBshell? I am thinking SBX from about '93 the graphics on this hotel computer stink I'll look again when I get back to my computer.

I don't think the E refers to tubing type.

E1 = 'possibly' built during the 5th fortnight of '1. With the other features, I'm going to say that means 1991, not '81.

Does that front fork look original to you Bianchi experts out there?

Would like to get an answer to that question also....

Here are some additional pics of the fork. I've asked for the make of the dropouts.

Yes that could be the stock fork. About 92-93 Bianchi switched to uni-crown forks on their reparto corse bikes.

For EL-OS bikes (and possibly others), in the early 90's Columbus (the tubing manufacturer) supplied the forks pre-built to the manufacturers. My (non-bianchi) EL-OS bike has an identical looking fork that used columbus dropouts. When the welds at the crown started cracking, the distributer I bought the bike from gave me the explanation about the forks comming direct from Columbus when he supplied a warrantee replacement. I have never been particularly enamored with these "MTB" looking forks on a nice road frame, my other complaint is that they are sized for such tight clearance at the top that larger tires will rub the crown.

I still think this is a '93ish SBX frame but the OP has not answered my question about the DT I check my catalogs shortly

I'll get you an answer on the tubing and the dropouts in an hour or so.

The dropouts on the front fork are completely worn and the dropouts on the rear are very worn but some letters could be made out and the rear dropouts are Gipiemme. The down tube is over sized and ovalized at the bottom bracket only. No other tubes appear to be over sized or ovalized. The seller was given this frame by a friend who was a racer and was sponsored by Bianchi some time ago.

Compare your bike to this one:
https://cgi.ebay.com/1996-Bianchi-EL-...item3360576a6e

It looks as though the down tube is over sized and ovalized like mine. Other than the painted and unpainted (visible chrome) areas being a little different, one difference is that on the eBay bike the entry and exit point for the top tube and rear chainstay cabling has a lip while on my frame it is completely smooth (entry and exit points are recessed at the tubing level). Another difference is that on my frame the lugs at the bottom bracket have a small notch in the design on each lug while on the eBay bike the lugs follow the same arc all the way around. Also worth noting on the eBay bike.... there is no ID on the rear dropouts on the eBay bike (the front fork dropouts are not shown), so in spite of the seller's description ("I bought this frame in a bike shop in Chico, California around 1998 or 1999; to the best of my recollection, it had never been built up or ridden"), makes me wonder if this is a repaint.

I ran across a Bianchi EL OS on another forum:
https://www.velocipedesalon.com/forum...425-16671.html

John, you're up early today. I've got to go to work. What's your excuse..... Out for an early morning ride or maybe trying to market that sweet looking Fuji touring bike? That looks like a nice ride! BTW, where did you take that picture of the Fuji?

I'm in MI now, Bob, so it's not that early. Waiting for the morning chill to disappear, then off on a long ride before I resume the endless task of turd polishing.

Yes, trying to sell the Fuji before it heads to the auction site we all love to hate.

August 28 and you've got a "morning chill".... I'd much rather be where you are!

The Bianchi at the link provided by OFG.... https://www.velocipedesalon.com/forum...425-16671.html looks the same as the bike that was posted by rothenfield1 although the details are hard to make out because the picture is from a distance. I think they are both a little different from the frame I am looking at as detailed in my earlier post above. If these other 2 frames are EL-OS then I am beginning to think that the authority on these matters, Bianchigirll, is probably right on when she indicates it may be a Columbus SBX frame made to Bianchi's specs.

Where O Where Art Thou, Bianchigirll? Speak to us about your Bianchi catalogs.