Originally Posted by SoCaled (Post 23213597)

This bike keeps popping up on Craigslist, wondering what year it would be?
https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/...731996887.html
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8aa6f9a74e.jpg

Originally Posted by Bianchigirll (Post 23213713)

The decals are all wrong, they look '70s, but I think the bikes is an '85 and as the seller states an Alloro. Sporting brakes, Ofmega SH and cranks and the Gran Sport RD point in that direction.

Originally Posted by 701gravel (Post 23231850)

New guy here- Ive posted a separate thread bjt this looks like the place to be. I recently came across what I suspect to be an ‘88ish Bianchi, but would love some help narrowing down the model and year. I am going to be cleaning it up, checking bearing points, getting it running well, but if something goes south I would like to have the original parts specs. I have ran through the catalogues, and the best guess I can come up with is an 88 Trofeo. Heres what I know:

Celeste color, celeste seat, celeste fork, two bottle mounts, air pump holder peg

Frame: Formula 2 columbus
Fork: Formula columbus, celeste (color throws me off)
Headset: Miche
Handlebar: 3t
Stem: Black 3t (this throws me off)
crankset: ofmega
pedals: ofmega
derailleur: suntour Sprint 9000
shift lever/set: suntour (index power control)
seat post: 3t
hubsets: miche

Most pictures I see for this bike are with a black fork and not a 3t black stem. Any help
or feedback would be appreciated! I would share some pictures but I am new to the forum. Best I can do is the profile picture. There is a picture of it in the thread I made, with a picture reply. Serial on the bottom is 2730 and 8•1(or I)

appreciate any help!

Originally Posted by Bianchigirll (Post 23232156)

Maxey that is one cool Bianchi and I am very jealous. I have no idea when some of these seem to have Grizzly. Perhaps there was an early quality control issue in the paint shop since the Project 7 and Grizzle use the same Prestige tubing and decals, and even most of the same components. Perhaps there was simply a small number that got through with the wrong decals.

It's weird you very seldom see the Projects bikes for sale but when you do, they seem to have seen little use, especially what looks like offroad use.

Originally Posted by elchap0 (Post 23285740)

Hello everyone,
I recently acquired a vintage Bianchi bicycle and I'm trying to learn more about its history and specifications. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any information about it so far. The serial number of my bike is 652789, located on the front tube under the handlebars, with no letters included.

Here are a few details and observations about the bike:
- The shifters are mounted on the handlebars, not on the down tube as is typical, even though they are not original, there are no welds or other signs of modification on the down tube, indicating the frame has not been altered.
- There is a "Covia" decal on the top tube, but I couldn't find any information about it online.
- There are also "Campione del mondo 1986-1987" decals, maybe the frame from that era.
- Also there is a inscription on the seat tube.

I contacted the Bianchi headquarters in Italy, but they were unable to identify the model and only provided catalogs from those years, which also did not yield any relevant information.
I would greatly appreciate any information you can provide, including the possible year of manufacture, model, or maybe what groupsets were typically installed on this model during that time.. Has anyone come across this model before?

Thank you in advance for your help!
Best regards

P.S. unfortunately couldn't attach a photo, just registered

Originally Posted by elchap0 (Post 23286849)

a little bit of what I've been able to find out:

"Tubi trafilati speciale" according to GPT chat refers to the type and quality of tubing used to make the frame of the bike. This phrase in Italian translates as "special elongated tubes" which later became known as "Columbus SLX", it also pointed out that this tube is made of chromium and molybdenum, "chromoly" in short.

I was wrong about the degrees on the pipe. I wrote that it was "12°". Actually it is as you said "72°" - having searched the internet it says that the Head Tube Angle for road bikes of those days was exactly 72 degrees, or close to 72. Which means my bike is still a road bike.
I started to check this information with the help of GPT chat, and it said that in those days Bianchi had only 2 models (I don't know if it's true or not) that had a Head Tube Angle of 72 degrees, the models "Bianchi Specialissima X4" which is obviously not my case and the second one "Bianchi Campione del Mondo" which corresponds to the sticker on the bottom tube. What you wrote that on the top tube it says "Corsa" honestly looks about right.

All that concerns groupset does not even need to be said, it is all so clear that it is not a factory. And the derailleurs were probably just like that, only metal, I have seen them a couple of times on bikes on the internet

Based on the information you provided, I asked GPT chat and this is what he gave me:

"" The Bianchi Corsa, produced in the 1980s, was categorised as a mid-level sports and racing bike. It was intended for serious amateurs and novice riders, offering high quality at a reasonable price.

The main features of the Bianchi Corsa model level:

Frame:
- Material: High quality steel, Columbus SL (which refers us exactly to the above mentioned Tubi Trafilati Speciale) steel was often used, which offered a good balance between weight and strength.
- Geometry: Sporty geometry optimised for race fit and performance.

Components:
Groupsets: Typically, Corsa models were fitted with Campagnolo components such as Campagnolo Nuovo Record or Gran Sport groupsets.
Wheels: Quality rims and hubs were used, often from Mavic or Ambrosio. --- (just like the ones I have)

Design and finish:
Bianchi's signature colour was celeste, and other classic colour options were also possible.
High quality finishing details such as leather or vinyl wrapped handlebars, saddles from Selle Italia or Cinelli.

Other details:
Models were often fitted with parts from Italian manufacturers such as Cinelli (handlebars and stem) and 3ttt.
The bikes had racing tyres and components that were optimised for performance.

The Corsa model offered an excellent level of performance for its category, but was more affordable than the top Bianchi models such as the Specialissima or Superleggera, which used more expensive materials and components. ""

Thank you very much for your time, your knowledge helped me a lot!!! :thumb:

Originally Posted by SteelLover (Post 23301262)

Hello, I have Had this Bianchi Super Leggera frame and fork for many years. I purchased it from a fellow worker at a bike shop back in the day but know nothing about it. The serial number looks like C 9 3567. It is an SLX steel frame and a Foderi laminati fork. It has a chrome seatstay on the drive side and made in italy sticker on the lower down tube. seems to have the 90's style decals. Any ideas on what year/version this may be? Thanks in advance!

I added a photo in my album as well.

Originally Posted by T-Mar (Post 20019673)

Based on current understanding of the Bianchi serial number format this should be a 1987 model, manufactured in late 1986. However, there are a number of inconsistencies, complicated by the mostly non-OEM components. Regardless, the frame features are inconsistent with a a late 1980s, mid-range model.

The 1987 mid-range model in turquoise was the Trofeo but it was spec'd with the Bianchi Formula Two tubeset. Also, the 1987 models came with the 1986-1987 Campione del Mondo decal, which is not present on this bicycle. The component most likely to OEM on this bicycle is the Gipiemme crankset, but the 1987 Trofeo was spec'd with an Ofmega crankset.

At this point, I should make it clear that Bianchi Formula II tubing appears to be rebranded Columbus Matrix. However, during 1985-1988, Bianchi had Columbus produce several tubesets under the Bianchi brand for the Italian manufactured, mid-range models. Columbus Matrix itself, was a short lived tubeset, appearing in 1986 and being renamed Cromor in 1987, as the result of a Trek trademark lawsuit, for infringement on their Matrix rims. This is the first time I've seen Matrix on a Bianchi and that includes European models.

Backing off a year, the 1986 mid-range model in turquoise was the Nuovo Alloro. It too was spec'd with Formula Two tubing and is the frame as the 1987 Trofeo. The lack of a CdM decal and the Gipemme crankset would be correct but still I wouldn't expect a Matrix decal, nor would I expect them to be building 1987 models that late in 1986

We should also consider the '6' being an upside down '9' but by 1989 the Bianchi logo had changed and Matrix had been replaced by Cromor. Furthermore, there was no 1989 model in turquoise and the Cromor model that year was the Camapione d'Italia, which used Ofmega cranks.

All things considered, the most likely candidate is a 1986 Nuovo Alloro. Of course that assumes it's not a foreign model, which opens another can of worms, though even the European models appear to have used Formula Two tubesets.