tenkerman

I'm going to look at a 12 speed steel road bike in the morning. The seller said that it has no stickers but he thinks that it is a Bianchi based on what he was told when he bought it. Supposedly it has Campy components. Are there any stampings on the frame or fork of vintage Bianchis that might indicate if it is or isn't one? As I recall, old Bianchis have a "B" stamped on the fork. Any other markings?

Bianchigirll 

Depending on the year and place of manufacture (Italy / Japan) on most frames say pre '90 you should see such markings as a simple B on the top of the head/down tube lug. older bikes from '87ish back have various styles of embelishments on the seat stay caps ranging from Bianchi, to a B in a circle on the stays (some flattened and chromed on upperend models) and anything from a B to Bianchi with a few raised lines or bars to the Bianchi Eagle on the forkcrown. Some bikes but not all (and I think these may be more the Jadpanese/oriental made ones) have Bianchi stamped on the dropouts.

try and take some good pics. I promise I won't swoop in on your deal can you post or email me a link to a listing for it?

Watch the Components closely. lots of Bianchis (and I am certain other bike makers did the same) used mixed component groups for pricing. look close att he hubs and cranks and make sure they are Campi and not Ofmega, Miche, or Gipiemme. there is nothing wrong with companies just that at times people look at a bike and see Campi derailleurs and shifters and list it as ALL or FULL Campi when it just looks like Campi.

Hope this helps.

kenhawkeye

On some high-end late 70's bikes, a serial number was stamped into either side of the top of the seat tube. If my memory serves me well on my 78 Specialissima, there was a 7.8 on one side and a 4 figure number on the other. Oh, and chrome lugs are a good indicator too. Good hunting

T-Mar

12 speeds indicates very late 1970s though to the late 1980s, depending on the level. As previously inidcated most Bianchi during this period have "B" or "Bianchi" stamped fork crown, head lugs and/or seat stay caps.

The serial number is the other key. It will be either on either the seat lug or bottom bracket shell. A seat lug S/N will be in two parts, one on each side of the lug. A S/N on the shell could have one or two parts.

The other thing I'd be sure to check during the visit is the diameter of the of the seat post. iIs the most reliable indicayor of tubing level.

As suggested by Bianchigirll, take lots of pics.

jimmuller 

Not to be pedantic or anything, but I suspect if Bianchi is spelled Biianchi then it is probably fake. Along with Martian or Gisbon guitars and Maxwell cassette tapes (except that nobody know what cassette tapes are any more).

T-Mar

Well, the OP spelled it correctly all three times in the actual post, just not in the title, so I suspect the title spelling is a typo.

jimmuller 

Well, of course. I was just being silly. But I do have an Eddie Mercks for sale real cheap. Interested?

T-Mar

Ah, but I can never tell with you.

lotek 

What misspelling?

neurocop

!!!Not that this is relevant to this thread (seems to be a typo, not what is marked on the bike), but I remember stopping at a flea-bag motel many years ago out in the middle of nowhere in the Wild West. The sign said "Ramuda Inn." It was getting dark, but my "Longunes" wristwatch told me it was only 6:30PM, and I figured I could drive on for a couple of more hours before finding another place to stop for the night.

jimmuller 

Ah, I can take that two ways. Either my attempts are subtle humor are overly successful (mission accomplished!), or I unintentionally write stuff that really is, shall we say, not quite perfectly round.

Now to bring that back to the OP's subject, I'm interested a bit because I will be re-building a bike with a not-high-end Bianchi frame. I've never been a Bianchi fan per se but I wanted another project without breaking the bank.

T-Mar

Well, I suspect we may never get back to the original topic. It's been over four days since the original post and the OP was to see it the next morning. If he hasn't reported back by now, it's unlikely he will.