that_guy_zach

Glad you like it. I built one up from a frame I got here on the forums and loved it.

But, I knew deep down I wanted a Casseroll so i got one coming and sold the Volpe.

noglider 

Sleeper is a good term for it. I really like it.

It's now loaded down with so many accessories that it feels as if it weighs 40 pounds. I guess I should weigh it. But I still like the way it rides. I've also loaded it with a lot of weight in panniers, and it continues to handle very competently. No shimmying whatsoever.

When I bought this, I was going to part it out. fender1 told me I should try it before deciding. Now it's the bike I ride most often.

Here it is with fenders, dynamo lights and front and rear racks. I think I'll remove one of the racks. I haven't decided which one yet.

I have a nice Sanyo dynamo hub, B&M taillight and Philips front light. I got the Philips for $80 from xxcycle.com in France. It works great.

Bianchigirll 

A Casseroll??

Kobe 

[QUOTE=Bianchigirll;15290919]A Casseroll??

Si, Salsa Casseroll......




I don't like the sloping top tube, but it is very comfy to ride.

Bianchigirll 

I was thinking it was surly, but yeah I knew there was bike called casserole

Wil Davis

Isn't that Bianchi's gorgeous "Gang Green" colour? Beautiful!

Nice bike!!!

- Wil

Kobe 

I knew you knew, it just gave me an excuse to post a picture.

I was looking for a Volpe before I got the Casseroll but gave up because I could not find one in my size. Looking at this thread makes me think I need to start looking again.

Bianchigirll 

Gotcha Ya!

Don't overlook the older Axis, the very short lived Tangent or even the Equinox. They were more cross oriented rather than all 'rounder like the Volpe but '89 Equinox rides great on the road.

that_guy_zach

You can always do what I did and find a 2012 Casseroll frame. The got all the goodies, plus new bikes and frames are still around.

noglider 

There isn't. Casserole is a dish. The bike is called Casseroll, and I don't know what that word means. It's probably an invented word.

noglider 

Anyway, I discovered that grinding down the nut for my seat post binder bolt did the trick. No need to bend the ears of the seat lug. Now my seat will hold its position.

joepeeden

Well y'all, I just snagged a 1990 Volpe and am beyond excited to rebuild this beauty. RFC, what parts did you use for your ss setup? I feel that that might be the direction I go since I do my touring and bike backpacking on my fargo so a new touring bike in the purest sense wouldnt be needed. Send me your thoughts on builds and if I like it, I will build it that way.

Bianchigirll 

Welcome to the forums joepeeden. Any pics of your Volpe?

What a difference a few years can make. This is a pic of how the Sizzling Peach Volpe looked pretty much as I got it.



Something about the set up, esp the bars bugged me and I tried a few things and ended up doing almost a complete make over, new wheels, new crank and BB, new brake levers, bar stem and saddle. OH fenders and racks too.

ofgit

Beautiful bike BG! Mine is an '87 dark green one with Scott AT3 bar and Barcons.

Bianchigirll 

Thank You. A dark green '87? That only came in a beautiful Turquoise color. Do you have an '86 Portifino? Dark Green w/ yellow decals and 3 bottle mounts?

ofgit

Okay. Maybe it is turqoise. It ain't Celeste for sure. It is the same color and size as randyjawa's on page one. Has a mismatched wheelset (one silver and one orange/gold) and narrow knobbies. Rode it through the cotton fields on the turn rows. Will post a pic when I get it outa storage. Been there since a tornado blew the front porch and half the roof off of my abode in '11. Been mostly riding my 730 Hunt Bike ocassionally since then until breaking out my pewter '84 620 & '86 Gran Turismo, in a dusty rose color.

joepeeden

I know I need to replace the bb, true the wheels, and spot fix some rust spots. I am hoping after I do a full overhaul and cleaning, I wont need to repaint since I don't want to mess up the decals.

Joe

Bianchigirll 

Great looking Volpe! When you have the parts stripped off and the frame cleaned a good coating of car wax will go a long way to making the frame look really good.

This would be tricky to make into a SS because of the vertical dropouts. You will need to fool with the exact gearing, use a goofy half link or a tensioner. Personally I think you should leave it alone and just ride it for a bit and then decide what you want to do.

daleb116

These are some great looking bikes. I have a 92 or 93 in what I call midnight blue and forest green (sort of). Mostly stock except for some new wheels I had built a couple years ago. I still ride it and have been thinking about cleaning it up a bit better (waxing is a good idea, thanks) and maybe even some new handlebars. It showed it will still go the distance when I road it yesterday in a local ride.

joepeeden

Going to take off the bb and either rebuild or replace today before i start on stripping down the frame for a good clean. For now, my plan is to build up as a multispeed bike, but setup a spare singlespeed wheel that I can run off the rear derailleur. I can just tweak the low and high as needed. This way I get to keep the parts close to original, but do the extra ss races with a backup bike. Pictures once i finish cleaning it.

noglider 

I just replaced the front brake on my Volpe, with excellent results. The Shimano Alivio brakes have been sub-par for me. I'm now using a cantilever brake that appears to be from a mid-80's mountain bike. The arms are very big. I plan to put a similar brake in back, if the yoke cable fits around my rack struts.

I also swapped tires onto it. I now have 35mm Paselas. They fit just fine, even with my fenders. I'm looking forward to seeing how this changes the ride.

ofgit

Not out of storage yet, but my Volpe is in the line up. It is the gre....turquoise one. I'm rearranging the storage accommodations and cycling through (par don the pun) a few bikes at a time for some PM.

Bianchigirll 

Turquoise!!!!! OMG! That is one of like 3 Bianchis I would love to have!! They only made a few models in that color and I never see one in my size that seems affordable. The 87 Volpe, '87 Brava and the '86 Nuovo Alloro.

bradtx

I suppose that puts us all on notice, eh? I'll let you know if one turns up in my area.

Brad

bradtx

What was wrong with the Alivio cantis? There have been a few on bikes here and they were fine and I still have a set on my primary touring bike.

Awhile back I overhauled my daughter's Volpe. New tubes, new 28 mm Continental Touring Plus tires, hubs and head set cleaned and re-greased. It's now in the "Mother with two toddlers." phase of it's life.

Brad