icecream

Hi I came across a nice steal the other day a bianchi nealeco for $55 however there is no rear brake system from what i've gathered it is a cantilever system. Does anyone know what brand these were I see no markings what so ever on the front system. and Haven't been able to come across any useful info on google. Could any cantilever system work ? the one I have on the front seems larger than normal.

thanks

yes i now realize i spelled brake in the title :0

HPL

Hi,
Late on your comment, but better than nothing! I hope you were able to get your brake situation squared away. My bike is the same brand Nealeco, with large white and black BIANCHI decal on the down tube, Nealeco on the head tube and seat tube. My bike has caliper brakes front and rear, but there were many "makes" of this bike with different configurations. Some had a front caliper and rear coaster. I've seen these frames with at least a half dozen different "Name Brands" on them, Bianchi being just one of them. By the way, my frame is red with chromed chain guard and fenders. If you want to make this an even more versatile folder; add a quick release to the handlebar clamp, it makes it easier to get in an out of vehicles and of course takes up less space. I'm looking for the headlight/dynamo that fits to this frame.

Bianchigirll 

The OP hasn't been active in almost 7 years.

HPL

Yeah, I know. I just thought it deserved one comment filtering down thru the ephemera of the years. Do you know the history of Bianchi putting their name on these types of bikes? It certainly couldn't help their reputation for quality; although soundly made, the workmanship is very rough. Was this some sort of marketing gimmick?

I would ask you about the Bianchi Auto-Milano; ever hear of it? Essentially a beach cruiser, labeled as a "café racer" (and that's all you'll be racing to on this frame, which I believe is aluminum). It has an odd Shimano electronic automatic 3 speed tranny (Nexus?) with digital controls to shift manually and/or automatically, and a "disc" brake in the rear (Shimano made). Bought it for $30 nearly unused as a ride for folks visiting and needing some basic transportation that would be easy to use. I looked at a replacement cost for that rear hub, and it's over $300 new if you can find one. It works fine, but I'll never ride it and I'm mostly concerned with any problems these hubs may have had in the past so I don't loan it out just to have it break down. Were the hubs solid and reliable, easy to maintain, etc.? And what of the electronic controls, are they reliable? I will put this in a separate thread in the beach cruiser forum since it's definitely not classic/vintage. Thanks for your time.

Bianchigirll 

I think they were from the mid to late 2000s. The whole Milano concept of a simple internal geared bike for urban cruising, commuting and errands was pretty cool. I don't know that much about the Auto part but I'd really like a Milano.

HPL

Too bad you're not in my area; I expect to give this away, or sell for what I have in it in the near future when I move; right now it's my loaner. I ride a '69 Raleigh Sports for my "putting around town" bike and I like that bike too much to change for something more modern.