Ordered a Bianchi Volpe...Need Initial setup advice.
 

I've decided on the Bianchi Volpe as my commuter bike. The LBS is ordering it now. It might be a while before I get it if they have to wait for the 2007 stock to show up. I just had some questions about initial setup and what other items I should look into getting at the same time. Also... anyone know what is changing, if anything, between the 2006 and 2007 volpe.

My budget will $1400 for everything. Right now I know I'll get the following:
Bianchi Volpe (my shop quoted a price of $950'ish... isn't the retail on this only $899)
Second set of tires (probably armadillo's or similar)
Ultimate Pro-Elite stand (just about $200 off ebay)... maybe just the pro if I go over in other areas

So I'm setting at about 1250 with tax and such. That leaves about $150 for misc items.

I have SPD shoes with Shimano M520 pedals on my Mt bike so I'll stick with something similar on the Volpe. I've read that the Wellgo pedals on the Volpe are junk but I'll wait to swap them out till they go bad.

I wear a camelback when I ride so I already have the pump, patch kit, multitool and such so I don't need a seat bag... maybe just a spare tube.

With the remaining $150 is there any stock parts on this bike that I should consider upgrading that I could manage with that amount of money. Maybe the rear derailer or I can just keep that till it gets bad? I will also have to snag a couple tools for regular maintenance. I have a chain whip, casset tool, and hex wrenches. What else should I get? What will I need to pull the bottom bracket and work on the headset of this bike. I can get these around Christmas time if money runs thin again. The $1400 is truely a hard limit.

I'm going to use my Existing Mountain bike with fenders as the bad weather commuter. So I don't need the fenders on the volpe just yet. I'll also be using studded tires on the Mt. Bike on the slick days. I have cold weather running clothes but I may need to look into a REALLY cold weather set of pants,gloves,shell. That could easily eat up $150 right there. But Christmas is around the corner so I can always ask Santa for some items.

Anyways... given the above. What would you spend that last $150 on?

BTW... I also have a 35watt halogen light system that can move easily from bike to bike. I suppose I should get a second rear blinker (I Have one on my backpack too, so one should be enough) to put on the Volpe so I don't have to swap that among the two bikes.

Shimano A520 SPD pedals with platform around to spread the pressure. They only have the latch on one side, but they are weighted so they always face your foot when you want to clip in. "3rd eye" glasses mount mirror, so when a faster cyclist sneeks up behind you, you will be ready to accelerate and latch onto their rear wheel as they pass.

yeah... the "3rd eye" mirror is a good idea.

I'll use the Wellgo pedals till they cap out then I might look at the A520's.

Get rid of that suspension seat post that the volpe comes with....yuck.

The Volpe is a great bike. The going rate for them here is $850 at all shops, so $950 sounds high to me. That would add another $100 to your pile-o-cash. Keep in mind any sales tax that might eat into your math.

Best thing to do with the extra cash is to put it someplace safe until you need/want something vs. burning it right away.

But, if you must... ;)

Clothing is always a good way to go. Long sleeve jersey, SmartWool socks, cycle shorts, etc. I personally like the HI-VIS color shirts/jerseys since I commute in traffic.

The tools you mentioned didn't include cone wrenches or a chain cleaner. You're going to overhaul your hubs most often as the headset and bottom bracket are sealed or semi-sealed. Get two of the same size you need.

The Deore deraileur is very good, I wouldn't upgrade until it needs replacing.

A rigid seatpost would be a worthwhile investment.

One LBS told me that almost every Volpe they sell goes out the door with 28mm road tires on it. I actually did the same thing to the Kona Jake I chose.

Yeah... not fond of the leapord skin seat either. I'll see what kind of deal the shop will swing me on a carbon seatpost and maybe a bontrager seat with ti rails like I use now on the Mt. Bike.

The leopard skin seat would go nice with a gold tooth, can you get one of those for $150? ;)

Seems like you should get a foxskin seat instead of leopard. Right now I'm wishing I had a nice floor pump, maybe you should look for one of those.

I'd swap out the saddle and put a rack and fenders on it. Maybe go w/ clips & straps or commuter one-sided SPD pedals. Blinkies, locks, etc. and superglue ball bearings into all the hex bolt heads to keep the parts from walking. Lock the saddle down w/ old bike chain, etc. I wouldn't worry too much about upgrades since it'll be the everyday bike and no matter what bling you put on it, it'll eventually wear out.

thanks Legot73.... I hear what your saying about putting the money in a safe place. I should probably only spend it as I find things I actually need instead of getting a bunch of stuff I might need.

I'll make sure my shop gives me an appropriate deal on the Volpe.... they may have just mis-spoke since I don't think they would usually price a bike above retail.

Sounds like the seatpost is a definate change and your probably right about the tires... I don't see a use for the cyclocross tires for anything I'll be doing on the bike.

I've also backed off on the stand that I said I was getting and I'm getting the Park Tools PCS-1 instead. Probably about $130 shipped from ebay...so another $70 back in the coffers.

So with $920 on the bike ($850 + $70 tax) and $130 on the stand that puts me up to $1050 leaving me with $350 for swaps and purchases.

Swaps:
Cross tires to 28mm road tires (do most shops credit you for the tires you didn't keep?)
Seat post
Seat

Purchases (probably not shop purchased):
Rear blinker
CO2 inflation kit (I'm lazy and I can use it when I'm racing Mt. Bike XC next summer)
Chain tool (I'd like to put the chain in solvent bath every so often)
Cone wrenches
Hi Vis long sleever jersey
SmartWool Socks
Maybe a decent cycling jacket

Future purchases (probably in the spring or as Christmas ideas):
Light weight wheel set and tires (suggestions?)
Cycling specific winter pants
Additional tools
Additional lubes and cleaning supplies
Better pedals (will probably go on the mt. bike since I race it and swap the M520's to the Volpe)

legot73... I'll check into the gold tooth idea. ;-)

I just picked up a good floor pump last month. But it's not a bad idea... soo much easier than inflating the tires by mouth. :eek:

Luckily I'm able to park my bike inside a passcard protected garage. It's a small building so not much chance of a coworked swiping parts. I do lock the bike up though.

Rack and fenders may come next fall since this will be a fair weather bike until the mt. bike poops out.

You could probably get credit for the tires, but I found they don't have enough demand for them, so you're probably better off keeping them. I did. Besides, the tubes are the same for 28 and 32, so you've got that going for you. There are some good tire deals online, too. Search the forums for a couple favorite commuter tires like Schwalbe Marathon and Continental Gatorskins.

I'm sure you'll get other suggestions, as well.

Before I bought my wife a volpe for her birthday we read about people snapping their chains nearly instantly (on the christening ride). Some people had serious accidents or suffered severe bike damage as a result.

So I asked my LBS about it and they said it's probably just shops who don't know how to set up a chain and I shouldn't be worried about it. "A chain is a chain, after all," they said.

Well I'll be damned if that chain didn't snap on rolling to the first stop sign after we got it home from the shop!!!

We went back and said "Okay a chain is a chain. NOW GIVE ME THE BEST CHAIN YOU HAVE!"

They may look at you funny and make you feel stupid but I'd get the stock chain swapped for something else before riding your Volpe off the lot. Because once you do, it'll be a killer bike! Good luck and enjoy!

Don't forget to purchase another lock- I keep a cable lock with the bike and I have a Brute Mini U-lock at work.

Don't forget to purchase another lock- I keep a cable lock with the bike and I have a Brute Mini U-lock at work.

I actually find the leopard print saddle to be quite comfortable. But, I came off a Selle Italia Trimatic Gel that was an absolute pain in the ass.

Thanks for all the advice. I'm chomping at the bit to get my new bike. I hope Bianchi has a few more 2006 55cm's in stock.

I had a Volpe that was the other love of my life. No chain trouble but the chain came off when I did not replace the badly worn cogs soon enough and the derailleur hanger got broken. Costly to debraze and replace. I also kept breaking the rear axle every few thousand miles after the hanger accident until a friend gave me a set of track hubs and I had the rear wheel rebuilt with the track hub. Go for heavier duty parts if you are a big strong person who breaks things.

Huh, I too snapped the chain on my Volpe within the first 100 miles... didn't realize this was a common occurance.

Bought a 2006 volpe about a month ago (and adore it). List price should definitely be more like $850. I had the shop put on 28mm slicks and they did credit me the price of the tires that I wasn't keeping.

But I wonder, does anyone actually take their Volpe off-road? I bought mine for shorter tours (california coast and around the bay area) and commuting (and because I am a big guy), so the slicks made sense, but recently I've been interested in riding some of fire roads in the Marin headlands. Will my Volpe actually hold up on these (with something like the original knobby tires back on it) or should I wait until the day when I might be able to afford a mt bike as well?

Also, could someone explain to me why everyone hates suspension seat posts so much? Sorry, I'm pretty new to biking, so I don't have much basis for comparison.

[QUOTE=mtrnka
But I wonder, does anyone actually take their Volpe off-road? I bought mine for shorter tours (california coast and around the bay area) and commuting (and because I am a big guy), so the slicks made sense, but recently I've been interested in riding some of fire roads in the Marin headlands. Will my Volpe actually hold up on these (with something like the original knobby tires back on it) or should I wait until the day when I might be able to afford a mt bike as well?
[/QUOTE]

Oh the Volpe goes off-road just fine. I got mine the first couple of years it came out when it was something of a hybrid of touring and cyclocross bike. I took it up Saddleback Peak in Orange County, CA on the OCW's annual mountainbike ascent of that +-5,000 ft climb. Rocky, sandy, rutted fire road. I did just fine and was remembered for years by club members for the feat. I used the 700x28 tires I commuted on. Now I would use 32s. Jumps and extreme singletrack, no. Key point, I had honed my handling skills riding the icy roads in Colorado.

Yeah... I've always wondered why suspension seatposts are so lothed by many. Is jut because they are a poor excuse for a rear suspension or does it have more to do with leg length and changing distantances between seat and pedal when riding on bumpy stuff?

+1 on the saddle and seat post swap. My girls are fighting over who will get to put the faux leopard skin saddle on their bike...

Quick question. I have to following measurments (approximate as I did the measuring myself):

Height 71 inches (5'11")
sternum notch 58 inches
inseam 34 inches (barefoot to uncomfortable areas)
arm length 25.5 inches
shoulder with 15 inches

When I got sized for the volpe the person doing the sizing suggested a 55cm frame. Does this sound right? I would have though that 58cm would be a better match. He said that the 55cm frame is a bit short for my leg length but that the cockpit (top tube) on the 55cm frame fits my upper body measurements better.

Anyone care to comment?

Regarding sizing:

That sounds pretty close to what I have. I am about 6', but I haven't measured all of the other measurements. I am on a 55 and it is quite comfortable. I swapped from the stock 110 mm stem to a 120 mm after riding a bit, but that is the only fit issue I have addressed. The shop I bought from did a simple swap of a rigid alloy seat post for the suspension post and I did get some credit when I swapped the tires to slicks. With 750 miles on the bike I have not had a single problem with the chain, other than that I have to lubricate it. :D

All in all, it is a nice bike. It is a bit heavy, but it handles well. The low top tube is actually nice in town, as it gives you LOTS of room when stopped, and it also makes mounting a breeze (I can just step over the top tube).

God bless!
Wayne J.

Thanks wayne. I just wanted to make sure I was getting the correct fit. Sounds like it was spot on.

Now to wait for the 2007 models to start shipping.

Anyone have suggestions for a decent but lighter wheel set I can pick up for those faster ride days?

I just need something that is lighter but the same dimensions as the existing Alexrims Ace-19 rims so I don't have to mess with break adjustements every time I swap wheelsets. Cost is definately a factor.

I actually think that a suspension seat post can be a wonderful thing. If you are riding over very very rocky trails, it can allow you stay seated and thus will improve your bike handling. That is exactly what happened to me when I lived in phoenix and regularly rode South Mountains trails on my cannondale F1000 hard tail mtb. The rock shox seatpost greatly improved my riding there. And I am not talking about wussy terrain either, I was able to climb all of National Trail (except the 30 foot waterfall area) after getting that post.

I did not notice a definite change in leg length because I was so busy noticing that my seat was no longer being shoved up my rear end by anything larger than 2 inches.

For road bikes, I am not sure.

I like my felt bike suspension seatpost. It's about the only aspect of the bike I would transfer to my next ride.

Nay. M520's. You already use them, they're cheap and they work like gangbusters...but you already know that.;)

Rear rack, trunk bag and a new seatpost. For the seatpost get a RaceFace Evolve XC. You won't find an easier adjusting seatpost on the planet. Brooks saddle. That should just about eat up all your money;)