Good Morning Everyone,
I just moved to an area that will allow me to commute and casually ride a bicycle in my area. I have always had a mountain bike, but I am looking more towards a road bike. I don't know to much about road bikes, but from what I have read I feel like I narrowed it down. I found to Bianchi Road bikes (Not celeste), a Volpe ( and a Europa (. The Volpe is $180 which includes seat pouch and a trip calculator. The Europa is $230 and includes seat pouch, tire pump, and a trip calculator. Either of these bike recommended for someone looking to get into the commuting field? I am in shape, my height is 5'10".

Any help, critique, recommendations is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Smitty

I would go with the europa, At 5'10 the europa frame look bigger and should fit you better.

I prefer the size and geometry of the Europa.....

Thank you. I am going out to view and sit on the bikes to give them a test. I will report back!

Do you know the frame sizes of these bikes? I am 5'10" too and have a 55cm Bianchi San Jose (same frame as the Volpe only it's a single speed) that fits great. The Volpe you show looks very small, as in possibly 49cm small. That Europa might be a little larger than ideal for you, but it's probably a lot better than the Volpe.

All things considered, the Volpe, being the kind of bike it is, usually makes for a better commuter. But check them both out and see what you think would work for your commute. Only you know how smooth the surface you will be riding is and whether you want fenders and/or a rack.

+1, but only if he fits the Europa. Easier to fit smaller bike than one that's too large.

the volpe was def to small, I rode the Europa and was very satisfied. I took it home and cleaned it up a bit. I ended up picking the Europa for 200 + a tire pump. The bike does not have a kick stand, not sure if that is normal? It was an older couple that was selling the bikes, I might go back for the Volpe for my SO if she decides she wants a new bike (she rides a standard mtn right now). I believe the Europa is a 55, but that is without measuring it.

Here is how it sits after this evening,

Looks like you got yourself a sweet ride; it should work out great. If you haven't already, come on over to the Classic & Vintage forum; your bike will get a lot of love there. But make sure you post a drive side photo; you'll be scolded if you don't!

I have a Volpe and love it. It is great for many kinds of riding. I equipped it for errands and commuting and hauling, so now it's heavy, but not unpleasantly so. Mine is from the mid-90's, I think. It has a 21-speed drivetrain with brifters (the brake levers that also serve as shifters) which is a fantastic feature. One drawback to brifters is that it's difficult to switch to upright handlebars if I want to.

I like the Volpe more than I expected to. I bought it for the parts and had planned to disassemble it and sell the frame. Now it's the bike I ride the most. So if your wife wants a bike, grab this one. From the picture, I can't tell if it has bar-end shifters or brifters or something else, but it's not that important.

haha you got it! Driver side coming up with better quality.

Nice bike! I hope you find out you like it more than you expected.

Here's a tip: When you park the bike, please don't let any part of the chain, cogs, or derailleurs lean against anything because by doing so they can easily become bent, damaged or otherwise put out of alignment. Most people don't realize this until their shifters quit working properly (or the chain starts falling off or something like that) and someone else tells them what I'm telling you now.