Help ID'ing a Bianchi frame - think ~2000
 

I was hoping someone might please be able to help me get to the bottom of what this frame is. Have looked at a bunch of old Bianchi catalogues, and have Googled extensively, but no info has turned up.

It is steel, and one of the lightest steel bike I've come across, has full Bianchi paint job and logo on head tube, 'reparto corse made in Italy' decal. Only markings are a 'Bianchi' moulded onto the upper side of the BB shell, and '55' (which I have used my massive powers of deduction to establish is also the frame size) and 'D705' stamped on the underside of the BB shell. No serial number except that.

The bloke I bought it from thought it was from around 2000 but didn't know more. He got the frame on eBay. Was built up by him (presumably several years after the frame was made) so components probably not a lot of help.

Bianchi UK couldn't help. They suggested it could be a resprayed different frame (ie a fake), or a bike made for a Bianchi sponsored rider then finished in Bianchi colours. I don't think either of those cases is that likely, because of the Bianchi logo embossed/cast into the BB shell. They also said a production bike from that period would have a serial number on the head tube.

Anyone help would be much appreciated. Thanks, Fat Al
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edit: trying to correct idiotic typo in thread title. failed...

If it is light and steel it is probably an XL of some sort, although I can't say I have ever seen one with that paint job. Perhaps the markings were different on the Euro models. All their other steel bikes from that era that I know of were cromoly and heavy, they would not have come with a carbon fork, and they were certainly not "reparto corse".

Are you looking to sell it?

i have a 97 bianchi and there's a stamp under the bb 'F6' so i bet the frame was built in 96 for the 97 model year. possibly the 6th month?
or f is for febbraio?

not sure how that translates to your ride, but hope it's a step in the right direction.

Are you sure it's steel? Early aluminum bikes bike Bianchi (and others) had much thinner tubing than today's aluminum framesets.

Very odd that it doesn't have a model name or any indication of tubing/material (Columbus, Dedacciai, Bianchi's own alloy mix). Every Bianchi I can recall seeing had those. Usually just above the bottom bracket shell or seattube. Model name should be on the top tube.

Looks TIG-welded. Double or triple butted if it's as light as you say. 1" steerer tube. These would indicate late 90s to early 00s. If the Shimano componentry originally came with the bike, it could be a 1998 Alloro or thereabouts though the paint (yellow near headtube) doesn't match. Maybe a Brava or Vigorelli. What model are the shifters, brakes, etc.?

What stands out to me is the internal routing of the rear brake cable. I don't recall any steel framesets having this.

Paint Job is similiar to my wife's back up 03 SL. Celeste w/ yellow highlights.

I'm almost positive its a 2003 Bianchi Eros in "New Celeste" color scheme. The original carbon fork lying to the left of the bike makes it at least a 03 and the graphic on the TT and chain stays look identical to the Eros Dama except in yellow for the 2003 year.

http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/B...onna&Type=bike

Yeah that internal routing is odd, I did not notice that. Not an XL.

SL's had larger diameter aluminum tubing, and the head tube had a tapered design to accomodate integrated headsets. This one looks like a straight head tube made to accept threaded headsets.

2003 Bianchi Eros had sloping top tubes. This frame doesn't. And pretty much anything in 2000 or later would have the model name prominently displayed somehwere, usually on the top tube.

I had a '93 steel Bianchi with routing like that.

There's a member, bianchigirl, that posts a lot in the Classic & Vintage that may be able to help. Try cross posting in that sub-forum.

Thanks for the comments. In no particular order:

- bike is definitely steel, magnet sticks to it like no one's business
- bike was purchased as a frame only, built up then sold to the guy I got it from, so components might be misleading
- afraid the carbon fork not fitted was bought separately so also may be misleading
- I looked at a lot of Eros pics; seem that they either have external cables, or very different graphics. Closest thing I have seen yet though.
- Sorry, not for sale. For now. Bit too long in the top tube for me, so considering looking about for another frame.
- will cross post, thanks for the tip
- might not be clear from the picture, but cable to rear derailleur routed through the chainstay

Thanks again for the comments. Al

Hmmm...didn't notice the cable routing, unless it was custom, I would bet is an older Bianchi with an updated paint job circa 2003. The Celeste/yellow scheme was popular during that time. Further, looking closer at that fork, it appears to have a Bianchi carbon fork sticker on it but I don't recall them making a 1" carbon steerer? rebadge?

No kidding! Mine did not have that.