Bianchi's

Grimsay

Hi,

Just about to invest in my first road bike, keeping my budget at about £500. I've looked at all the usual suspects (Trek 1000, Giant SRC 4, Specialized Allez) and won’t bore you by asking which one I should get etc etc.

However I have also been looking at the Bianchi Via Nirone Sora C2C but can't seem to dig much up about it compared to the amount of posts and reviews there are for the other major contenders. Can anyone tell me how it compares to the other 3 mentioned? Or point me in the direction of a review? Does anyone also know if it comes in any other colour other than that light turquoise blue (chap in shop thought I could get it in grey but I'm not so convinced after looking at the website)?

Thanks,
Iain

Eat My Dust

When you are spending £500 on a road bike, all the bikes you mention are pretty much the same. It then really comes down to which brand prefer. I know you get some Bianchi's in grey but can't comment on the model you are talking about.

Aidocp

Hi Grimsay,

If I'm reading the Bianchi catalogue rightly the Via Nirone Tiagra comes in Dark Blue and the Via Nirone Mirage comes in Dark Blue and Grey (or what ever they call it), so does the Via Nirone Xenon. The Via Nirone Veloce also comes in white. The Sora comes only in Celeste (turqoise) and you can get all Via Nirone bikes in the Veloce

safc3

I got a Bianchi C2C Sora Triple in celeste last year and I love it. I personally wouldn't get a Bianchi in any other colour . The sora suited my budget too and I haven't had any problems. I know some people frown on a Bianchi with Shimano but it suits me fine , its not like I'm going to to the Tour on it!

xhacker

Well what do ya know?

I was about to post about Bianchi's and found this topic!

Anyhoo, I'm on the verge of putting my name to this beauty.... http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=70438

Does anyone know if they are any good? Long term I mean and am I doing the right thing?

I've had a go and it feels ok but is there anything else I need to know? Are Campagnolo Veloce gears any good for instance?

Any advice will be studied with great care and attention. :?

Cheers!

gavintc

This is going to sound terribly pedantic. However, it does annoy me when people put apostrophes in when they are not needed. The plural of Bianchi is Bianchis NOT Bianchi's.

xhacker

Well, thanks for your invaluable contribution Gavin :roll:

Although, I've been on the Internet for a long time and some of the spelling I've come across is outrageous! I wonder how some people get through life.

However, this is NOT a spelling thread. So, can we return to the topic and have some input into my imminent purchase of this Bianchi?

peejay78

i like the look of bianchis, but found them a bit too skittish for my liking.

i think the biggest issue though is if paying £600 for a road bike, i would not be happy to find it comes with sora or xenon.

Grimsay

...skittish? How do you mean?

Thanks for the input folks...and apologies for the bad grammar.

peejay78

skittish - lively, responsive, jerky, jumpy.

could be the frame.

i prefer steel.

jonesy124

peejay78 wrote:

i like the look of bianchis, but found them a bit too skittish for my liking.

i think the biggest issue though is if paying £600 for a road bike, i would not be happy to find it comes with sora or xenon.

whats wrong with xenon? im looking to spend between 600 and 700 and have seen a few bikes at that price with xenon. I wish it wasnt all so complicated.

*I apologise in advance or the lack of correct grammer in my reply

peejay78

xenon is fine, sora is not that great. it's adequate but clunky

but i think that at the moment the big chains, i.e evans, are taking a few liberties by selling bikes for £600 or so with an ENTRY level groupset.

decathlon sell a xenon equipped bike for £279.

jonesy124

so in a nutshell if a bianchi or wilier comes with a xenon set should i not buy it? if so what should i be looking for?

peejay78

can't really answer it in a nutshell.

i guess there's no pressing need to get hung-up over the groupset. if i was you i'd go for xenon over sora, but that's not because i favour campag, it's because i think the xenon is better. the groupset can be upgraded later, so the frame is perhaps the more important component. try to make sure there isn't anything better lurking, perhaps online or in a different shop. there's quite a bit of variation to be had for £600.

have a look carefully and see if there are similar bikes, i.e last year's models, that have better stuff. also look to see if there are other similar brands with better components. it's possible to get a 105/tiagra mix for a similar price. the focus variado on wiggle comes with 105 (two rungs up the groupset ladder, the brakes properly work as well), for £595.

bianchi and wilier are lovely bicycles.

i hope this helps and doesn't confuse.

as for xhacker - veloce is great.

gkerr4

i don;t think the message is "if it comes with xenon or sora then don't buy it" - as these are good groupsets, they are just entry level groupsets

so the message is closer to "make sure you are getting value for money on the groupset"

as said - decathlon to a xenon equipped bike for £279 (although I am sure it isn't the full groupset - i.e. chainset and brake calipers too - is it?0

I would agree - £600 for a xenon or sora group sounds like a whol elot of money. the Giant SCR with sora can be had for £330 at the moment and the SCR2 - which has Tiagra (one up from sora) - for £380

Grimsay

My LBS told me the other day that the Bianchi C2C range all use the same frame, Sora Xenon, all the same the chap said, I was a bit sceptical.

Thanks for your advice Peejay I've done a bit of looking around and managed to get hold of a 2006 bike with Tiagra groups set for much less than the Xenon.

gkerr4

Jonesy - actually just read your other post - that Wilier you are looking at is a sweet bike and I can see that I would be tempted by it too

- just beware that it isn't technically the best value bike you could buy for that money - but it is very nice from a brand with a racing pedigree and you don't see them all the time - if it feels right for you then go for it!

peejay78

the lower the components on your bike, the quicker the time comes when you feel the need to upgrade, especially when you find yourself gazing wistfully at the shiny bling veloce and vento combo next to you at the lights. (if you stop). and that's not even that bling. but it is blinger than sora.

i started out with sora and own brand brakes.

i now have full veloce. the difference is pretty darn significant.

xhacker

Oh dear,

I tried the GIANT TCR Alliance 1 today and have to say 'it was fantastic'.

More wad though

Still the Bianchi hasn't arrived yet so we'll wait and see?

wardy66

I bought a alu carbon Bianchi last year, it is superb.I also purchased a camaleonte 4 hybrid which is so fast and practical..I would say that they are a good buy and well worth it

Cathryn

gavintc wrote:

This is going to sound terribly pedantic. However, it does annoy me when people put apostrophes in when they are not needed. The plural of Bianchi is Bianchis NOT Bianchi's.

Love grammar too...and you're wrong. The plural of Bianchi is 'Bianchi' because it's an Italian word and Italian masculine plurals end in 'i'.

Fresh Air Rider

You should be able to get a really good discount on the current Bianchi range because the 2008 models will be out very soon.

See the following page:-

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/t ... ange-11434

acorn_user

Remember that the gearset is only part of it. I haven't ridden the bikes you are considering, but there is a chance that the extra price is partly due to a nicer frame. You might also be getting nicer wheels and stem etc too. I know that Bianchi tend to have Ambrosio/Miche wheels, which should be nice. But I suspect you are paying a brand name premium too. Remember also that a "Sora" bike is probably not going to have a Sora brakeset or chainset. The quality of these (especially the brakes) is very important. I would go for whichever gearset give you the best braking feel from the levers. For me, this was Campag. I ended up building a frame up with Centaur.

peejay78

again, all points that have been covered already.

mea00csf

if you have small hands don't go for sora shifters. I can't quite simply CANNOT reach the shifters. But thats ok, i've found the bike i think i want with a full 105 groupset for £600, (gotta love the end of season sales )

jonesy124

This week I am getting this bike: http://www.bianchi.com/en/products2007/Road_Y7B10.aspx


But in this colour set but with celeste handlebars and saddle:
http://www.bianchi.com/en/products2007/Road_Y7B42.aspx

peejay78

out of interest, i was in decathlon today and they had the shiny new b'twin bikes in.

there was one with carbon forks and rear stays (not full triangle) and 105 groupset, and shiny truvativ cranks and it was around £650.

the only thing i didn't like was the decathlon brakes and the welds. other than that, it's a hell of a lot of bike for the money.

ricadus

peejay78 wrote:

skittish - lively, responsive, jerky, jumpy.

It is a race bike, isn't it?

ricadus

For the money Decathlon is pretty good value. There are stores all over France so they must be able to make good unit cost savings making large quantities. They used to be the bike supplier to the Cofidis team until they pulled out when David Millar got busted for EPO (they actually stopped after that season, but a friend of mine works for them and he said Millar's arrest was the point at which they they'd made the decsion to quit).

peejay78

they supply ag2r now.

Mossrider

xhacker wrote:

Well, thanks for your invaluable contribution Gavin :roll:

Although, I've been on the Internet for a long time and some of the spelling I've come across is outrageous! I wonder how some people get through life.

However, this is NOT a spelling thread. So, can we return to the topic and have some input into my imminent purchase of this Bianchi?

He's obviously a reader of "Eats shoots and leaves". The book has had that effect on all of us I'm afraid: you become a pedant for proper punctuation (strongly recommended book).

For what it's worth I have a Bianchi in "tribal" Celeste and its a "beaut": particularly if you wear the classic top to match (I've even had pedestrians comment on the colour as I've passed them). I wouldn't dream of a different coloured Bianchi.