Bianchi - Good or could do better?

blue geedee

Hi, just a quick one does anybody own a Bianchi 1885 Hydrocarbon Veloce? if so I would appreciate your honest comments as currently looking to purchase one and new to the sport. (budget £1000)

Thanx

Eat My Dust

If you are spending a grand, I'd suggest you go onto Wiggle and buy a Focus Cayo. I bought one a couple of months ago and for the money nothing is going to beat it. If you buy the 2007 model, you're getting full carbon, Ultegra/105 gears/brakes and Aksiums for around £900!!

spasypaddy

i was going to get that exact bike but decided on a planet x, i would recommend it but firstly i havent received it yet (only ordered it a few days ago!) and secondly i dont want too many people riding them!!!

but full carbon and full ultegra for £999

Mog Uk

spasypaddy wrote:

iand secondly i dont want too many people riding them!!!

To late round here, I did a triathlon back in September and every other bike in the transition area was a Planet-X.. Very good reason for that though, they're great bikes..

spasypaddy

im glad im not from stockport then mog! been there, watched some football and left very very quickly!

Mog Uk

Edgeley Park by any chance....!

It's not that bad. If you wear a baseball cap, tuck your pants in your socks and wear loads of HSamuel jewellery you fit in just fine

spasypaddy

yeah went to watch my local boys barnet vs your local scum stockport county :P i dont really remember the match apart from our striker putting his foot literally through the ball and puncturing it!

unfortunately i dont wear a baseball cap, dont wear trackie bottoms and have never owned any hsamuels jewellery!

giant_man

I would go for the Planet x over the Bianchi and the Focus, better value IMO.

dombo6

I would ride them all and see which is more comfortable. If it doesn't fit it won't matter how much of a bargain it is.

blue geedee

That's the problem especially with the focus as only mail order through wiggle i'm unable to try before I buy!!! Planet X does seem the popular choice.

Any advice for a newbie compact or standard chainwheel? I live in Suffolk so guessing standard will suit me better as flat only problem may be as I'm planning to venture out next year and find some real hills will I then need to buy a triple or compact? Not sure what size the rear cassette is will have to look into that one doh!! Or would I get away with changing to the biggest available cassette on the back??

benvickery

I'm also not sure whether to get a standard or compact. I'm currently riding a mtb and this weekend I'm going to try and climb the steepest hill nearby(10% average), to see if I can get up it in a gear equal to the lowest gear of the standard chainset on the planet-x bike I want to buy. I've started the cycle2work process let's hope it doesn't take too long.

giant_man

Dombo6 wrote:

I would ride them all and see which is more comfortable. If it doesn't fit it won't matter how much of a bargain it is.

Very true!

richardjallen

blue geedee wrote:

That's the problem especially with the focus as only mail order through wiggle i'm unable to try before I buy!!! Planet X does seem the popular choice.

Any advice for a newbie compact or standard chainwheel? I live in Suffolk so guessing standard will suit me better as flat only problem may be as I'm planning to venture out next year and find some real hills will I then need to buy a triple or compact? Not sure what size the rear cassette is will have to look into that one doh!! Or would I get away with changing to the biggest available cassette on the back??

I was wondering this when I got my PX and went for a standard. Where I live its fine but I think I should have gone for a compact now. Changing cassette is easier than chainset. I used to live in Suffolk as well.

damo_d_b

I collected that very bike from Evans this week (the 2006 model, £100 off). Got it through the cycle to work scheme so was limited to what Evans could offer on my budget.

I'm new to the sport as well having bought a Specialized hybrid a year ago and then hopelessly catching the cycling bug. I'm sure there are better value for money bikes out there, and I even chose this particular model in favour of higher specced bikes - I took it out for a test ride and didn't want to give it back!

Being a novice I liked the aspect of going to a shop and trying a few different brands, models and sizes. I'm also a bit of an aesthete - how the bike looked was very high on my list of priorities, and the Bianchi is a rather attractive piece of equipment!

So my advice would be to go for a bike you feel comfortable with and comfortable on - at this kind of price range you're going to a get a decent bike, and when you're starting out enjoying yourself is the most important thing - not how many fractions of a second a Dura Ace groupset could possibly save you.

allaction

Def go for compact. There is hardly any downside over a double and it gives you peace of mind that you can go where you want.

Smokin Joe

53*12 gives you a top gear of 119", the 50 on a compact will only reduce that to 112". A drop that small would only be noticed by a good class racing cyclist.

Remember, if you are undergeared on a descent you can freewheel and let your legs recover, if you are overgeared on a climb you have to get off and walk.

benvickery

I rode up the steepest hil near me on a 38x24 which is equivalent to the lowest gear on the standard chainset of the planet-x. The hill is signposted 17% and I had to ride the whole half mile out of my saddle. My legs were OK but my arms were killing me. I think I like the idea of getting a compact, either that or I start working out!!!

blue geedee

Thanks to you all for your advice.

Went to LBS and settled for a Bianchi in the end 928 C2C and made sure it had a compact!!! 2 problems lay ahead of me, 1st buying on C2W scheme so not sure how long it will all take!! But more worringly just after joining my local club I got struck by a car on my commute home and will be off the bike for a while, didnt even get to do a club run gutted!!!!!!

willbevan

allaction wrote:

Def go for compact. There is hardly any downside over a double and it gives you peace of mind that you can go where you want.

I love my compact, its just anoying at the moment for one reason.

At my current level of fitness and the underlating roads, my cruising gear is on the high end of the small chain ring or the low end of the large chainring (34/50). So changing gears on the back and front at the same time is common.

Now i know with time i will be stronger and the problem wont be so prominent, or i could change the chainrings to something like 34/48 to make it slightly easier.

But to be honest, entering the sport I wish i had bought a tripple, as i do have some nasty hills round here which i used to run up, with the grad hitting almost 20%, well they are nasty for me :S



But then i was ona real budget, and i bought the btwin sport 16s which is mentioned in another forum post for 169, and spent under 20 quid changing the crank to a compact.