Bianchi Sprint

ugo.santalucia
ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,321
in Road buying advice
Seems to be one of the few decent bikes with rim brakes left and reasonably priced…
Apprently the frame is light too, a smidge over the kg…
Any reason not to go for it?
I like the Aria too
left the forum March 2023
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Comments

  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    ugo.santalucia said:

    Seems to be one of the few decent bikes with rim brakes left and reasonably priced…
    Apprently the frame is light too, a smidge over the kg…
    Any reason not to go for it?
    too

    It might give you a technical advantage.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,321
    I am on the market for a new bike, so I can leave the old one in Italy next time I go… this means in the future I will not need to drive there, but could fly if needs be.
    So, I am not necessarily looking for something better, in fact components are almost irrelevant, as I can swap them. I just need a decent enough frame, if it is lighter than mine, then it is a bonus… if it is more aero than mine, that also could be interesting. If it looks nicer than a generic black frame, that is desirable too.
    left the forum March 2023
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,321
    … and I always liked Bianchi in celeste colour
    left the forum March 2023
  • joeyhalloran
    joeyhalloran Posts: 1,080
    But how will you stop when going down hill?
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,321
    joeyhalloran said:

    But how will you stop when going down hill?

    I won’t stop, clearly, the aim is to go faster, not slower…

    left the forum March 2023
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,851
    If you're going to have a Bianchi it can only be in celeste
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 17,298
    Seeing as you know what you are looking at, wouldn't you get more value second hand, from all the dentists switching to discs and 32mm tyres?
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,321
    First.Aspect said:

    Seeing as you know what you are looking at, wouldn't you get more value second hand, from all the dentists switching to discs and 32mm tyres?

    on Ebay they want 3 grand for a second hand Oltre… by the way, I am not saying I am foing for a new one…

    left the forum March 2023
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,321
    so nobody has anything bad to say about the Sprint or the Aria?
    left the forum March 2023
  • drhaggis
    drhaggis Posts: 1,150
    It seems we don't have anything good to say either, so I suspect the problem is the popularity of those two frames.
  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    edited January 2023
    I have owned or ridden neither of them. I have had 3 Bianchi’s in the past which were fine.
    I do have a mate with a bike shop who is a dealer for Bianchi I could ask him for you 😹
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,321
    webboo said:

    I have owned or ridden neither of them. I have had 3 Bianchi’s in the past which were fine.
    I do have a mate with a bike shop who is a dealer for Bianchi I could ask him for you 😹

    Could be helpful, as long as his answer is not along the lines of "The Oltre is better".

    I might be able to get a discount on a new one, which would bring it within the limit my employer puts of the C2W Scheme, currently 2 grand.
    That would make a huge difference and save me a lot of money in tax, as well as the salary sacrifice thing, which really helps

    left the forum March 2023
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,321
    drhaggis said:

    It seems we don't have anything good to say either, so I suspect the problem is the popularity of those two frames.

    ... or the demographic of this forum... :D
    left the forum March 2023
  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    His answer will more likely be we get you a Sprint in all sizes but not till 2024 unless it’s with Dura Ace di. Then they will let us have one tomorrow. But you can have an Oltre with any groupset but only in a 68.
    Email Northern Ride to speak to Kev or Ashley. You can say I suggested you do this, I don’t think they’ll put the price up.
  • MidlandsGrimpeur2
    MidlandsGrimpeur2 Posts: 2,123
    You don't see that many Bianchi's around these days. I guess most people gravitate towards the bigger brands and stuff you can get hold of, Trek, giant, spesh etc.

    I don't see why the bianchi wouldn't be a good bike though.

    As discussed on previous threads, if you want light and stiff, a used Supersix Evo, Emonda etc. would be the best bet.

    If you had the budget, around £2500 will get you a brand new Look 785 huez or a time alpe d'huez 21. Personally if you could stretch to it, I would be putting my money towards one of these.
  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    My experience of buying and what’s available which is limited to sitting in the shop drinking coffee and listening. It seems that if you are prepared to wait indefinitely they you can have anything. However even with expensive bikes you may have comprise, they may have a Sprint with an Ultegra groupset but only with a 50/ 34 chainset in 170 length cranks. As the shops deal with the rep and then the bikes come via the importer. It’s not that easy to change things.
    If the shop has an Ultegra chainset in 52/36 with 172.5 cranks and that’s what you want then you are in luck.
    I’ve known the shop suggest to people to speed them getting their that buying a power metre chainset is going to speed things up. For some folk spending an extra £300/£400 is better than a 3 month wait.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,321
    I might be heading towards a deal that would mean spending 1300 for a new one… from the biggest dealer
    left the forum March 2023
  • gethinceri
    gethinceri Posts: 1,669
    veronese68 said:

    If you're going to have a Bianchi it can only be in celeste

    Why?
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    ugo.santalucia said:

    so nobody has anything bad to say about the Sprint or the Aria?

    I had an Aria - I quite liked it. I inherited it from my lad, who had a fair bit of racing success on it. Mind you, I'm now using an old Jamis carbon gravel frame as the basis for my current road bike and I quite like that as well.
  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    ugo.santalucia said:

    I might be heading towards a deal that would mean spending 1300 for a new one… from the biggest dealer

    Not the place milemuncher got that wrong size one from.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,321
    webboo said:

    ugo.santalucia said:

    I might be heading towards a deal that would mean spending 1300 for a new one… from the biggest dealer

    Not the place milemuncher got that wrong size one from.
    No idea

    left the forum March 2023
  • MidlandsGrimpeur2
    MidlandsGrimpeur2 Posts: 2,123
    Not the place milemuncher got that wrong size one from.


    Oh no, it wasn't the wrong size, apparently. He had an expert bike fit which, if I remember his claim correctly, told him his position side on should resemble a prawn with it's shell on 😂

  • bobones
    bobones Posts: 1,215
    It will be disappointingly heavy. In the real world, add at least 200g to the quoted weight of any Italian frame.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,321
    bobones said:

    It will be disappointingly heavy. In the real world, add at least 200g to the quoted weight of any Italian frame.

    That would be in line with my current then…
    IThink components will make it heavy, but they will be quickly replaced with my existing ones.

    left the forum March 2023
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,321
    MidlandsGrimpeur2 said:

    You don't see that many Bianchi's around these days. I guess most people gravitate towards the bigger brands and stuff you can get hold of, Trek, giant, spesh etc.

    I don't see why the bianchi wouldn't be a good bike though.

    As discussed on previous threads, if you want light and stiff, a used Supersix Evo, Emonda etc. would be the best bet.

    If you had the budget, around £2500 will get you a brand new Look 785 huez or a time alpe d'huez 21. Personally if you could stretch to it, I would be putting my money towards one of these.

    the budget is less.
    Second hand Supersix HM are very expensive and the non HM are just generic carbon frames… they also take skinny tyres only and have a proprietary seatpost.
    Emondas are impossible to find, again mega expensive for the lighter versions.
    Not keen to spend too much on second hand to be honest…. happy to take a punt, but spending 2 grand on something that might end up in a skip with a large crack a few months later is not ideal

    left the forum March 2023
  • MidlandsGrimpeur2
    MidlandsGrimpeur2 Posts: 2,123
    Not keen to spend too much on second hand to be honest…. happy to take a punt, but spending 2 grand on something that might end up in a skip with a large crack a few months later is not ideal


    Fair point on secondhand frames. There will be good quality lightly used stuff out there, but as you suggest, you never really know what has happened under the previous owner(s).

    If your budget for new is less than £2k, sounds like the deal you've got on a brand new Bianchi would be the best option then.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,107
    Bit of a recommend my own bike post but if you see a Neil Pryde Bura SL for sale I can recommend them as a hill climb frame - few years old now and the company didn't last so they won't cost much but they are stiff, very light and I really like the way mine handles.

    No idea what width tyres they take as I've no desire to go wider than 25s - a lot more clearance than the look 585 it replaced anyway.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,321
    MidlandsGrimpeur2 said:

    Not keen to spend too much on second hand to be honest…. happy to take a punt, but spending 2 grand on something that might end up in a skip with a large crack a few months later is not ideal


    Fair point on secondhand frames. There will be good quality lightly used stuff out there, but as you suggest, you never really know what has happened under the previous owner(s).

    If your budget for new is less than £2k, sounds like the deal you've got on a brand new Bianchi would be the best option then.
    Yeah,
    alternative could be a Ribble SL, which is basically the same deal with better wheels... but only comes in very boring black. I am not too fussed about wheels, as I would probably not use them anyway
    left the forum March 2023
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,321
    DeVlaeminck said:

    Bit of a recommend my own bike post but if you see a Neil Pryde Bura SL for sale I can recommend them as a hill climb frame - few years old now and the company didn't last so they won't cost much but they are stiff, very light and I really like the way mine handles.

    No idea what width tyres they take as I've no desire to go wider than 25s - a lot more clearance than the look 585 it replaced anyway.

    Would only find Ebay stuff...
    Part of me would like something nice to look at and I always desired a Bianchi in celeste, since I was a kid. Obviously the Specialissima would be the dream, but being realistic I would never be able to afford one and the Sprint has basically the same geometry, looking at the figures... looks about the same too and a small fraction of the cost, for a 300grams penalty, it seems a no brainer.
    Stiffness wise, well, I don't think I've ever been able to chuck out more than 600Watt for any measurable length of time, so I don't think I am too bothered about how stiff these things are... they are plenty stiff for me
    left the forum March 2023
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,107
    No I get that - I've always wanted a Colnago just because it's a Colnago... just not at current prices .
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]

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