Still beautiful after all these years. I bought this bicycle in 2014 for a 12 mile round trip college commute and rode up until 2016. Then due to uncertainty in my life after graduating, I let it sit on my apt deck for 5 whole years before picking it back up again. Cars have changed, jobs have changed, girlfriends have come and go, moved to a better location, cameras have been upgraded, but this bike has stayed with me for the last 8 years and will likely be with me forever. A bicycle like this is timeless. It’s like a vintage Porsche, not the fastest, but drop dead gorgeous and feels so good to ride on its buttery smooth chromoly heat treated steel frame. It’s not overly dampened like carbon frames and not brittle and jittery like aluminum. Steel is my favorite.
Didn’t dawn on me that I liked bike riding until a friend jolted me back into riding, I forgot how much I liked it.
It has been neglected for many years, but it cleaned up ok and with some new wheels, seats and bar tape, the Bianchi is looking decent again. I was on a 49/17 ratio for many years, but decided to go down 1 tooth in the rear to give myself more of a challenge and to also pick up more speed. Currently at 49/16, but confident that I’ll be able to safely do 49/15 even while climbing. It’s always nice to go fast on the flats and not spin too much on the descents.
I did do some minor upgrades. I got a new seat, a Brooks Cambium saddle to replace the worn down and heavier B17 leather saddle. New rubber bartape, new wheel set from H + Son which look amazing with the chrome frame. The tires were starting to rot away so I bought a new set of Continental Gatorskins for the rear and the new GP5000’s for the front. Sadly they don’t make the GP4000sii anymore which was one of my favorite tires. So far the GP5000 beats it in smoothness and rolling feel, although I’ve heard bad reviews about durability and flats. We will have to see! Anyways, I’ll see you on the streets!
Audley Yung 